Question on fixing cracked cymbal and experimenting with shape

[Eric Schmitt]

I have a cracked 18" paiste alpha cymbal that has cracked for the 2nd time that I'm trying to get some extra life out of. The first crack wasn't bad and I was able to repair it. That repair lasted for a good while but it has now cracked again. This crack runs laterally along the groove lines and is curling up. I'm pretty sure that cutting it down from 18" to 16" will not yield decent results so I was thinking of doing something completely oddball to experiment with it and see what happens... turn it into an effects cymbal maybe cutting it into an oval shape or something along those lines. I'm not worried about ruining the cymbal since I've replaced it and if it doesn't turn out good I'll just use it as wall art. My question is have any of y'all done any experimentation like this that gave decent results on sound.

[Steve Senseney]

No personal experience with cymbals, but from my knowledge of metal working--

If you try to braze this, you will soften the brass. It will not have the same sound characteristics, and with the change in hardness at the edges of your heating, it will be a stress riser, and possibly break more easily in this area.

Have you considered drilling a hole at each end of the crack, and then grinding the crack wide enough that it does not touch any more? The holes at the end will prevent it from extending the crack any further. Widening the crack will prevent it from making odd sounds if the metal rubs against itself.

Without heating the cymbal, the rest of the dynamics should be preserved, perhaps improved?

[Peter Corp]

I have cut large semicircular "bites" out of cymbals to remove cracks and ended up with something that sounded different to what it started as, but quite usable. Have tried the holes and widening the crack but found that there seemed to be other invisibly small cracks that then spread, hence the radical surgery.

[Chuck Tweedy]

Amazing they last as long as they do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osFBNLA7woY

[John Mueller]

The best way is not to break it in the first place. I've been teaching band since 1978 and have never had a student break a cymbal. This video shows how to NOT break your cymbals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn9Wv0IqTY8 I teach this to my students from day one.