Zum rear apron chrome strips

[Larry Dering]

I bought a used Zum D10 9x9 and someone painted the rear apron black to cover scratches and removed the aluminium strips. Are these glued on and where can I find them? The guitar plays great but the pedal bar was also painted black. I plan on stripping the paint and polish out the scratches on the pedal bar. The rear apron color will never be matching the front unless I find a proper paint. Is that a mica or is it something else?

[Jerry Overstreet]

Older 80s models did not have aluminum strips. The rear apron was just a piece of mica that was screwed on. I'm unsure about later models but I do believe those polished al. strips were attached by screws.

[Dave Grafe]

My 1983 Zum has the rear mica held on with screws plus a chrome trim strip across the top that appears to have originally been glued

[Larry Dering]

Dave, can you post a picture. I noticed some had a center strip that's a bit wider. Others had the top and bottom strips. Mine has the 2 strips on front but none on back.

[Dave Grafe]

Dave, can you post a picture. I noticed some had a center strip that's a bit wider. Others had the top and bottom strips. Mine has the 2 strips on front but none on back.

Mine is packed up with show gear, I'll post a photo when I can, it has a single thin chrome strip across the top of the back mica, cosmetic only.

[Larry Dering]

Thanks Dave. And anyone else who has rear apron pictures. I can't find a serial number on this Zum to determine the year.

[Dave Grafe]

Here you go Larry, my 1983 Zumsteel
Two small screws had been added to secure the right end of the rear trim strip when I received it, the rest of the strip came unglued last winter and I reglued the entire strip, but kept the screws. Note that the front is green marble mica but top and back are black, it shouldn't be hard to make a new back piece of any color you choose, it slides right in.

[Larry Dering]

Sweet, thank you Dave. That's a big help and I will do just that. I appreciate your help. Is that strip aluminum or something else?

[Jerry Overstreet]

That is aluminum apron trim there common to most mica covered pedal steels. Probably 3/8 or 5/16.

You can see the 5 screws in the piece of mica that I referenced in my earlier post which is an 80s build. The later models had an aluminum strips just above where those screws are in the piece of mica. I believe 3 screws held that piece on the later builds.

My 81 had the mica screws and I took that piece off, taped an aluminum strip to it and used that as a guide to drill holes in the strip. Then I screwed it on with the 2 pieces together here:

1976_org1_3.jpg

1976_P6010001_1.jpg

shot here of a later Zum rear strip. You can see there is no apron trim just the alum strip across the mica and it is placed in another spot:

[Dave Grafe]

While the thin strip across the top is cosmetic only, the wider aluminum trim across the middle in later builds covers the brass bearings and the ends of the cross-shafts. This is a big help for maintenance and repair as the earlier builds required the removal of the rear mica panel which is prone to breaking.

[Jerry Overstreet]

To wit:

less mica.JPG

[Larry Dering]

Jerry and Dave, again you guys came through with details I needed. Thanks for helping me out.