Metal parts restoration/cleanup

Tim McKane · From: North Carolina, USA

I am regluing top and heel block on a 1936 Gibson EH-100.. while taking it apart the screws from the back are crusty and the bridge could use a cleaing.

any safe products that anyone can recommend?

thanks

Tim

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Throw the screws away and replace them with new. Halford's Chrome Cleaner is the best thing for cleaning any type of chrome. Unfortunately it's only sold in Britain. Sad

Tim McKane · From: North Carolina, USA

Alan
have you tried Mother's?

Denny Turner · From: Oahu, Hawaii USA

Tim,

If you could provide some good close-up digital pics of the screws and bridge, it would help determine the right treatment(s). What you describe could be a number of different conditions, each calling for different considerations and treatments. For instance, ...similar to Alan's advice, ...it's better (imho) to get new "exact" replacement stainless screws if the originals heads are likely to strip trying to put them in or removing them in the future, ...or if there might not be enough threads on the originals to grip the wood once the crust is cleaned off. etc. etc.

There is much abstract in "cleaning" a bridge depending upon it's current condition and the material it's made of. In hindsight I don't recall ever seeing an abnormally corroded Gibson Steel's bridge; Which makes me now wonder if they were made from a stainless material. IF SO (no use using a technique that might be a waste of time on a corroded bridge that needs a different more aggresive treatment), ...then:

(1) REMOVE THE BRIDGE.
-
(2) Scrub it down good with a tooth brush and Simple Green, then;
(3) Rinse it thoroughly by scrubbing the bridge under running tap water with a clean tooth brush, then;
(4) Wipe water off with a paper towel followed by forced / fast drying (under a hair dryer or heat gun or in an oven set on the lowest setting or in sunlight and warm environment with airflow, etc.)..
-
(5) Put the bridge in a wide shallow empty food can (makeral, large sardines, large tuna can, etc.)(plain bean can will work if shallow wide can not available) and spray the bridge well with PB Blaster penetrating oil and let it sit overnight.
-
(6) Remove the bridge from the can and wipe excess oil of with a paper towel, then;
(7) Scrub the now light oil filmed bridge with a tooth brush and baking soda. Have a bucket or deep pot or 3-5 lb coffee can etc. ready and half full of clean water to dip the bridge in to rinse it and see your progress between scrubbings, then;
(8)When you feel it's clean, rinse it well under tap water again using a clean tooth brush to make sure it's rinsed well, then;
(9) Dry the bridge with paper towels then hair dryer / heat gun / oven again.
-
(10) Spray coat the bridge with Ace Hardware's Lub-E aerosol light oil, wipe dry well with a paper towel and let it sit overnight to leave a very thin "dry" film that makes future clean-up maintenance easier.
-
(11) The bridge is now ready to reinstall.

------------

Good time / place to mention: Ace Lub-E is also an excellent polish for FINISHED-wood / metal / plastics, that will not harm anything on a guitar AS LONG AS WET OIL DOESN'T / CAN'T RUN DOWN A SCREW OR OTHERWISE SEEP INTO A SCREW HOLE (repeated wet oils in screw holes will eventually turn the wood around the hole into mush ...and you never know how many times a screw hole has taken on oil in the past). Spray Lub-E SPARINGLY (a little will go a long way) ONTO A SOFT COTTON RAG (tissue paper in the absence of soft cotton) .... NEVER DIRECTLY ONTO A GUITAR because of the abovesaid oil seeping into screw holes, ...and apply the oil to the guitar with the rag, then wipe off thoroughly with another clean soft cotton rag or tissue paper. If the finish is old and dull, then let the oil application sit for 30 minutes or-so before wiping off ....although there is no time limit for letting it sit even for several days it would take for the vehicle to evaporate and leave an oil film that would still have to be wiped down well to keep it from being messy when playing. Letting the applied oil sit on the guitar for even 30 minutes before wiping well, will greatly help replinish evaporated oils in the finish and shine well when wiped off ...and won't feel oily if wiped off well several times, which will also rub the oil film down into the dry finish.

------------

About Mother's: I used to use Mother's on my scooters allot ...a long time ago; But about 15 years ago I noticed that it unexpectedly / differently didn't hold a shine very long anymore, ...actually noticeably dulling metal after a month or-so. So I went on the early (mostly text) internet and found a number of other bikers with the same complaints, ....commonly suspecting a change in company ownership and / or change in formula, apparantly to enterprise upon a popular brand and sell more product by making the product encourage oxydation it was previously and popularly used to prevent. I have no clue how true such statements were, but Mother's suddenly seeming to encourage corrosion fit ....and I quite using it. Maybe Mother's doesn't do that anymore; And I'd too be interested in Others opinions that have used it more recently.

