How do you clean your hardware?

Look at the photos in this thread( post #15 and #19) of my 68 Ludwig Supra and my 70’s Ludwig chrome o wood toms done with foil and water . The Supra shell itself had some rust , hoops were worse with the strainer and throw off being the worst . The toms weren’t much better . They came out great and far better than I expected ????. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results ??

Wow, nice job!! Sorry for this late answer but this afternoon I cleaned my tom and my face was like OMG. It came very nice!
 
Ultimately, anything is better than nothing.

If I have no time or ambition, I'll grab a zip-lock sandwich bag, toss the tension rods in, douche blast with WD40, and jostle them about like i'm making shake-n-bake.

Poly mist is something you do if you have a paint/finish booth already set up. Zildjian does this on their shiny cymbals. This is not something you can do well with a rattle-can. I might consider this for those old-school lugs that run the full length of the drum or a hoop, but not for the tension rods. Best for large pieces. Not something you'd use for mechanical/threaded parts.

Neutral waxes, such as many automotive waxes, also work. There's a bit of a labor requirement and it can be messy.

Most time, I will use a rag and a neutral petroleum. I used "3-in-1" brand hinge oil last time I de-rusted tension rods.
As I said I cleaned my tom and I put grease on the tension rods but here at home I don't have any product for my hoops so in these days I'm gonna buy it.
 
Also forgot to mention the old stand-by Never Dull. Good for the tight areas of chrome hardware when you don't want to reach for the polishing compound or steel wool.


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Ultimately, anything is better than nothing.

If I have no time or ambition, I'll grab a zip-lock sandwich bag, toss the tension rods in, douche blast with WD40, and jostle them about like i'm making shake-n-bake.

Poly mist is something you do if you have a paint/finish booth already set up. Zildjian does this on their shiny cymbals. This is not something you can do well with a rattle-can. I might consider this for those old-school lugs that run the full length of the drum or a hoop, but not for the tension rods. Best for large pieces. Not something you'd use for mechanical/threaded parts.

Neutral waxes, such as many automotive waxes, also work. There's a bit of a labor requirement and it can be messy.

Most time, I will use a rag and a neutral petroleum. I used "3-in-1" brand hinge oil last time I de-rusted tension rods.
I find aerosol wax furniture polishes 'Pledge' and 'Mr Sheen' are good, quick general cleaners for everyday use. Spray onto a soft rag and buff off with another. Leaves a protective film too.
Has to be gentle if it doesn't damage furniture finshes I'm sure.
 
I find aerosol wax furniture polishes 'Pledge' and 'Mr Sheen' are good, quick general cleaners for everyday use. Spray onto a soft rag and buff off with another. Leaves a protective film too.
Has to be gentle if it doesn't damage furniture finishes I'm sure.

It's the additives that give me pause. If you have the choice between plain ole furniture polish and something that looks like a Rockstar energy drink, go for the conservative stuff.

Most furniture polishes are made of Naphtha, Butane, and Paraffin. Solvent helps clean the mess, evaporate dries it, remaining residue forms protective layer.
 
I've recently acquired 3 used cymbal stands, and here's what I did;

At purchase, place in car trunk.
Then, leave the hardware there for a couple of hours (it's been over 100F here lately).

Later, wearing gloves, disassemble the stand in the trunk of the car while standing outside in the sun, then clean each part with anti-bacterial wipes, then wipe down with a clean, known micro-fiber cloth.

Then, reassemble and enjoy!


(roommates can be so weird sometimes) :D
 
I've recently acquired 3 used cymbal stands, and here's what I did;

At purchase, place in car trunk.
Then, leave the hardware there for a couple of hours (it's been over 100F here lately).

Later, wearing gloves, disassemble the stand in the trunk of the car while standing outside in the sun, then clean each part with anti-bacterial wipes, then wipe down with a clean, known micro-fiber cloth.

Then, reassemble and enjoy!


(roommates can be so weird sometimes) :D
Thank you, I've tried to use aluminum foils and it works well.
 
I've done this to remove rust from hardware... foil and diet coke can really do wonders. ;)

Thank you, I've tried to use aluminum foils and it works well.
 
I have used both Turtle Wax chrome polish and Mothers chrome polish with great success over the years in a variety of situations: restorations of vintage drums and general maintenance of my rotation of gigging kits, which are all modern makes & models. I like it because it gets rid of a lot of funkiness that can accumulate on chrome and offers a bit of protection after the fact so that I can wipe everything down after setting up and knowing that the sweat from my hands isn’t going to immediately start the process all over again.

If I may, I would like to take a moment to slightly caution the use of the water/Coca-Cola & aluminum foil method. It works, it truly does. I was shocked at its effectiveness. But two things:

Not all chrome is the same. To say that this method will not scratch chrome is simply not true because not everyone does the chrome the same way and to the same thickness. While I will gladly admit that for probably well over 75% of applications, it will be just fine, but I would test it out on an inconspicuous spot first before proceeding if you are unsure. If you see any hazing, your chrome plating isn’t all that thick any maybe try another way.

That method in and of itself doesn’t not offer any sort of protection after the fact. So the chance of recurrence is there.

