Cleaning tarnish off springs

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 22 Sep 2015 2:22 am

Getting ready to pull apart the underside of a Sho Bud 6139 rack and barrel for a good cleaning and relube. Without access to a tumbler, what's my best chance for cleaning and shining the return and raise/helper springs?
I'm good with the rest of the parts.

Thanks

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 22 Sep 2015 2:41 am

Soft cloth and Meguiar's Cleaner Wax.

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 22 Sep 2015 3:21 am

Lane: that will get the tarnish off too?

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 22 Sep 2015 4:32 am

With enough time. Might try the rough side of a leather belt. If you really want them shiny, I'd go to Harbor Freight and get a tumbler...

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 22 Sep 2015 7:35 am

Sometimes springs are plated, and sometimes they are bare steel. In any event, I would only clean and oil them lightly, and wouldn't worry about polishing or tumbling them. If they are plated, a tumbling or serious polishing may remove the tarnish and the plating, and they will rust or discolor even faster.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 22 Sep 2015 7:37 am

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 22 Sep 2015 7:53 am

I think I'll just get them clean with some basic metal cleaner and heed Donny's advice.
Thanks all.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 22 Sep 2015 8:19 am

Soak the tarnished parts in a vinegar water solution for 2 days. Than take it out. Neutralize with baking soda. Get you buffing station as per Erv. Get a stiff wheel(the yellow one) and some black chalk. With a bit of elbow grease those springs will shine.

Donny is right though about the plating coming off. I have both changers out of my guitar and was going to order new springs anyway so I was going to try my method for the heck of it first. Its easy to swap out springs down the road.

Tim Russell · Post by **Tim Russell** » 22 Sep 2015 11:04 am

Donny Hinson wrote:Sometimes springs are plated, and sometimes they are bare steel. In any event, I would only clean and oil them lightly, and wouldn't worry about polishing or tumbling them. If they are plated, a tumbling or serious polishing may remove the tarnish and the plating, and they will rust or discolor even faster.

Definitely true - On a similar note; I recently threw a handful of my 20 yr. old Dunlop picks into the tumbler for a couple of days and imagine my surprise when they came out "Gold", lol.

Tumbled the finish off right to the base metal/brass. Never liked them very much anyway, so I ended up tossing them out.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 22 Sep 2015 3:54 pm

I soaked mine in carb cleaner first. That got all the mung off. Then California Custom Deoxydizer and Purple Polish,

Philip Mitrakos · Post by **Philip Mitrakos** » 22 Sep 2015 4:55 pm

Hey I messed around with cleaning steel parts and stripping chrome off down to the polished nickel or even making parts look aged ..built a dozen telecasters..and I used muratic acid alot ..if you drop a chrome part in it.. leave it for a few minutes then pull em out wash em off .. I was left with polished nickel parts ...and it looks like stirling silver ...if you wanted to clean your springs drop em in for 30 seconds or a minute and your parts will be clean ...put em on a buffer and even bare steel will shine ... coat em with something to inhibit rust ..or tarnish