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Topic: Polishing Small Parts Emmons PP |
Tony Glassman
From: The Great Northwest
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Posted 13 Nov 2021 4:32 pm
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I’m with Henry re: parts cleaner. Afterwards, I hold the bell crank swivel edges up to the buffing wheel & let them spin for 1 or 2 seconds…. they shine up like chrome. |
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Ron Forrest
From: Logan Ohio, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2021 6:23 pm
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I've got it down to a process of 3 minutes in the ultrasonic cleaner with 85% water and 15% Simple Green. They come out looking brand new. Any tougher stains i'm using Naptha to remove the rest.
The cross shafts i hit with some 0000 steel wool and hand polish with White diamond medal polish.
I've had really good luck in my vibrating tumbler with fine walnut shells and about a teaspoon of Blue Eagle metal polish added and letting it run for about 6 hours. I'm buffing out all the bigger aluminum part on the buffer.
It;s been a really fun project and i cant wait to start putting the guitar back together, Thanks to everyone for all the great advice and recommendations! |
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Bobby D. Jones
From: West Virginia, USA
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Posted 13 Nov 2021 9:33 pm
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I have an ultra sonic cleaning unit, And cleaned many small parts with it. For general cleaning Blue high power Dawn dishwashing detergent,(The one with no hand conditioner). Works great on small steel and aluminum parts.
It works its best if you use distilled water for cleaning and rinsing. Chemicals in city water will leave a white powder like coat on some parts.
For a true polish on parts, Vibrating unit with walnut shell media and a fine polish liquid additive.
I use a special Brass cleaner made by LYMAN. |
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Johnie King
From: Tennessee, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2021 8:24 am
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Use out side with the wind too your Back!!
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Bobby D. Jones
From: West Virginia, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2021 11:39 am
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Easy Off Oven Cleaner is a great grease remover. But Most oven cleaners have a Caustic Soda base, BE CAREFUL, KEEP AWAY FROM ALUMINUM.
Caustic Soda plus aluminum chips is the basic ingredients in granular Drain-O Drain Cleaner. Add moisture and the Caustic Soda/Aluminum reaction is heat and the aluminum chips just disappear. |
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Ross Shafer
From: Petaluma, California
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Posted 15 Nov 2021 9:34 am
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Bobby is correct on this....great for removing anodizing, but leave your parts in too long and they'll find religion by getting holy.....pitted actually. |
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Chris Lucker
From: Los Angeles, California USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2021 6:13 pm
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That is interesting about removing anodizing. _________________ Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars. |
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Tom Quinn
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Posted 19 Nov 2021 10:16 am
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I once had a '69 cut tail that had the tone polished right out of it. I just let the guitar be if it plays okay. If there's a coating of cigarette smoke on the undercarriage, I take that to mean it's had a good life in the honky tonks. Worked for me... smiles. _________________ I need an Emmons! |
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Ron Forrest
From: Logan Ohio, USA
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Posted 21 Nov 2021 8:15 pm
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Tom,
Unfortunately the guitar was really gunked up and wasn't functioning as it it should. The changers were almost to the point of being seized, many of the rods where they pass thru swivels had so much build up of old oil and smoke that its a wonder they could even move as freely as they did. The guitar was actually setup very strangely with the E's on the right knee and the second string drop on LKL. It was only a 8 x 3 guitar and i wanted to add the fourth lever and set it for a "standard" Emmons setup.
As far as a restoration goes I'm not going for a full out high polish on all the parts but more of getting it back to playing really well and being nice and clean. I don't want to polish all the history out of the guitar. I love guitars with nicks, dings and scratches.I think it gives them character and kind of tells there story if that makes sense. |
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Bob Carlucci
From: Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 22 Nov 2021 12:27 am , Chemtool
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meh, You guys overthink too much... Throw the dirty parts in with a bit of gasoline, soak overnight, brush with a parts brush, rinse with water and dry.Done-clean as whistle. If you are afraid of using gas for whatever reason, kerosene will work too. If you prefer to spend more money, any carb , parts or brake cleaner works well, Gunk,Chemtool etc,...
Personally never understood polishing the undercarriage as some restoration guys do. They don't come that way when bought new... _________________ I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Bob Carlucci
From: Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 22 Nov 2021 12:41 am
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Ron Forrest wrote: |
Tom,
The guitar was actually setup very strangely with the E's on the right knee and the second string drop on LKL. It was only a 8 x 3 guitar and i wanted to add the fourth lever and set it for a "standard" Emmons setup.
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Not a "strange" setup at all. Not sure how long you have been playing steel, but that knee setup was well known years ago, is still around, and some of us still use it.
It was common in the 60's. Matter of fact, it was the standard setup for MSA on their Classic guitars in the 70's.. If you bought an MSA from a music store new years ago, and they sold a LOT of them at retail dealers in those days, you got your E's lowered on RKR, raised on RKL, second string lowered on LKR, and first string raised on LKL.
When I ordered a new Carter and discussed my knee setup with the late John Fabian, he said "oh, you want standard MSA" .
For some reason that fell out of favor over the years, but some old timers like me still use it... bob _________________ I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Bob Carlucci
From: Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 22 Nov 2021 12:43 am
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.... _________________ I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
Last edited by Bob Carlucci on 22 Nov 2021 7:55 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Bill Lowe
From: Connecticut
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Posted 22 Nov 2021 6:20 am
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I think the polishing is a personal preference to have something nice and a little custom. Kinda like chrome on a Harley or special paint on an old car. _________________ JCH D10, 71 D10 P/p fat back, Telonics TCA 500C--12-,Fender JBL Twin, Josh Swift signature. |
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Bob Carlucci
From: Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 22 Nov 2021 7:57 am
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Bill Lowe wrote: |
I think the polishing is a personal preference to have something nice and a little custom. Kinda like chrome on a Harley or special paint on an old car. |
I suppose... Kinda like chroming the driveshaft, differential, and control arms on a hot rod.... Its ok if "bling is your thing" _________________ I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Ron Forrest
From: Logan Ohio, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2021 7:19 pm
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Bob,
Strange is relative to me I suppose. I didn't know this was considered an MSA setup but glad you brought it up. Knowledge is always good to have. i think that's part of the fun of steel guitar. There are so many stories and ways to do things and its very cool that none of them are the wrong the way!!.
Ron |
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Bob Carlucci
From: Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2021 9:29 pm
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Ron Forrest wrote: |
Bob,
Strange is relative to me I suppose. I didn't know this was considered an MSA setup but glad you brought it up. Knowledge is always good to have. i think that's part of the fun of steel guitar. There are so many stories and ways to do things and its very cool that none of them are the wrong the way!!.
Ron |
A lot of sho bud guitars also had the E levers on the right back in the days when a lot of guitars only had one or two levers... Then for reasons I am not aware of, the "standard" setup moved the E levers to the left, or in some cases one on the left knee, one on the right.. My first pro level guitar was an MSA and I got used to the E levers on the right.. I have had a guitar or two with levers on the left, and could probably get used to it, but just never saw that much of an advantage to that setup... bob _________________ I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Ron Forrest
From: Logan Ohio, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2021 6:32 am
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Bob.
I really guess it what you got used to when you started out. My Mullen had the E-EB on RKL had the E-F on LKL and I just got used to it like that. I did change it over a couple a months ago after picking up and Emmons LeGrande with both knees on the left. I do like it better and its taken me a while to get used to it but I do find its more functional for me. I still do catch my self trying to lower my E's on the RKL just from muscle memory if I'm concentrating on something else.
Thanks for all the great commentary and comments.
Ron |
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