Most often, a lot of the gunk you see in the grooves is dirt/grease accumulation. The first step should be to give the cymbal a bath. Use a mild dish detergent and carefully scrub with a soft cotton cloth along the grooves. If it's really stubborn you can gently rub with a plastic type scrubber pad but be careful.

Once it's cleaned you can get a better idea of the patina and then clean from there with your choice of cleaner to get the look you want.

If you use a product like groove juice to get right down to bare metal and want to keep that shiny look use a car wax like Turtle Wax Ice to protect the cymbal from rapid re-oxidation.

Ajax bathroom cleanser with scrub bubbles works pretty well getting into the lathe, you should use plastic scrub pad and a good toothbrush with warm water to keep the cleanser wet but not paiste. Getting into the (dots) metal imperfections is slow work, always wipe with cloth towels, and rinse with warm water.

When you`re done and have all the patina you want off, you`ll have two or three weeks til it returns. Fingerprints will show up the next day !!

I already soaked in Dawn and H2O, and I would have thought that that would have removed anything other than patina - but apparently it didn't, as I just tried some Bon Ami with a toothbrush and got some dirt off there.

Meanwhile, I am wondering......can I just use ketchup - then Groove Juice - and wax - and be done with it as simple as that?

DOES GROOVE JUICE change the color of the cymbal? I have seen it happen with Kick 'n Brass and don't want to use Groove Juice if it is going to do the same.

Thanks,

John

I do not personally use Groove Juice but from what I know it is a chemical cleaner/stripper that takes you to bare metal. I have heard stories that it can leave a blotchy finish if this is what you mean by discoloration. My personal opinion is that this is simply the reoxidation process restarting. I have seen this on some of my cymbals after cleaning with other products.

If you use Groove Juice, then do the wax coat immediately thereafter and I believe it will even out the color as the wax has some microabrasives which assist in that process. I see that effect with other cleaners.

I don't know if that answers your question or not. Maybe others will have more information for you.

Bar Keeper's Friend with a wet sponge, with a coat of car wax after has work great for me. I've used the tube Zildjian cleaner, cleans good but like you said, a lot of work. Bar Keeper's Friend cleans 'em way faster. 50+ years of dirt & patina gone is less than 30 minutes, (that's cleaning both sides!). This pic was taken about 6 weeks after I cleaned it.

I use Barkeeper's Friend too. It is about a buck for a container of it at Family Dollar, too. I do it out in the driveway with a garden hose at the ready to facilitate a faster, job, and not have to worry about the mess. I never used any car wax though, but I will try that soon enough.

Well I took makurtz 's advice. Spent $1.06 at the dollar store for some sponges, and about $2 at the grocery store for some Bar Keeper's Friend.

At the same time - over 2 hours later (it was VERY dirty) I am done. I actually am not completely done - as now I think I will polish it.....and then I have to wax it.

See the attached pics -

Pics 4 and 5 show the bottom of the cymbal - the area in the middle there had been cleaned using ketchup and then with Zildjian's cleaning cream.

More coming in a few minutes......

John

More pics -

It's actually quite a beautiful cymbal now that all of the nice lathing can be seen!

I will be shooting a video eventually to show the difference in sound (if any) - as this cymbal was included in my MIJ Cymbals video (in another thread).

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE ADVICE!!!!!!!

John

i love natural patina. but that looks really nice i must say. great job! differences in sound before and after?

mike