# Fix a Cracked China???



## eventhetrees (Sep 30, 2011)

Hey

So I just scored a 20 inch thin Signature China from Paiste on eBay for 30 bucks.

It sounds good, but I knew it had a 6 inch crack. So the sustain kinda sucks on it haha.

Anyway I can fix it? I heard drilling holes help??

Here's some pics.


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## Customisbetter (Sep 30, 2011)

Drilling small holes at the ends of the crack should stop it from continuing to crack, however its not a guarantee.


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## Tobi (Sep 30, 2011)

drilling the edges of the crack wont do the job, it can help to stop the crack from getting bigger, but it will still sound like ass. 
What you can do is this, you cut out the whole part of the cymbal on the outter side of the china. and use a file to smooth out the edges. I did a little sketch in paint for ya. 


And the end result will look like this:
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...98274572_132980743401432_835650_4014323_s.jpg


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## eventhetrees (Sep 30, 2011)

^ that's what I was thinking to do...


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## Kamikaze7 (Sep 30, 2011)

I had a 17" Sabian AAXplosion china at one point that had cracked. Once these china cymbals crack, there goes the tone.

However in a curious attempt, my buddy dug out his angle grinder and he cut the cymbal in a complete circle where the crack was. it went from a 17" down to about 11", but it still works as a mini china. I'll take a pic of it next time I dig my drum stuff out and post for ya to see...


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## Tobi (Oct 1, 2011)

cutting out the complete circle is good, however its a lot of work, and you are quite likely going to do more bad than good, unless you know what you are doing that is. I would say that it's not quite as bad with a china as it is with a crash, as a lot of people want their chinas to sound trashy. 
I also noticed that you seem to be able to save cymbals that cracked in the way yours did, cymbals that break from the outside sort of pointing to the inside like this:
http://www.instructables.com/image/FHH6PMEFK9171BI/Once-it-is-cracked.jpg
are a lost case. 
but that might just be my opinion. 
But definantly, a cracked cymbal will never sound as good as one that never broke, no matter how hard you try fixing it.


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## DGKarehere (Oct 1, 2011)

I really think i'll try doing this because I actually have a cracked china and I never thought there'd be solutions for this. hehe


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## MTech (Oct 1, 2011)

try getting a new one/replacement since that's a defect crack as opposed to being from smashing the cymbal..I know you just scored it used and all but you could say it was a gift from before or something, it never hurts to try... Only saying because Guitar Center supposedly just sends in ones like that and the companies reimburse them so all you'd technically have to do is polish it up and get somebody cool in drums to swap you under "warranty"


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## eventhetrees (Oct 1, 2011)

MTech said:


> try getting a new one/replacement since that's a defect crack as opposed to being from smashing the cymbal..I know you just scored it used and all but you could say it was a gift from before or something, it never hurts to try... Only saying because Guitar Center supposedly just sends in ones like that and the companies reimburse them so all you'd technically have to do is polish it up and get somebody cool in drums to swap you under "warranty"



Doubt that would work here. Got it from the states online for 30. It's like 400 new hah. I still dig how it sounds, just wanna prevent it from getting worse quick is all. I'm probably gonna stack it as well.


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## ShadowFactoryX (Oct 3, 2011)

the warranty thing would never fly
garunteed

the signature alloy isnt very good for repairs

if anything, do you know anyone that does metal work, or tool & die?


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## MTech (Oct 3, 2011)

eventhetrees said:


> Doubt that would work here. Got it from the states online for 30. It's like 400 new hah. I still dig how it sounds, just wanna prevent it from getting worse quick is all. I'm probably gonna stack it as well.



Price has nothing to do with it, I've had friends do this with cymbals several years old... It'd be different if the crack was going towards the center but yours is going around the cymbal seams which is classified as a defect and that's why i said you should clean it up and give it a try. All they do out is here give you a new one on the spot and they send the cymbal in to the manufacture and get reimbursed w/ a new one... 
"Every PAISTE cymbal has a limited warranty of two (2) year from the original date of purchase."


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## ShadowFactoryX (Oct 3, 2011)

you have to have proof of purchase to be able to send in for warranty...


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## MTech (Oct 3, 2011)

ShadowFactoryX said:


> you have to have proof of purchase to be able to send in for warranty...



if you send it to them, not if you walk into a GC.. I've seen it done not trying to argue on it I was merely making a suggestion of something to try. I've seen guys at GC send them in for a customer using a receipt from a different sale to get a new one as well...and in one case Zildjian sent back 2 replacement cymbals.


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## ShadowFactoryX (Oct 3, 2011)

ive never heard of guitar center being reverse douche bags...?
this action puzzles me


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## GSingleton (Oct 4, 2011)

I would use it for an effect cymbal personally. But I do know how the tone can just go to shit from even the smallest crack.


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## muaddib09 (Oct 4, 2011)

I would do a few things get another cheap '17 crash and mount on top of the china see what that sounds like. If that is not a option do not lace into that china too much as this could cause the crack to spread. Most cracks that are concentric would be do to workmanship like MTECH said. Also just by playing the crack could go all the way around the china and eventually take off the edge portion all together. Drilling could help or just cause another crack to happen somewhere else.