------------

Waiting for good close up pics for more definitive suggestions for what you have.

Mele Kalikimaka ... Ha'ole Makahiki Hou
_________________
Aloha,
Denny T~
http://www.dennysguitars.com/

Please help support humanity:
http://www.redcross.org/en/aboutus

John Dahms · From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

One "best kept secret" for restoration is bronze wool. I would never use steel wool on anything I care about but bronze wool is amazing. It is far less likely to damage finishes but will remove tarnish and buildup better than anything else I have found.
It's not real easy to find but Homax is the brand, item # 123100, and I buy fine grade in a 3 pack.
Tuners can be thoroughly cleaned with a small piece worked into tight spots with a toothpick. It is not magnetic so pickups don't attract "fuzz".
Used with care it is very useful. I have even restored Fender tweed amp faceplates without damaging the lettering.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana.

Denny Turner · From: Oahu, Hawaii USA

Thanks for that interesting info, John.

Is bronze wool less abrasive than fresh 3M pads? Well-worn 3M pads?

Here is Homax website's source for the bronze wool you mentioned. It surprised me being less than $5 for a bag of 3 pads. I'm gonna have to try some, ....especially for it's gentle, non-magnetic and "stainless" properties.

There are several other interesting home products on that site too.

Thank You again.

Happy Holidays,
_________________
Aloha,
Denny T~
http://www.dennysguitars.com/

Please help support humanity:
http://www.redcross.org/en/aboutus

John Dahms · From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

Bronze wool is so much better than any other abrasive that I use it on things that I would not consider using something else on. One exception is soft aluminum like a logo on a T logo Ric. It (and just about anything short of cloth) can leave scratches.
I have even used it to remove tarnish from pocket watch hands and that has to stand up to close inspection under magnification.
It can clean binding, nuts, pots, tuners and buttons and if you chuck them up in a cordless drill you can buff and clean up screws. I have never scratched any nickel plated parts with it (including pickup covers).
I hate to let the secret out but if it helps keep ham-handed clods (present company excepted) from damaging instead of restoring things I would want everybody to know about it.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

The one product I've never been happy with is Brasso.

Tim McKane · From: North Carolina, USA

Denny
I emailed you a link to some pics

Thanks

Tim

Denny Turner · From: Oahu, Hawaii USA

Tim,

Post your pics here to get the benefit of many more eyes and brains.

I've been up to my neck in 'gators and haven't had a chance to answer your email.

Your pics leave me wondering what the bridge material is. Although it looks to be nickel steel, there is some surface marks that also look like corrosion of aluminum oxide that factory-coats the surface of aluminum items. I don't remember ever seeing aluminum bridges on Gibsons. More eyes and brains are needed to see those pics.

If you're an "all original" buff, then those screws look like they would clean up via the method(s) I previously said. Or take the screws to a nut / bolt / fastener company for exact replacements in stainless steel. ~~~~~~~ Brushing after PB Blaster oil-soak is much easier with a Dremel stainless steel wire wheel which will scratch the screws only microscopicly and less than normaal wear marks for that vintage. Darn sure the dremel will clean the PBB soaked threads quite easily. WEAR TIGHT SAFETY GLASSES when using a Dremel. Wearing a long sleeve shirt, kitchen rubber gloves, and an apron, will minimize the hassle of those little wire brush wires and slivers that break off from gettin' into your skin and "T-shirt". Put some heavy cloth or beach towel down on your work bench to catch the wire wheel slivers rather than on your bench ...unless it's warm enough to work outside. Reaching your work in a cardboard box also helps contain the slivers too. They can be bothersome little rascals stuck in yer skin.

Gotta run; Tons still to do "tonight" .....at 5:35 AM Rolling Eyes

!
_________________
Aloha,
Denny T~
http://www.dennysguitars.com/

Please help support humanity:
http://www.redcross.org/en/aboutus

Tony Glassman · From: The Great Northwest

On my rebuilds I soak the "crusty" metal parts in "carburetor cleaner" for 20-30 min. Then rinse w/ clean water and dry. You can pick up carb cleaner in gallon cans. The can has a dipping basket with holes in it, so you can easily pull up the parts after soaking.

Then I buff. For screws, I screw them into a wood board with the heads exposed. I lean "into the" buffing wheel usiing 600 grit paste first and then green followed by white finishing compound.

(Worked great on my Emmons p/p and ShoBud Pro II.)

Tim McKane · From: North Carolina, USA

Hi Denny
it does appear to be aluminum.. on my EH150 it is stainless

here is a pic..

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: