danondrums
Well-known member
I agree that cleaning and polishing cymbals is very disappointing.
Hence, I never do this.
Curious- and maybe I missed it in the thread- have you attempted cleaning again with anything yet? I feel that cleaning cymbals neither ruins nor improves the sound, it just changes it. If I were playing bop or something else that needed smoky, dark-sounding cymbals, I'd get K's, HH's, or equivalent, and never clean them. I'd do the same even with A's, AA's, etc. if they were only for studio work. With the pop/rock/r&b stuff I typically play live, I use A's, AA's, or equivalent, and I choose the cymbals that sound like I need them to sound when they're new- no need to wait for them to mellow- so I keep them cleaned. It also makes them look better under stage lights, which is a good touch for showmanship & presentation. My cymbals are regular finish B20's- if I used any with a brilliant finish, I'd just clean off fingerprints with glass cleaner.I plan on trying different products. Brasso, (suggestions).
Anyone tried Buckaroo Cymbal cleaner???
Yes, this thread has been back n forth, I was called a moron, lots of interesting things being said here.Curious- and maybe I missed it in the thread- have you attempted cleaning again with anything yet? I feel that cleaning cymbals neither ruins nor improves the sound, it just changes it. If I were playing bop or something else that needed smoky, dark-sounding cymbals, I'd get K's, HH's, or equivalent, and never clean them. I'd do the same even with A's, AA's, etc. if they were only for studio work. With the pop/rock/r&b stuff I typically play live, I use A's, AA's, or equivalent, and I choose the cymbals that sound like I need them to sound when they're new- no need to wait for them to mellow- so I keep them cleaned. It also makes them look better under stage lights, which is a good touch for showmanship & presentation. My cymbals are regular finish B20's- if I used any with a brilliant finish, I'd just clean off fingerprints with glass cleaner.
To your questions in the OP: I used Brasso on the marching cymbals back in high school, with mediocre results. It cleaned some, but not well, and kinda turned the cymbals' color. (Maybe it was residue I didn't completely remove...?) I've used Buckaroo some; highly effective, but messy, and it's a long, two-part process. You pick off a wad from the larger, what smells like light kerosene-soaked wooly wad in the container, and rub it (with the grooves, not against), and it creates a black smudge-y residue on the cymbal. I presume this is the grime that it's removing. (I recommend wearing black sweatpants, a shirt you don't care about, and hold the cymbal in your lap.) You can do a section, or the entire side of the cymbal. Then, you use a black towel or otherwise rags you don't care about, and buff off the black residue. Works very well, but will make your hands/fingers sore from all the buffing, and the black residue that will inevitably end up on your fingers won't wash off for a couple of days. The smell will linger in the room for a day or two.
I've had equal results with faster and less messy effort & process with Zims / Groove Juice. I put the cymbal in the bathtub, spray it generously with the cleaner, leaving no part of the up-facing side uncovered (if it's bell-up, start in the middle and move in a circular motion outward; bell-down, do the opposite). The instructions say to let it sit for a minute or two and then rinse it off; I scrub the cymbal lightly but thoroughly with a nylon-bristle bathtub brush in the same circular motion first. Then, rinse the cymbal. If I've let it go for a while and they're really dirty, I repeat it once or twice. I dry them with a regular towel and place them straight back in the cymbal bag. They don't end up brand-new looking, but close. Logos are gone, of course, but it doesn't matter to me, I'm gonna use them until they begin to crack, and I'm not hard on cymbals. I've had most of mine for a couple of decades.
What the person in that video is doing is different than cleaning though.Looks good
New cymbals require very little to keep them looking like new.Over the years I've used many of the same methods meny have mentioned: Groove Juice, Brasso, BKF, lemons..... The last time I cleaned them (lemons, years ago), I swore was the last. Now, after every gig or even practice where I might be choking the cymbal (yeah, I know what's coming now...), I just wipe 'em with a barely-damp micro-fiber cloth. More than enough to keep crud, stickmarks & fingerprints to a minimum while they grow old...
Uhh you don't SAND CYMBALS. Especially not very old K. Zildjians or any K. Zildjians or any cymbal of any value whatsoever. Struggling to respond to that video WITHOUT a torrent of f bombs franklyI notice someone used sandpaper in a different thread started earlier this year. And, I saw some vids. . .
So this guy rigs up a drill press I think. Uses a sanding bar/pad. This was on a cymbal that was DANG old. He said 30 years or more. It was definitely 50 yrs old or more. As you can see, the cymbal looked AMAZING! There is no before and after sound test. Obviously, it removed any "finish", that had been applied.
In cleaning a cymbal with sandpaper or a scratch pad, etc---what are the bad things that can happen? Rust? Sonic differences?
Hm, yes, there's a few classless folks on here. I've learned they're still the overwhelming minority here; they're only noticeable because they like to hear (see?) themselves bark. I find it amusing and let it roll off like water off a duck's back.Yes, this thread has been back n forth, I was called a moron, lots of interesting things being said here.![]()
If you have before/after pics, or at least after, I (we?) would love to see.I simply used Dawn dishsoap and warm water and a lot of elbow grease.
I'll let you review how things went if you want.![]()
Tim, there honestly wasn't much change AT ALL as far as how they looked. I probably won't put the effort into that, sorry.Hm, yes, there's a few classless folks on here. I've learned they're still the overwhelming minority here; they're only noticeable because they like to hear (see?) themselves bark. I find it amusing and let it roll off like water off a duck's back.
If you have before/after pics, or at least after, I (we?) would love to see.
New cymbals require very little to keep them looking like new.
I think this thread is more about when you get a used cymbal that's been neglected or abused.
I've bought some used cymbals that looked like a dog threw up on them, then baked in an oven,
and then left outdoors for a decade or two. Cymbals like that require a bit of work, but it can be done.
If you ever run across cymbals given a urine patina like these, you'll need more than water to clean them:
Urine Cymbal Patina Experiment
Yeah you read that right, Urine. I was wanting to "darken/dirty up"* a couple of my cymbals and was reading about different ways of adding a patina to brass and bronze. I noticed a few of them suggested Lemon Juice (or something else acidic), Ammonia and Salt. I had this crazy thought that...www.pearldrummersforum.com
I would also definitely recommend using disposable gloves and a face shield if cleaning those,
or whenever you don't know what caused dirt/grime/corrosion/patina,
or any other discolorations.
......WildBill! You seem to be one of few that get it. Not saying others are wrong. But Bill seems to understand a little more of the why. THEY'RE DIRTY.
Luckily there was no dog vomit, but some serious funk.
Oh, you never attempted another cleaning after the polish incident? I still recommend trying the Zims / Groove Juice process- I get great results with minimal effort.Tim, there honestly wasn't much change AT ALL as far as how they looked. I probably won't put the effort into that, sorry.
Tim, I had replied to one of your posts previously. I did clean them, with Dawn dish soap. It removed some of the black and gunk. But I took no before pics. It simply didn't shine them up or change them much at all.Oh, you never attempted another cleaning after the polish incident? I still recommend trying the Zims / Groove Juice process- I get great results with minimal effort.