Clean and Polish Black Beauty Snare Drum. Help

Maybe Brasso would be better. Or jeweler's rouge. Or Comet. Or....

Thanks Tornado. I have jeweler's rouge. See if I can get that to work. It is a valuable snare Ludwig. After investigation, it is a toss up whether to clean it or let it be for historic value. Thanks for replying. Jan

Try removing the film with acetone or methyl ethyl ketone.

Then maybe try a liquid automotive polish. Or, try the polish first.

Lyn, do you think these products will remove the black pain under the lacquer. What is methyl ethyl ketone.? I can see the point in using automotive polish. We used that on cheap violins that have nitro cellulose varnish on them. A polish that had no silicone in it. That was my boss's idea and instruction. I think Hunter is looking at leaving it be. In the too hard basket. Fearfull of damaging his loving Black Beauty. Thanks for contributing. Jan

You surely don't want to use MEK or acetone, since your black will be damaged.

Though it will look more antique or in the worst scenario weird.

Tip: dismantle your snare drum completely and polish the chrome while NOT on the drum. Maintain your drum afterwards with some mild polish.

Thank you dvmdsc, nice to be sure of the stuff, not to use. These things can be tricky. We don't want weird. Or the blood pressure going up either. Thanks again, Jan

Wait!!!!My suggestion was for chrome plating (Black chrome you said) not paint or varnish. MEK is a strong solvent much like acetone, sort of like nail polish remover and will definitely remove the coating.

Try the auto polish on a small spot, or just leave it alone and call it patina.

Good luck.

SE, mine's prettier than yours!!

That soup can?! Hah!

Take that trash away!

Ringo Starr's Gold Drum on Display at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gold has no resonance...better to beat on a hollow log...

That thing would make a better looking lampshade in a whorehouse than a snare drum.

cue snare...

Maybe use a light mineral oil, or WD-40 with a microfiber towel....be sure to wipe excess off...

Simicrome Polish. Won't eat anything and cleans and shines like new. Heavily used by antique dealers everywhere.

Hi Beefburger, thank you for contributing. I shall tell my friend Louise who should be able to get some for me. I have not seen this product name over here in Brisbane. No harm looking though. Thanks again, Jan

Looking at all the photos of the snare drums, I have a silly question:

How far down can a snare drum be disassembled? Can the black lacquered parts be separated from the chrome parts, so each could be cleaned and polished individually, and then the drum reassembled? Yes, it may be more work, but it would reduce the risk of damaging the finish, and with such a 'precious artifact' (at least in the eyes of the drummer) wouldn't the extra time (and cost) be worth it?

All the way. Everything that looks like it will come apart, will.

The dis-assembly, re-assembly and tuning will add quite a bit to the cost.

the parts of a snare drum include the shell, drum heads, rims or hoops, lugs, tension rods, snares, snare guard and the strainer mechanism.

If the drummer is as 'touchy' as the OP claims, he probably won't mind the extra cost, as long as the snare comes back 'clean and perfect.'

Seriously, though, who's going to SEE any imperfections in the finish aside from the band and the roadies? He's stuck in the back of the stage, with everyone else prancing in front of him.

But I guess we should expect this from 'the guy with no musical talent who hangs out with the band,' as the old joke goes. (Here's another drummer joke: Why do drummers make lousy comediansnosenseoftiming!)

I played a 14" snare drum in both pipe and drum & bugle Canadian military marching bands for many years. Best product we ever used was called "Never Dull". Works great...

Hi North of 60, thank you for contributing. Now I have to ask, is that product still available. I have a friend in BC, Out at Dog Creek who works with bees. I was given a plastic bottle of Noxon by a friend on New York more than a decade ago now and John will not touch it. Lack of trust. I think it is like brasso or silvo metal polish. If your product was available and you recommend it. He would be ok with that. (I think) lol Thank you again. Jan

Google Image has photos of it in modern packaging. So I would hazard a guess and say the company is still in business.

They have a web page... click here.

That stuff works wonders on chrome and brass! But for finished surfaces it might be a bit much.

Perhaps... but, OP said it was "black chrome". Black chrome is regular chrome with additives to get the colour. It is not a finish per se.

Correction... black chrome plating is quite different to regular chrome. How? Not sure... but 10 minutes of reading clearly shows me it is not the same as regular chrome plating with additives.

"BLACK BEAUTY 5X14" [LB416]

One of the primary reasons Ludwig is "The Most Famous Name In Drums" is the legendary Black Beauty Snare Drum. The drum is constructed of a single sheet of brass that is machine drawn and spun into a seamless beaded shell, then nickel-plated with a beautifully exquisite finish. A true American original, the Black Beauty provides a warm, round metallic tone that is often imitated, but never duplicated. However, due to their truly unique and difficult manufacturing process, only a very limited number of Black Beauties is available each year from Ludwig USA.
With a choice of three strainer options (P85 Supra-Phonic, P86 Millennium or P70 Super-Sensitive,) the Black Beauty responds with excellent sensitivity at all volumes. Choose from Imperial or tube lugs, die cast or triple-flanged hoops and a smooth or hand hammered shell. The 80 year tradition of the Ludwig Black Beauty carries on as the ultimate snare drum in the industry. "

http://www.ludwig-drums.com/usasnares_blackbeauty.php

You might, or he might, consider rechroming the shell and other components if the scratches are a problem....it's called black chrome....here is a locator for chrome shops, ask if they do black chrome....

http://www.finishing.com/shops/index.html

Have to agree Simichrome is the best chrome and metal polish...I have used it for 40+ years....

To add to your post, this explains a little about the plating.

Nickel electroplating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hi, thank you for the Wikipedia link. A wonder of information there. This is a very interesting journey. The drum is ready for to'days practice session. Ray Oliver's Blues Invasion. Thanks again, Jan

I know about musicians.
My son is a musician. He has a full set-up in his basement. This is only a small part, he has strobe lights and smoke machines. He's an engineer and he's never been married.

Many black chrome items have a layer of clear coat over them. Gives the color some depth. Some of film or haze could be the polish has scratched the clear coat. It's a metal polish not for a painted surface. The blotches could be places the clear coat has worn thru. Might want to try some auto polish see if it clears the haze. If it does the the only way to correct the areas that the clear coat has worn thru is to clear coat it again.

Simicrome will clear that up too. It's why the antique dealers like it so much.

Ozzb, That seems to be what is happening. I was hoping that a product would take away the clear coat that is now looking tatty without damaging the black. Hunter at this stage has accepted that it is patina and is using it at the moment. He put it in for a service some months back, may be last year or earlier. It was gone for nearly a week and he was starting to get anxious after 3 days. Not like that in the violin bis. He settled down once it was home and working again. Lugs needed attention. Just a bit. Thanks for contributing. Every bit of info helps. Jan

For everyone who contributed to this discussion, I thank you all. Jan