CLEANING CYMBALS

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Originally Posted by cantstandyourfunk

I don't even know what barkeeper's friend is..

TRy here

www.barkeepersfriend.com

[cantstandyourfunk]

Hey, thanks. Seems i can order online...but in any case, if I do order online, I can order a "branded" cymbal polish, yeah?
Now I am confused..

[tooldrums1000]

Toothpaste works too. HAHA after i was done lathering my cymbals with it my hands were on fire.

[drumminbro23]

toilet bowl cleaner and steel wool? Every one sure this isnt going to mess up the finish? Is there somthing i should put on after to keep it from oxidizing ?

[punkdrummer1]

I was wondering if anyone knew if anything takes off those nasty white marks from the Travis Barker Signature sticks.

[Tubs player]

using lemons works too

[cantstandyourfunk]

all these seem a little to harsh, except for lemons...

[tooldrums1000]

barkeepers friend works great. It really makes your cymbals look sleek.

[KONA]

Take a look a this link:

http://www.drumdojo.com/tech/cymbal%20clean.htm

Hope it's helpful.

[cantstandyourfunk]

Thabnks. That was a very helpful post.

[hawk9290]

alright, here's my verdict
never use steel wool on cymbals- sure it cleans them well with the toilet bowl cleaner, but thats largely because its removing the surface of the cymbal. Only a small amount is being removed, but after a while it will affect the cymbal.

toothpaste + rust stain remover worked very well. If you get a soft buff and put it on a dremel or drill, you can really buff stuff out without damaging the cymbal other than removing the labels. Good old paper towels work too, but require some elbow grease.

BKF and similar products- good products, I find doing that plus another cleaning of toothpaste works well.

Finally, my dad runs an industrial abbrasive and polishing company and had a deal with Zildjian at one time to polish the cymbals in the factory and put on the brilliant finishes. So really, I can get them to shine like new, but it still takes some work, and we just use a soft buff on a dremel and some industrial grade metal polish- cleaned up 30 years of patina pretty nicely, but they weren't my cymbals so we didn't want to apply anything stronger.

[tannerw_2010@hotmail.com]

go with the PAISTE CYMBAL CLEANER. i bought it for 10dollars at guitar center, and my cymbals look newer than when i got them. and the logo's dont rub off

[funkoz]

I've got some Paiste 802's, Alphas and Rudes which I'm about to polish up with the Paiste stuff (unless anyone has any advice to the contrary!), but I've also got a pair of Zildjian New Beat hats - should I use the Paiste polish on those? Thoughts?

Thanks!

[theetoie]

I have 3 1950's Zildjian crashe's and a Zildjian Ride (all old) The Ride i dont even know how old it is, anyway they are extremly dirty they are literaly brown, i dont want to mess up these Babies they are my prized possesions, also i have two Mica Sonic Cymbals from Germay i want to find out about them im assuming they are junk but if you know anything at all , anything email me at Theetoie@yahoo.com

[ludwigvondrumcrazy]

I would like to preface what I am going to say about Cymbal cleaning by saying that I recondition Vintage, and some not so Vintage Drums & Outfits, 6-8 hours a day, 7 days a week and have a close relative that has owned their own cleaning business for over 25 years. Based on our experience in cleaning & polishing neither of us will use anything that contains abrasives (no matter how fine,) ammonia or acids on any metals that someone plans on having around awhile. This is due to the fact that acids & ammonia can get down into the microscopic pores of the metal and break down the alloys over time so all may appear to be fine but as time goes by bad things could start to happen. Abrasives, well, they speak for themselves.
The key phrase above is “on any metals that someone plans on having around awhile” and is what we base our “philosophy” on, longevity………………..

Cymbals, being the mysterious instruments that they are, will change character when exposed to dirt & dust, which usually gives them a mellower tone, as these build up over time they can give you the sound that you're looking for even though the Cymbal didn't "sound right" when you first added it to your Kit. The same can be said of cleaning, but here a person has to very careful. Many polishes will round off the tonal ridges and, or, alter the tonal grooves thus changing the Cymbal's tonal character, which is nothing more than how the ridges & grooves allow the vibrations to move through the metal of the Cymbal. This change is permanent I might add...............

