Thanks! Looks like it was used as a coating in this case as some of the hardware (strainer, tension rods and swivel nuts) are steel while the lug posts and caps are brass. If the bare metal was showing through, it would be all different colors. Instead, all of it is has the silver-ish aluminum coating now.

I know the cost of replating but that may be the best option here. I got a reasonable deal on the drum and I would love to see it returned to original condition instead of leaving it in this state with aluminum oxide coating all over the hardware. I'm going to think about it for a while.

-Lee

In this case aluminum oxide is not a "coating" and sandblasting is a generic term used due to sand being the original media that was blown or shot onto the tarnished metal with air pressure.

If you look at a sandpaper package the better stuff will say aluminum oxide on it which is the gritty stuff (media) that is stuck to the paper. That same aluminum oxide is sold in a raw grit in different grades according to roughness and shot against the parts with air. Glass beads/silica(tiny) and crushed walnut shells are also used depending on the grade of finish you want to achieve.

This process doesn't apply nor does it leave any type of coating. It will only remove the offending finish, paint, rust and powdercoat that you want to remove. If you do it yourself just use care in not removing good metal. Not likely but is possible with a rough grit and too much time.

If you don't want to have the "hidden" hardware areas re-blasted you can try a rust remover in any paint department that will rid the remaining tarnish and should provide a more even appearance without adding any marks.

MickM,

You're absolutely right! After another email to the seller your assertions are spot on. I was wrong all along! I was totally thrown by the rough finish on all the hardware. I really thought it was a coating but now we know for sure that the shiny original nickel plating was literally blasted away in an attempt to clean of the grime and rust! Yikes!

So what I'm left with is hardware which was sandblasted mostly bare and an aluminum shell that was badly steel wooled. Geez, where to go from here? This may be a job for Adrian Kirchler.

I suppose to bring it back to new (normally not my thing but this is sort of an exceptional case) the hardware would need to be (re)nickel plated and the shell would need to be buffed back to a polished finish then lacquered.

Well the best route for the moment appears to be to leave it alone which is what I'll do for now. It's just a shame that the drum was this far along before we got to see it.

Thanks again to everyone for the help along the way!

-Lee

Replanting hardware requires a butter-smooth finish on the metal intended for plating, which would make the metal parts that were blasted to be polished.

Pretty well, you are screwed. I mean no disrespect.

My first guess on seeing the pictures was that it was sandblasted and reading a few pages in confirmed it. What you are seeing is not a coating but the metal underneath that has been damaged. The only way to get it back would be to actually sand it smooth and replate. Pretty tedious but on the other hand it's either that or live with it as is, since there is no going back. You will also probably lose the stamping on the rim unless you are very careful, and maybe even then. Plating alone will not bring it back to life, it will be just as pockmarked, but shiney.

Good luck.

I think it's still a cool drum just the way it is. If the hardware is loose and freed up put it together, play it and see if it grows on you. If not, you can dump it and if so,

there are plenty of guys who do the kind of prep work/polish/plating to make it look great again. From what the pics show, it looks worse than it probably is.