Cleaning cymbals

Re: What kind of cymbol polish do you prefer?

Just did all mine last night. Lysol toilet bowl cleaner first... an effortless tarnish remover that worked better than anything I've tried. ACID WARNING!! Wear hospital type laytex gloves. Works great on Sabians and Zildians and even better on Paistes. Then followed with Bar Keepers Friend to get out the stick marks and leave a protective coat of polish. Bright and shiny, but now my cymbals all smell like the mens room at Sears. Kidding.
 
Re: What kind of cymbol polish do you prefer?

Colin said:
I use Bar Keeper's Friend and Steel Wool. It works just fine, although they will take some of the logo off, I rarely clean my cymbals though.
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You use steel wool on cymbals? Geez man, why not just send them to me instead of shredding them :) You'll have to buy new ones soon enough anway...
 
Re: What kind of cymbol polish do you prefer?

Ok... The katchup wont work. Now something that does work fine (of course im talking about house held items) is a mix of lemon juice and vinager. it works pretty good and you wont loose your logos. Of course I use the ultimate best (in my opinion) Brasso. But of course that takes of your logos. Just how I like it to.
 
Re: What kind of cymbol polish do you prefer?

I haven't polished my cymbals in years. I figure what's the point... I don't think a little tarnish ever hurt the sound and I don't need to be blinded by the flash of a super-shiny cymbal any longer.

HOWEVER - when I did polish my cymbals, I discovered the wonders of muriatic acid. Its got a hell of an odor but man, it'll take *everything* off your cymbal, including that expensive Zildjian logo. Once that was done, any household metal polish will shine it up.
 
best way to clean

Hey all, I just got two new Sabians! Woo hoo!

I picked up a 14 inch HH Sound Control Crash to replace an old 13 that's started cracking, and I got a 16 inch HHX Manhattan Jazz just to expand the collection. (I'd never heard of the "Manhattan" line, and it doesn't even say "crash" on it now that I look a little closer, but it sounds great.)

But the thing is, they're covered in fingerprints from people checking them out at the store. How do I clean them up? Can I use a Windex type thing? Do I have to be worried about chemical reactions between a cleaner and the bronze?

All clues appreciated.
 
Re: I just got 2 new cymbals; how do I clean them?

Search the forum and you will find plenty of threads on cymbal cleaning. In fact there is a specialist thread dedicated to the 'best cleaner.' Just search.

Btw, congratulations on the Manhattan line; I am exceptionally jealous, I'd be even more jealous if it wasn't for my gorgeous ride...
 
Re: I just got 2 new cymbals; how do I clean them?

Congrats man, I love the Hand Hammered Sabians too.

And be glad you got a Manhattan, those cymbals are out of this world. I'm not sure how many places stock them, but of all the drum shops I've been to, only one had them in stock.
 
Re: I just got 2 new cymbals; how do I clean them?

Sticksman said:
And be glad you got a Manhattan, those cymbals are out of this world. I'm not sure how many places stock them, but of all the drum shops I've been to, only one had them in stock.
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Yeah, this shop only had the one in the size range I was looking for. I checked out maybe 25 crashes and whittled it down to (the HH and) the HHX Manhattan. It's quite a light cymbal, and I don't have high hopes for its extended longevity.

The other sweet thing about this cymbal is that of all the ones I looked at, the Manhattan is the only one where you could very clearly see the wave form moving around the circumference. The laws of wave dynamics in demonstration mode right before me eyes. It looks very cool. All the other cyms, the wave is so complex at the edge that it moves so fast you can't really see any distinct pattern.

Who'd a thought a couple of hunks of bronze could be so much fun?
 
Re: I just got 2 new cymbals; how do I clean them?

Make sure you don't overhit the Manhattan. That's a very valuable piece of metal that could last you years. Each one has it's own individual character and you don't want to go breaking it! Cymbals are not disposable...
 
Re: What kind of cymbol polish do you prefer?

Freddie Freeloader said:
take a lemon, cut it in half, and then squeeze it and rub it around the cymbal.
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Interesting idea. I've got this biodegradable "citrus degreaser" I use on bike parts. I figure it's mostly lemon juice. Maybe I'll give it a shot.
 
