Moves for Seniors Blog

Relocating dad to a retirement community? Trying to figure out how to move the drum set he refuses to part ways with? Knowing that his drums most likely hold many memories of his rocker days, it is important to take the necessary steps in making sure it is properly prepared for the move and that it arrives safely to his new home.

Photo Credit | Deposit Photo | @mkm3

Packing a three-piece kit with a kick, rack and floor tom requires specific instructions. Below, you will find a step by step guide on how to properly pack a drum set for a move to avoid damage.

The first step in drum shipping is to gather your packing materials.

Packing Materials

When packing drums for shipping, you will need the following packing materials:

• Strong Boxes – The boxes that you select for shipping drums should be 3 inches wider than the drums diameter and 4-6 inches taller than the depth of the drum.
• Cardboard – You will need cardboard pieces wrapped around your drums, therefore it will need to be as tall as the drum.
• Newspaper
• Brown Packing Paper – This can be purchased at your local office and supply store.
• Bubble Wrap – We recommend using the smaller bubbles.
• Packing Tape – Do not use scotch tape.
• Foam Slabs – These are preferred over packing peanuts
• Tool to remove base drum head
• Utility Knife

Once you have gathered all of your packing materials, disassemble your drums and prepare them for moving. Start by removing the legs. Next, break down the rack tom stand and place it on its side. Lay the drums on their sides as well – this will make them easier to pack as well as protect them from damage.

Packing Drums for Shipping

Begin packing your drums by packing the rack tom inside the kick drum. Below are the steps to achieve this.

Photo Credit | Deposit Photo | @ beornbjorn

Packing the Rack Tom Inside the Drum
1) Remove one of the bass drum heads and place it on a table to prevent harm. Bend the cardboard every 6 inches. Line the inside of the drum with the pre-cut cardboard.
2) Using newspaper, wrap the rack tom. After you wrap it with newspaper, put a layer of bubble wrap around it as well. Tape the sides and both ends with packing tape as soon as it is wrapped.
3) Line the bottom of the kick drum with both cardboard (first) and bubble wrap. This will protect the bottom head of the drum from damage.
4) Place the wrapped tom rack inside the kick drum. Fill all of the empty spaces with newspaper until the rack tom is unable to shift or move around.
5) Put the drum head back on using your tool. If you use an electronic tool, be careful not to screw too hard and put a hole in the drum.

Packing the Drums in the Box
1) Wrap cardboard around the outside of the bass drum (you should have already wrapped the inside in the previous section). Also, wrap bubble wrap around the cardboard on the outside of the drum. Use tape to secure the protection.
2) Inside the box, place extra cardboard on the bottom of the drum. This will help prevent damage to the bottom of the drum if it is placed on an uneven surface causing a puncture in the box.
3) Place fully wrapped drum in the box.
4) If there is room in the side of the box place the legs (wrapped in bubble wrap) in that space. If there is not room, do not put the legs on top of the drums as this may cause damage to the head of the drums. Use another box if necessary.
5) Fill any extra space in the box with the foam slabs along with newspaper. This means all sides.
6) Place extra bubble wrap on top of the drum.
7) Place cardboard on top of the drum as you did on the bottom of the drum to prevent damage.
Tip – If there is too much space (greater than 2 inches) over top of the drums than cut a hole in the box to make the box smaller. The snugger, the better.
8) Tape all sides with an abundant amount of tape. Give the box a shake test to make sure the drums will not shift during the drum shipping.
It is recommended that the legs and stand be shipped separately. This will provide extra cushion during shipment and help prevent damage to both the legs and the stand along with the drums themselves.

Once you have completed the steps above, you are ready to move the drum set. There are many steps to packing a drum set on your own to help assure its safe arrival to dad’s new home.

If you would rather leave the packing and moving to the experts and take the pressure off of yourself, Moves For Seniors is your company. We provide senior relocating services as well as assign you a specialty move coordinator to help make your experience as stress free as possible. Give us a call at (800) 227-0515 or click here to set up a free consultation. We look forward to help in you!