Because of this I would urge caution when contemplating using anything other than warm soap & water or something along the lines of Groove Juice, which you always have to thoroughly rinse off after use. Many a fine Cymbal has been altered by someone that just had to get rid of the tarnish and those unsightly fingerprints. Don't get me wrong and think that I am saying that if you use a polish on a Cymbal that you will ruin it, you could in fact, based on your preference, actually improve the sound. If this is the case always keep in mind that subsequent polishing may take it beyond that "sweet sound" that you love so much..............

Always keep in mind when polishing that most, if not all, of the "black crud" showing up on your rag is actually part of the Cymbal so you are removing metal and more than likely changing how the tonal grooves & ridges allow the vibrations to work their way through the Cymbal..................

Bottom line, if you must clean, or polish, your Cymbals be very careful as you could be making changes that can't be undone by hitting the "back button," and once the metal has been removed from your Cymbal {investment,} it's gone forever..............

LVDC

[Steamer]

A most excellent post and I totally agree on the soap and water approach regarding cymbal cleaning especially older well played ones.

[RUSTE]

Originally Posted by punkdrummer1

I was wondering if anyone knew if anything takes off those nasty white marks from the Travis Barker Signature sticks.

No... But i know how you feel. I had them sticks a few years ago & got white bits all over my cymbals! Using different one's now but yeah.. Thanks travis.... Nice sticks... Not!

[LarryMullen3]

My old drum teacher said "Never Clean your Cymbals. The Dirty sound is better"

[Victor_se]

I use Sabian Cymbal Cleaner

i'm not very happy with it.

It maybe make the dirt go away but it do it with sabian logo too! :(

[Joel Woody]

Originally Posted by LarryMullen3

My old drum teacher said "Never Clean your Cymbals. The Dirty sound is better"

yea.....isnt it better not to clean the cymbals?......thats what i was told too......when i get new cymbals i always put lotion on them...and then in like a week the dust just from floating around gets them dirty.....i love that sound....but thats what i do

[RUBICON]

Originally Posted by Freddie Freeloader

i just tried this a few weeks ago.... take a lemon, cut it in half, and then squeeze it and rub it around the cymbal.
then take a damp cloth and wipe the cymbal properly.... worked really well, didn't take my logos off.....
make sure to wipe the cymbal properly though....

Hi Freddie :

I just to clean my cymbals whit your formula based in lemon juice but I added bicarbonate of soda .... so you have to clean it up whit a piece of towel always in circles around the cymbal after that you have to rinse whit water or wash it whit soap .
I don´t recommend do it very offten .
Yes I know it is a weird formula ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡

[Casper "DrPowerStroke" Paludan]

Originally Posted by ludwigvondrumcrazy

I would like to preface what I am going to say about Cymbal cleaning by saying that I recondition Vintage, and some not so Vintage Drums & Outfits, 6-8 hours a day, 7 days a week and have a close relative that has owned their own cleaning business for over 25 years. Based on our experience in cleaning & polishing neither of us will use anything that contains abrasives (no matter how fine,) ammonia or acids on any metals that someone plans on having around awhile. This is due to the fact that acids & ammonia can get down into the microscopic pores of the metal and break down the alloys over time so all may appear to be fine but as time goes by bad things could start to happen. Abrasives, well, they speak for themselves.
The key phrase above is “on any metals that someone plans on having around awhile” and is what we base our “philosophy” on, longevity………………..

Cymbals, being the mysterious instruments that they are, will change character when exposed to dirt & dust, which usually gives them a mellower tone, as these build up over time they can give you the sound that you're looking for even though the Cymbal didn't "sound right" when you first added it to your Kit. The same can be said of cleaning, but here a person has to very careful. Many polishes will round off the tonal ridges and, or, alter the tonal grooves thus changing the Cymbal's tonal character, which is nothing more than how the ridges & grooves allow the vibrations to move through the metal of the Cymbal. This change is permanent I might add...............

