First off, thanks to everyone for the compliments, you've all got me blushing.
So, whatarethese123 cleaners/polish you used to clean that drum up so nicely?! A beautiful job; you made it look new! What is your secret formula? Thanks, MB
I can't take credit for any secret formula of course, just a lot of time reading up on old threads on this forum.
Immediately after getting it, hardware was stripped. Shell was dusty and dirty but the wrap was in great condition. I used a damp microfiber cloth to just quickly pull off all the dirt and then followed that up with a few applications of Novus 2 followed by Novus 1 (Cannot recommend this enough, I have all 3 but 2 and 1 get most of the use). Wrap/shell is now polished and looking fantastic.
Tension rods, mounting screws, swivel nuts, lug springs all got an overnight bath in Evapo-Rust. Another product that is amazing. Can't remember who first suggested it, but it's a godsend, especially on small parts that are awful to clean otherwise. Let them soak for a day then wash the stuff off with water and the rust is gone.
Woke up the next morning and tossed the lugs in a vibratory tumbler filled with crushed up walnut shells (which is just reptile bedding from the pet store) another really awesome thing. I got mine for $40 on eBay. (Shoutout to Creighton for answering a bunch of vibratory-related questions from me last year) A few hours in there and the lugs come out looking brand new (for the most part, occasionally a spot of grime will be missed..) Then I tossed the tension rods in there to really shine them up and clean out the threads.
Meanwhile, I used Barkeeper's Friend and a really soft toothbrush to clean the rims because that always ends up being the cleanest way. (Side note: Does anyone enjoy cleaning rims? Is there a worse task in the drum restoration world?)
My usual chrome-cleaner is Quick-Glo which another product I cannot recommend enough, I found it from this post on the forum. I went over all the lugs with that to give them a final polish and catch any spots the vibratory tumbler missed. Strainer and buttplate were cleaned with some barkeeper's friend and soap. I probably should have used something else because the rubber didn't fair well there.
I think that covers it. Oh, and the inside of the grommet was cleaned with a wet Q-tip.
Again, I can't take credit for any of those methods, they're all from this forum this page on the VDG.
TL;DR: Novus 1 & 2, Quick-Glo, a Vibratory Tumbler, BarKeeper's Friend, Evaporust
