Drums in the cold

[L mandrake]

Any thoughts on leaving drums in sub zero temperatures. I live in Ontario Canada.I am back and forth between two houses and sometimes I'm away from my cabin for a few days without putting a fire on. I always gather up all my guitars and recording stuff if I am going to be away for any time and take them to a warm setting but my drums are subjected to the cold. They are top quality drums and I am wondering if I am doing damage to them or is it just the skins that will be effected.

[BlackHawk2029]

extreme cold + wood = bad combination. that wood will warp man. get those things outta there as much as possible when it's gonna be cold in there.

[cusebassman]

Not a good plan. Wood plies can separate and the wood itself might also crack. Happened to one of my smaller toms when I stored them in a uHaul building that claimed to be temp controlled, and when I went in it was 10 degrees. The other drums were fine, but you don't want to chance it with a good set (or any set that you don't want to have to replace).

[mikeh]

I agree that wood in the cold is never a good thing - but....... over the years I've left drums in the cold all the time, and have never had a problem.

I've been in touring bands where the drums sat in the truck/van/bus overnight for weeks and months at a time - in the middle of winter throughout the northern US.

I always have a kit in my garage ready to go on short notice - and I live in Wisconsin, which has some pretty cold winters. I get a lot of calls to sub for various bands - sometimes on short notice. Even without the sub work, since I often gig 2-3 times a week, there is no way I'm gonna haul all that gear in and out of the basement every time I gig.

Naturally, I have good cases, etc. - but that does little to stop the cold.

[drossfile]

good heavens what a bad idea!
but it's not really being in the cold that will harm them as much as it's the constant changes in temperature and humidity that will kill anything made of wood.

[L mandrake]

Thanks for the quick responses guys. It has always been a concern for me as I am a woodworker by trade and I'm pretty well versed in wood technology.
Mikeh there must be thousands of guys like you doing the same thing and not just with drums but electric guitars, acoustic guitars etc. Just being in the back of trucks between cities in the winter subjects them to great extremes especially when they go into a warm sweaty bar afterwards. Air travel must do wonders for the wood as well, or are the cargo areas all climate controlled?
I once left my black US strat in the van in minus 20 or 25 and when I got it inside, it had changed colour and developed lots of cracks in the paint. It is now bluey black and it looks great! Looks like something that rory gallagher once owned.

[chellman]

My understanding has always been that drums and other instruments can take a fair bit of cold, but not dramatic changes in temperature. So if you're moving gear around in the cold, and go into someplace warm, leave the gear in the cases for a while to let them warm up, then just open them a little bit (unzip, whatever) and let the air even out. It can take a while, but is safer for the gear.

[L mandrake]

Originally Posted by chellman

My understanding has always been that drums and other instruments can take a fair bit of cold, but not dramatic changes in temperature. So if you're moving gear around in the cold, and go into someplace warm, leave the gear in the cases for a while to let them warm up, then just open them a little bit (unzip, whatever) and let the air even out. It can take a while, but is safer for the gear.

So, based on that theory I wonder if it would be reasonable to drape the whole kit in a heavy blanket or quilt if I am going to be away and then let the place warm up with the fire and take the blanket off after many hours or even the next day. When a cold thing is brought in to a warm place, moisture appears on it almost immediately, so it might avoid that rapid moisture stage. Thanks

[drumzealot]

While it is true that sudden and large changes in temp can warp a drum, it is still not ideal to let a drum get either very cold or very hot, even if the change is gradual. The best situation would be to find a way to store them in a climate controlled space with “normal” temp and humidity. Especially if you have expensive drums. A drum that is not round is basically broken.

[L mandrake]

Thanks for all the replies. I went over with my van last night and picked them up and brought them to their new warm resting place for the winter. I slept much better last night.