Hello All!

I'm new to the forum, though I've "lurked" for years when I've had questions.

I'm cleaning up two vintage snares and have a question. What kind of buffing wheel do I need on my buffer--loose cotton or spiral cotton? I'm going to buff a Leedy Professional (mid-1920s), as well as the hardware from a 1950 Slingerland Radio King. Both have nickel-plated finishes.

Before you answer, let me say this:

1) I'm either going to buy the $40 6" buffer at Harbor Freight or a $47 Skil 6" bench grinder at Lowe's. If anyone has specific recommendations (both products have favorable reviews), I'm all ears. Or eyes, in the case of the Net. My previous projects have been done with borrowed equipment.

2) I restored an early 1930s Ludwig Pioneer several years ago with a buffing wheel and ***eler's rouge. I knew to buff gently with the nickel hardware, and I didn't have any problems. (The drum is still gorgeous, and it's been 10 years.) I've also used more aggressive polishing compound to remove nickel plating. My question about the type of buffing pads has to do with the products available today. I'm pretty sure that only spiral cotton pads were available when I last did this, but it's been a long time.

Also, does anyone know if there's an individual or a company that can straighten vintage drum rims? The top hoop on my Slingy is a bit out of round. It's enough so that you can see it, though it doesn't affect tuning.

Thanks in advance!

Spencer