Re: I just got 2 new cymbals; how do I clean them?

mediocrefunkybeat said:
Make sure you don't overhit the Manhattan. That's a very valuable piece of metal that could last you years. Each one has it's own individual character and you don't want to go breaking it! Cymbals are not disposable...
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Yeah, I don't think it can take much abuse. It's quite light. I'll try to go easy on it by using it either for just lightish jazz or in a setup with at least two other crashes to spread the punishment around.

The Hand Hammered Sound Control is a weird cymbal. It's got a very short flat section at the edge, as opposed to a continuous curve like most cymbals. Almost like it was about to transmography into a Chinese and then changed its mind at the last second. It's got a very fast decay, which I like, but it's almost a little gong-y, which I'm less sure about.

Anybody else use any of these Sound Control things? What do you think of them?
 
Re: What kind of cymbol polish do you prefer?

I use Paiste cymbal cleaner, then followup with a mild dish detergent, then dry. They come out great!. The dish detergent gets off the excess cleaner and dirt that just wiping does not. In addition it also gets rid of the mild acid in the cleaner.
 
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Re: What kind of cymbol polish do you prefer?

I use whatever cymbal manufacturer's cleaner. I'm using Zildjians now, and still have a couple Paiste's, and I like their cleaner.

I have a question for any Zildjian users. My older set of cymbals still have a couple tiny
"spots" on the cymbal after I cleaned them. I tried rubbing them out, but still have no luck. Anyone have this problem, and possibly solution???
 
Zildjian A custom polish

What is the best polish to use on Zildjian A custom cymbals without taking off the brilliant finish
 
Re: best way to clean

Muriatic acid and a metal polish. Talk about a shine. Be careful if you like your pretty Zildjian logos because muriatic acid will take that emblem right off.

But I don't shine my cymbals anymore. I figure what's the point.


MODERATOR EDIT: the following information about muriatic acid should be read carefully before using it for household cleaning. Stick with safe substances that were designed for the task at hand.

Potential Health Effects
----------------------------------

Inhalation:
Corrosive! Inhalation of vapors can cause coughing, choking, inflammation of the nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract, and in severe cases, pulmonary edema, circulatory failure, and death.

Ingestion:
Corrosive! Swallowing hydrochloric acid can cause immediate pain and burns of the mouth, throat, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. May cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and in severe cases, death.

Skin Contact:
Corrosive! Can cause redness, pain, and severe skin burns. Concentrated solutions cause deep ulcers and discolor skin.

Eye Contact:
Corrosive! Vapors are irritating and may cause damage to the eyes. Contact may cause severe burns and permanent eye damage.

Chronic Exposure:
Long-term exposure to concentrated vapors may cause erosion of teeth. Long term exposures seldom occur due to the corrosive properties of the acid.

Aggravation of Pre-existing Conditions:
Persons with pre-existing skin disorders or eye problems or impaired respiratory function may be more susceptible to the effects of the substance.
 
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I used a combination of lemons and vinegar to clean my cymbals last night and I was totally impressed. Way inexpensive and great results. Mind you, my cymbals weren't really, really dirty... no heavy patina. But, I think it's great. First I cut a lemon in half and squeezed and rubbed the lemon on both sides of the cymbal. I let the juice sit on there for a bit (a minute or so) and then used a cloth soaked in vinegar to wipe it down. After that I cleaned it off thoroughly with soap and water and dried it with a soft rag. Thanks, Freddie Freeloader! I'm not sure how it would work on a really dirty cymbal, but it worked really well on mine.
 
I find that Pledge (extra moisturizing formula) works awesome to remove (most) stick marks, and it really brings out a nice shine, because of the lemon oil. Doesn't remove logos either...
 
Flitz.

Period.

It's wierd blue goop in a tube, and it's the best bronze cleaner I've ever encountered. I deal with bronze and brass every day when I'm working in 'artist' mode, and this stuff is the bees knees.

Leaves your logos intact too.

So buy some already.

K
 
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