cleaning vintage drums

Hi Don,

I definitely WOULD NOT use vinegar to clean any metal!!! I use vinegar to create patina patterns on metal snares. These are drums that people ask to have patined, so it is done by request. I don't know what the Yamaha is made of ( type of metal)- but usually a polish that you can purchase at a retail store, used lightly with a soft, lint free cloth, will help bring out some of the shine. If the metal is deeply tarnished, or even worse pitted, then you'd have to be more aggressive, using abrasives then polishes to bring it back to it's original lustre. Please contact me directly at my email: aegis@bell.net for more information. I polish vintage snares and hardware as part of my repair business. Best regards- Jono Rose

P.S. -- Is the Slingerland a wrapped drum ?

Hi Don, I recommend first giving the metal snare a bath with warm water and Dawn dishwashing detergent, and then polish it with any of Maguire's basic chrome polish products that you can get at Auto Zone. If there is rust, you can use naval jelly to remove it. That can be found at any Home Depot or hardware store. Use a sponge to put it on and take it off. DO NOT, under any circumstances, use steel wool of any grade. Even the 0000 grade will leave microscopic scratches which can lead to pitting later. The Slinger Leedy: a product that has been working very well for me is Drum Muff Miracle which can be used on metal and on plastic finishes. It is a combination cleaner/polish/conditioner and protectant. Drum Muff also makes a metal cleaner called Metal Magic Pro which works very well. I advise against using any kind of abrasive cleaner or applicator.

Thank you for your advice George and Jono. Greatly appreciated!

I've had good luck with MAAS metal polish on all kinds of metal parts. It is not very abrasive, and leaves some sort of protective coating behind. Pleasant lavendery scent, too!

Thanks Don