Larry
"Uncle Larry"
I know this guy Ron, he's a Ludwig super freak, this guy has over 100 full sets (in storage, complete w/ hardware, cymbals) of Luddies. He is considered a Ludwig "expert" in my area and has some real credibility. Anyway, he used to work at a Sam Ash in Phila, one of the places I go. One time I was there he showed me some vintage drums and on all the lugs the chrome was peeling off. Ron claimed that this was due to Vaseline being used for lube inside the lug. Now I have been using vaseline for quite a while, because it says "100% petroleum jelly" right on the jar, so I thought it was safe. I was skeptical, but what convinced me was the fact that on the floor tom leg brackets, the chrome was perfect. I know I never used it on my floor tom leg brackets, so maybe there's something to it. Ron claims that the vaseline, constantly replenished throught the years, is ultimately acidic to the lug metal. He recommended gun oil, or 3 in 1. Can anyone cooroborate this?