Because of this I would urge caution when contemplating using anything other than warm soap & water or something along the lines of Groove Juice, which you always have to thoroughly rinse off after use. Many a fine Cymbal has been altered by someone that just had to get rid of the tarnish and those unsightly fingerprints. Don't get me wrong and think that I am saying that if you use a polish on a Cymbal that you will ruin it, you could in fact, based on your preference, actually improve the sound. If this is the case always keep in mind that subsequent polishing may take it beyond that "sweet sound" that you love so much..............

Always keep in mind when polishing that most, if not all, of the "black crud" showing up on your rag is actually part of the Cymbal so you are removing metal and more than likely changing how the tonal grooves & ridges allow the vibrations to work their way through the Cymbal..................

Bottom line, if you must clean, or polish, your Cymbals be very careful as you could be making changes that can't be undone by hitting the "back button," and once the metal has been removed from your Cymbal {investment,} it's gone forever..............

LVDC

Very sobering. thank you! DPS

[Victor_se]

Originally Posted by tannerw_2010@hotmail.com

go with the PAISTE CYMBAL CLEANER. i bought it for 10dollars at guitar center, and my cymbals look newer than when i got them. and the logo's dont rub off

OK

I'll try it next time

[tjcara]

BAR KEEPERS HELPER RULES for ease of use and getting off grime. Very little elbow grease BUT you must rinse very very well and then use a cymbal protectant or you might get a hazy film

[NIMBY]

so lemons are a good way to clean cymbals, does it get fingerprints off?

do you have to rinse it under water once finished cleaning?

just a few quick questions...

[ddrummer]

Originally Posted by Victor_se

I use Sabian Cymbal Cleaner

i'm not very happy with it.

It maybe make the dirt go away but it do it with sabian logo too! :(

i know i tryed sabian cymbol cleaner and it done the same thing they should of called it sabian cymbol logo remover

[gdsm betts]

now most drummers cringe at the word brasso well i dont i use it on all my cymbals and they look like mirrors were told "it will take of the protective layer and cause them to crack" what a load of balls as long as u use it lightly over ur logo to insurre they dont fade away u shold have the best looking cymbals on stage =]

[Batera945]

Originally Posted by Freddie Freeloader

i just tried this a few weeks ago.... take a lemon, cut it in half, and then squeeze it and rub it around the cymbal.
then take a damp cloth and wipe the cymbal properly.... worked really well, didn't take my logos off.....
make sure to wipe the cymbal properly though....

this might be a good healthy and enviromental friendly way to do it =)

when i cleaned my cymbals for the first time a long time ago, i used the groove juice and when i was cleaning my splash i forgot to rinse it out completly and half and hour later my splash was completly burned! so that freaked me out and i dont use that one anymore. i was using the zildjian polish one but i dont feel like that cleans it that well. It doesnt really get rid of the finger prints and leaves your cymbals lookin a little bluish and dark. Im still trying to find a good cymbal cleaner. Sprays or liquids are ussually better than polish

[Mr Ice Cream]

After reading through this thread I tried the lemons, didn't work so tried Groove Juice. It didn't take off logos. Take a look at some results. http://www.allabouticecream.com/cymbals/cymbals.htm

40 years of playing, still going strong.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Originally Posted by Mr Ice Cream

After reading through this thread I tried the lemons, didn't work so tried Groove Juice. It didn't take off logos. Take a look at some results. http://www.allabouticecream.com/cymbals/cymbals.htm

40 years of playing, still going strong.

Oooh... Those came out real nice. Is Groove Juice an abrasive? I'd like to give it a try. I had used a polish on one crash and it worked great, but reading one of the above posts has me not wanting to use an abrasive polish on a regular basis.

