Anybody repairing drums now?

[robbo]

Since our own Merle B has left us, is anybody else replacing springs and tinkering with drums?

[Colt Chopper]

Might try Dan Block (Deerslayer)

[TSMG28]

Robbo,

I recovered some tools and the spring material from Merle, and will eventually try to repair springs on drums. That will not occur until sometime next year at the soonest, as I still have a number of .22 conversion kits to manufacture. 
I do not plan to repair any modern drums initially, preferring to focus on Colt era or WWII drums. The price for modern drums makes repairing those impractical. 
Roger

[ppgcowboy]

If you want to run a colt drum and not want to damage the spring, just get a newly manufactured Drum and swap the rotor out. But still don't  drop the bloody thing. 

[robbo]

Hey Roger, Merle once told me how to go about replacing the springs, I would like to repair the one I have. Would you sell some spring material to me?

Edited January 23 by robbo

[Countryboy77]

Can you wind/ heat treat your own metal? Pretty sure the spring stock will be a roll of steel needing sized formed and heat treated anneal.Not an easy task.Prwtty sure that's why he is focusing on Colt and Bridgeport drums ,like he said tge Cost is not feasble and if he happens to have a little stock of Merles already made springs he may not want to get rid of any before sourcing more.What kind of drum do you have robbo? You may just want to get a cheap tiawan drum and swap rotor assembly like pig cowboy suggested.Ive seen this before and should be a simple swap.Opening a drum springs hub up is not easy and even more difficult to put back right as spring needs a little pre tension and lots of surfaces to peen ot tig to close back up.a Whole lot of work More than most realize unless they actually manufactured one and got the special tools for assembly.For the guy making repairs they must go through the tremendous effort separating components that have dozens of peened surfaces and taking it apart without marking it up then peening it all while somthing is holding it closed while peening again hoping not to mark.I know Merels prices seemed high but his caliber of work/ dedication the amount of work, he was an artist with love for the platform .Anyway my point is your not going to replace that spring easily even if you could find buy a new spring .

Edited January 27 by Countryboy77

[Weasel]

I have a United ww2 drum that the spring gave up the ghost. I took it apart and found that there is a U shaped clip that 

holds the end of the spring on the center shaft. It was a bit of a pain to get it all back together. That was all that kept the spring from winding

with the key. If the U clip pops off the spring pops off the center shaft.

I am sorry I didn't take any pictures. Hope that helps for some of you.

Weasel