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## Kamikaze7 (Oct 4, 2011)

Tobi said:


> cutting out the complete circle is good, however its a lot of work, and you are quite likely going to do more bad than good, unless you know what you are doing that is. I would say that it's not quite as bad with a china as it is with a crash, as a lot of people want their chinas to sound trashy.
> I also noticed that you seem to be able to save cymbals that cracked in the way yours did, cymbals that break from the outside sort of pointing to the inside like this:
> http://www.instructables.com/image/FHH6PMEFK9171BI/Once-it-is-cracked.jpg
> are a lost case.
> ...



This is what happened to the 17" I had. only mine was a strait split down the center. In either case, to cut it down smaller in the circular size is your pretty much following the lathe rings in the metal itself. You'll cut to the ring closest to where the crack ends. Just make sure that when you draw the new shape out that it's circular. A trick my buddy did was to use something that will fit in the center of the cymbal with a string tied to it. At the other end, tie a sharpie marker and tie the marker in the spot just before where the crack ends - again, one of the rings is best. Draw out the new circle. Then if you have something like an old barstool that spins, that's the best thing to use to lay the cymbal on, it allows you to spin the cymbal while you cut it. Just be sure to wear safety glasses, and hold the cymbal to the stool or whatever good with one hand, and the grinder with the other. As you cut, you'll need to make a good 5 complete circle passes at least to cut it all the way thru.

In most cases, the end result is pretty cool. Chinas become mini chinas or trashy splashes due to the inverted shape, junk hi-hats become really cool bells by cutting the bell out of them, and some crashes can be still used as a crash or splashes, depending on how big the initial crack is. In addition to the mini china I got, I also got 2 bells from hi-hats - both different cymbals, and I got 2 really sick splashes that are loud as fuck. I've still yet to dig the damn things out for pics...


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## thewildturkey (Oct 4, 2011)

In my experience none of the repair methods above will work. Sure they will prevent it expanding for a period of time, but usually another crack will appear in the cut out section/drill holes.

Your best bet is to drill holes at the end of the crack, and then use it in a stack, if its a 20inch, use an 18 over the top. it will give you a nice trashy stack and as the 18 will take most of the impact, the china underneath will hold up better.

Maybe scope out stagg/wuhan chinas, they are cheap, and sound good. that way when cracks appear, you ditch em and buy new ones. I used to roll Wuhan chinas for live shows, and Zildjians for recording. That way when my live cymbals took a beating I could just replace them.


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## newamerikangospel (Oct 13, 2011)

Wow, why is an active discussion happening on whether or not one could rip off someone else? You bought a $30 cymbal, why not get $30 out of it instead of trying to find ways to steal from someone else.


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## rectifryer (Oct 13, 2011)

You might be able to braze it.


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## Whitechapel7 (Oct 13, 2011)

for 30 bucks i would personally just turn it into an effect cymbal, as mentioned above. just dont weld/solder it . my friend did that to his Meinl 22" heavy bell ride, and it sounded like shit afterwords. and depending on the cymbals you use, i love the sound of my Meinl mb20 rock chinas, which Alex Lopez (Suicide Silence) and Ben Harclerode (Whitechapel) use. but they are kinda expensive. hope it helps


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## Whitechapel7 (Oct 13, 2011)

rectifryer said:


> You might be able to braze it.



if you want to fuck your cymbal up, go for it. not to be a dick. it was what i thought once, and a friend actually did it.


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## rectifryer (Oct 13, 2011)

Whitechapel7 said:


> if you want to fuck your cymbal up, go for it. not to be a dick. it was what i thought once, and a friend actually did it.


Do you happen to recall what process was followed? If you preheat the cymbal, I dont foresee it being to terrible.


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## Whitechapel7 (Oct 13, 2011)

rectifryer said:


> Do you happen to recall what process was followed? If you preheat the cymbal, I dont foresee it being to terrible.



that coulda been the problem


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## eventhetrees (Oct 14, 2011)

Whitechapel7 said:


> for 30 bucks i would personally just turn it into an effect cymbal, as mentioned above. just dont weld/solder it . my friend did that to his Meinl 22" heavy bell ride, and it sounded like shit afterwords. and depending on the cymbals you use, i love the sound of my Meinl mb20 rock chinas, which Alex Lopez (Suicide Silence) and Ben Harclerode (Whitechapel) use. but they are kinda expensive. hope it helps



I finally put it on a kit. It sounds excellent actually, crack doesn't bother me other than the fact itll get worse. Once it breaks I'll just stack it!


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## DGKarehere (Oct 15, 2011)

I just tried Tobi's solution for my mini china AAX that cracked the same way. I would say it no longer sounds good but it's better than with the crack. I will use it as an effect cymbal but not as a china since this cymbal was only 14". I got this cracked cymbal for free so I didn't care trying it


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