[fijjibo]

Originally Posted by Mr Ice Cream

After reading through this thread I tried the lemons, didn't work so tried Groove Juice. It didn't take off logos. Take a look at some results. http://www.allabouticecream.com/cymbals/cymbals.htm

40 years of playing, still going strong.

Id be heart broken if I lost all that lovely patina - but if thats what you wanted the its fine.

What cymbals are they?

They look like old A Zildjians to me

[ULTIMATEDRUMMER]

I used to use Sabian cymbal cleaner but I didn't like it.
Now IDC I don't clean them anymore.

[slingerland755]

Originally Posted by tjcara

BAR KEEPERS HELPER RULES for ease of use and getting off grime. Very little elbow grease BUT you must rinse very very well and then use a cymbal protectant or you might get a hazy film

It's called Bar Keepers Friend and it works like a charm. It's cheap and it will clean the dirtiest of cymbals. I know a lot of folks don't like to clean theirs, but I liked my cymbals to look good with our light show. BKF is a bit harsh, so I wouldn't use it on a prized cymbal, but if you're smacking em' everynight in front of a crowd, shiney cymbals will make the whole stage look better.

[drumbandit]

I used to clean my cymbals a lot, I accidently cleaned my ancient Turkish ride when I was young and almost cleaned away the signature on the underside of the bell. Only in recent years have I realised what I nearly did! I think old cymbals sound much better than new, I try and get extra dust on mine now.

Tom

[bonzolead]

Bar keepers friend is the best i've found my dad is also a drummer and he turned me on too it at a very young age(6) and i'm 37 now so I been using it for 31 yrs.i've used all the cymbal companies cleaners(zildjian,paiste,sabian,etc.)and they just don't. hold up.any kind of cleaner that has petrolium in it will leave a film on your cymbals brasso especially.like in other posts rince the cymbals very well and wipe them off using a old t-shirt or any lint-free cloth.

Keep Swatting Clean Cymbals LOL,
Bonzolead

[ItalianRicky]

I'm very satisfied by using PAISTE cymbal cleaner.I found this lotion not aggressive against cymbals sound and look.

[tomtom]

Simple: I don´t clean them. Wipe the dust at the most.

[bonzolead]

I just found out "bar keepers friend" comes in a liquid I got to get some and see how it works Hopefully no powder residue and at a price of just over $3.00 I just got to try it.I've used this stuff for years and there's nothing better for cleaning cymbals the only thing is the powder residue if you don't. rinse them good enough but now that it's. in a liquid Oh happy day.

Keep Swatting Clean Cymbals,
Bonzolead

[KarlCrafton]

I've used Wright's Copper Cream for well over 20 years, and it's been the best at keeping my cymbals clean with very little effort--and it's quick too.
I've tried a bunch of other stuff too, but Wright's works the best for me.

I have Zildjian & Sabian (and 1 Paiste 22" Formula 602) cymbals.
In 20 years, it's only taken 1 top Sabian logo off on a new 20" Vault crash...the rest of the logos on that cymbal were fine. Sabian is using a new ink, so they now recommend not going over the logos at all if you want to keep them.

I've gotten some pretty old used & crusty cymbals to look great again with Wright's.

[RAWK!!!]

Originally Posted by KarlCrafton

I've used Wright's Copper Cream for well over 20 years, and it's been the best at keeping my cymbals clean with very little effort--and it's quick too.
I've tried a bunch of other stuff too, but Wright's works the best for me.

I have Zildjian & Sabian (and 1 Paiste 22" Formula 602) cymbals.
In 20 years, it's only taken 1 top Sabian logo off on a new 20" Vault crash...the rest of the logos on that cymbal were fine. Sabian is using a new ink, so they now recommend not going over the logos at all if you want to keep them.

I've gotten some pretty old used & crusty cymbals to look great again with Wright's.

I use turtle wax on my zildjian planet z cymbal pack it works really well, it completely takes away finger prints, rust, and dirt from any kind of cymbal and it doesn't rip off the logo or nothing like that. I makes it shinier to.