Not here to judge anyone, just sharing my experiences.
 
I was thinking of using water, Dawn Dishwashing liquid and a green scrubby. I wouldn't really scrub so much as just gently use it on the rims and lugs to clean them up a bit before using a soft sponge. I'd finish with a soft cloth and some Blue Magic metal polish. I'm just questioning the green scrubby part. But I feel I need something more than just something soft to clean off what appears to be some pitting. Maybe I'm just delusional thinking the pitting can be removed at all? These are 1975 Slingerland Stage Band drums (and a Premier floor tom from the same era). I question whether the aluminum foil will not scratch the chrome. I am figuring the chrome will be harder than the plastic that the green scrubby is made of and won't scratch if used gently. Thoughts?
 
I found this on Amazon last year. https://www.amazon.com/Music-MN110-...&keywords=drum+detailer&qid=1600805757&sr=8-2

I remember a thread here or on DFO where someone couldn't keep this weird white haze off of their drums, I had similar problems with a kit that was unboxed and setup in home and stayed. Lotsa dust with the dog running around, this stuff has kept that white haze away, as well as the dust. It can be used on Everything. Cymbals, hardware, shells, etc. It doesn't feel "Pledge-y".

I recently cleaned all of the hardware off of my buddy's vintage Premier kit. I mixed DW40, Goo Gone, Mr. Clean, Stainless Steel appliance cleaner, and water. This is my new concoction for refurbishing old hardware. I almost didn't polish the hardware because this mixture did such a good job. It's a bit of overkill you might think. But these Premiers sat in his garage, uncovered for literally, the last 30 years. There was snakeshit, rat crap, spiders, cobwebs, scotch tape. . .


I was thinking of using water, Dawn Dishwashing liquid and a green scrubby. I wouldn't really scrub so much as just gently use it on the rims and lugs to clean them up a bit before using a soft sponge. I'd finish with a soft cloth and some Blue Magic metal polish. I'm just questioning the green scrubby part. But I feel I need something more than just something soft to clean off what appears to be some pitting. Maybe I'm just delusional thinking the pitting can be removed at all? These are 1975 Slingerland Stage Band drums (and a Premier floor tom from the same era). I question whether the aluminum foil will not scratch the chrome. I am figuring the chrome will be harder than the plastic that the green scrubby is made of and won't scratch if used gently. Thoughts?

I don't know if I would use a green scrubby (are you talking about 3M scotch brite??), I feel like that would actually be WAY too abrasive. Try crinkling up some aluminum foil instead.
 
I question whether the aluminum foil will not scratch the chrome.
Chrome is harder than aluminum. The foil will not scratch chrome. 0000 steel wool will though, as steel is harder than chrome. Not sure about a green scrubby. They will scuff paint.
 
Chrome is harder than aluminum. The foil will not scratch chrome. 0000 steel wool will though, as steel is harder than chrome. Not sure about a green scrubby. They will scuff paint.
I've used foil numerous times. I just don't like using it too much because it seems like a waste for cleaning.
 
I found this on Amazon last year. https://www.amazon.com/Music-MN110-...&keywords=drum+detailer&qid=1600805757&sr=8-2

I remember a thread here or on DFO where someone couldn't keep this weird white haze off of their drums, I had similar problems with a kit that was unboxed and setup in home and stayed. Lotsa dust with the dog running around, this stuff has kept that white haze away, as well as the dust. It can be used on Everything. Cymbals, hardware, shells, etc. It doesn't feel "Pledge-y".

I recently cleaned all of the hardware off of my buddy's vintage Premier kit. I mixed DW40, Goo Gone, Mr. Clean, Stainless Steel appliance cleaner, and water. This is my new concoction for refurbishing old hardware. I almost didn't polish the hardware because this mixture did such a good job. It's a bit of overkill you might think. But these Premiers sat in his garage, uncovered for literally, the last 30 years. There was snakeshit, rat crap, spiders, cobwebs, scotch tape. . .




I don't know if I would use a green scrubby (are you talking about 3M scotch brite??), I feel like that would actually be WAY too abrasive. Try crinkling up some aluminum foil instead.

Yes. The Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge that we use on dishes in the kitchen. My understanding is that the green part of the sponge is made from recycled plastic. If that is true, I would think the plastic wouldn't be able to scratch the chrome. Just looking for some confirmation, if it's in fact true. And if it isn't true, why.
 
Yes. The Scotch Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge that we use on dishes in the kitchen. My understanding is that the green part of the sponge is made from recycled plastic. If that is true, I would think the plastic wouldn't be able to scratch the chrome. Just looking for some confirmation, if it's in fact true. And if it isn't true, why.
Using this:
20200922_160031.jpg
I was able to scratch the chrome on an unmolested Pearl pipe arm. The scratches were micro fine, I could not get a picture (how does one photo chrome? All I get is reflection). If I take my glasses off and get super close I can see them. They cant be seen at a foot.

The sponge is a brand new, unused Brillo Estracell if that matters.

EDIT: The scratches were so small I would not hesitate to use the sponge on small, stubborn dirt spots.
 
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