Smitty22kick
Member
You think lemon juice in a spray bottle would be do the trick the same as fresh lemon?
Cleaning cymbals
- Thread starter DrumBum213
- Start date
pocket player
Junior Member
my son just cleaned his zildjian cymbals with zildjian polish and it worked very well
alsabbagha
New Member
i believe so yes but haven't tried it.
Jameson D
Member
You don't wanna have petina? it makes cymbals sound nice.
pinstripe
Active Member
A lemon slice really does the trick in this video:
I'm actually interested in the opposite -- how to get a natural looking patina on a new cymbal.
tml_fan_5
New Member
Random aside - I used a Paiste cymbal cleaner on a Zildjian Trashformer and it took a small amount of the dirt off, but later I saw about this "use a lemon to clean and restore your cymbal". I wanted to try it and started on my Trashformer because its the least expensive cymbal I own. However the finish on a Trashformer is different, mine had a purple tint to it. As soon as I started applying the lemon it started making the Trashformer look like a shiny new tin pot, which it never ever had that colour, even when it was new. It looked ok but I liked the purple and was thinking maybe it would change the sound if the acid in the lemon was somehow taking a coating of finish from the cymbal. Does anyone know more about the Trashformer (I do know it is not B20 bronze, and not a cast cymbal)? I stopped cleaning about half way into the cymbal because if it was affecting sound I didn't want it to change too much. Picture attached. Do note though that the lemon actually worked decently on my A's. Restored them to that silvery tint on bronze that a new cymbal has a took a bit of the dirt and finger prints off. 
C.M. Jones
Diamond Member
I recommend taking no action at all. Just let the patina proliferate. Some manufacturers are applying simulated patina to give cymbals an aged appearance. Your bronze has earned its colors naturally. Why strip it of its veteran attire?
Yes, I'm biased on this topic. I've adopted the resolution never to clean a cymbal again. May the ravages of time have their way.
Out of Round
Well-known Member
I like patina on a veteran B20 bronze cymbal, but I really like the stunning way Paiste 2002s and Giant Beats clean up. Have to say I've only used the now unobtainable Paiste Cleaner in the past, though.
C.M. Jones
Diamond Member
I agree that brilliant finishes (Paiste 2002s, Zildjian A Customs, and so on) look much better when keenly polished. Their mirror-like surfaces are incompatible with a haggard theme, and they assume a smudged and shabby appearance when they aren't cleaned regularly. I'm applying my no-intervention mandate to traditional finishes only, which are all I intend to own from this point forward.
Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX
Local Boob
is that a A Custom Flat Top Ride? I have neve seen a flat top with that finish...
pinstripe
Active Member
Not an expert but that looks like it could be copper chloride, which tends to be patchy and crusty. This is the bad kind of patina also known as "bronze disease."
Bronze disease - Wikipedia
Formed by exposure to salt either in water or in the air. Common in coastal areas.
The good kind of patina is mainly copper carbonate or copper oxide which forms a uniform thin protective layer that actually inhibits corrosion. Copper chloride on the other hand promotes corrosion and leads to pitting.
If that's what it is and you want it gone, the first step would be to remove as much as you can with a plastic bristle brush and water. Then use a commercial product designed to chemically remove copper chloride. I've read that Bar Keeper's Friend can work but not sure about that.
Iristone
Silver Member
I just clean the cymbal around the logo to prevent it from being removed.
I've never liked the heavy patina look on any cymbal, let alone those totally unlathed ones. I think part of it is that, having grown up in a developing (literally) country, I'm just too used to new things being better than old ('vintage') ones. I also fear that the patina will chew up drumsticks faster than smooth bronze.
I've never liked the heavy patina look on any cymbal, let alone those totally unlathed ones. I think part of it is that, having grown up in a developing (literally) country, I'm just too used to new things being better than old ('vintage') ones. I also fear that the patina will chew up drumsticks faster than smooth bronze.
SomeBadDrummer
Platinum Member
I use lightweight oil such as WD40 or Beezwax and soft cotton rags for polishing cymbals, hardware and shells. Oil is a gentle cleaner and great moisturizer for metal but careful around the ink if you want to maintain it. I avoid abrasive cleaners unless I am restoring an old piece with pitting or rust, then it’s liquid Bar Keeper’s Friend.
Attachments
Larry
"Uncle Larry"
Yes the sound changes. It get less bright, less harsh, and a bit more mellow sounding over time due to oxidation (patina)
Drumdame
Silver Member
Thank you!