TelePaul
J to the R O C
Is tehre anyway to remove rust and oxidizing marks on things like pickup selectors, machine heads and screws?
IronFlippy
Dedicated To My Member
Leave it, it builds character. 
Alright, I have no idea how to do it.
Alright, I have no idea how to do it.
Flangerhans
Dodecahedronic member
Naval jelly...as bad as it sounds, it works great. Be careful, it is very toxic and should be treated with respect.
Anfontan
Banned by eurt
Flangerhans said:
I haven't heard that stuff mentioned in decades-I recall using it as a kid and it did remove rust. And you are right it is toxic and acidic so be careful!!!
Just cause it's called jelly don't try to taste it TelePaul.................
JCH
El Nacho
Try some chrome polish on a Q-tip. It works pretty well for cleaning small parts.
muttley600
Banned
A lot of times the results from attempting to remove the gunk from plated metal results in a worse look. Plated parts that are cast like machine buttons or casings have microscopic pits in the base that cause oxidation. The cheaper the part the worse they are in most cases. The result is that they "blow after awhile. The normal base on those is a flash copper then bright nickel and then the chrome, gold whatever. The pitting is in the base casting so be careful if you attempt to clean it too aggressively as you'll just wear off more of the plating. Ditto the screws and small parts. They are "barrel plated" which means they are done by tumbling them by the bucket load and the finish is not too good/durable. Sure it looks fine for a while but it soon wears. The only sure way to get a long lasting consistent finish is to get them plated yourself. A visit to your local platers may pay dividends because they can stick small parts through with their normal run for a six pack and a smile. They just wait for a job with the same spec and wire it onto the jig as it goes round. Ask them for a good "leveling" nickel base. Also you need to find a platers that specialises in precious metal finishing. Some are more down the larger chrome and base metal route. The two don't really mix.TelePaul said:
Also avoid anything too abrasive if you clean them yourself.
M
mike2731
New member
If it's a removable part, take it off, spray it really good with some WD-40, and put it in a plastic ziplock bag for a few days. Come back to it after a few days and wipe away the rust. This method works surprisingly well given the simplicity, and has been handed down through the Floyd Rose community for a while as a way to get rust off of Floyd's.
D
Dani Pace
New member
Silver cleaner works surprisingly well. I use "HAGERTY SILVER CLEANER" available at select jewelry stores. All it takes is drop parts in for 30 seconds or so, rinse in cold water, dry and reinstall. A light coat of clear lacquor on the parts (spray can variety works fine) will prevent further corrosion. Products like "TARNEX" will remove the crud and corrosion but will also dull the shine and will make most parts tarnish or rust again really fast if you don't polish and "topcoat" the parts. Small parts like screws are cheap so it is usually easier to simply replace them.