Nasty stuff to get off. Here is a marcher that I go take another layer off every once in awhile. I smoke and this drum is very foul.

Here is what worked. Soak with Windex. Follow with hot water and light polish with 0000 steel wool with Bar Keepers Friend and some Dawn soap. Rinse often and should get the worse off. Dupont green plastic container with white Compound polish works well. To get last bits of dirt off.

Next up Novus #2 and #1. A good wipe down with a old t-shirt and good quality automobile wax should shine as new. Or not.

Creighton

Any errors omissions in this post please correct.

Thanks for the advice, I'll start that up later. The WMP I got looks like pic #1, yellowed but not horrific. But the BDP looked like the last pic, I think I got it to about pic 3.

Jay, I have always wondered what this product would do, now Im not saying to do it I am just sharing my curiosity. This stuff works great on saw blades and that pitch is some tough stuff. We used to soak the blades in acetone but now with this stuff cleaning blades takes about five minutes.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/817541/FORMULA-2050-BLADEBIT-CLEANER.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQiAxMG1BRDFmu3P3qjwmeMBEiQAEzSDLkqnx1Jl81_eup1q6Q5O4_Zb4SEpuuOn0nXxyurdDpAaAuwl8P8HAQ

I am using this product at the moment, I will spray it on some old wrap today and let is sit for a while and then rub very aggressively to see what happens. Who knows, this could be a major break through.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/150899/trend-tool-bit-cleaner.aspx

Jeff, the first link you posted with the blade cleaner I may get to use on the lugs. I soaked them in Vinegar the past few days since I got the drums and they still look gnarly. Used windex and even Liquid Wrench on, but to no avail. Since it's not really rust but rather nasty smoke build up the wood craft may be perfect. I'll invest and keep you posted, let me know how the wrap turns out. Using the 0000 steel wool got even more nastiness off and didn't damage the wrap with any scratches.

The tool and bit cleaner did not harm the wrap at all. I had some vintage wrap from a Slingerland floor tom sitting around so I sprayed it very heavy and let it sit. After 45 min the liquid evaporated but there was a little residue left so I took a cloth and polished it really hard. No damage to the wrap what so ever. Now, you see the masking tape in the picture, that has been on there for a few years I think. I pulled some of it off and you know how dried up tape will leave a gummy film that is hard to remove? I tried using the cleaner to remove the tape residue and it did not work very good. So I can tell you this stuff wont harm an old Slingerland wrap but Im not sure it will remove that smoke crap. But boy it sure takes the pitch right off those saw blades.

Another thought just came to me for removing smoke stain. I'm not sure what the product is called, but its a cleaner specifically designed to be used with acrylic smoking pipes. It's meant to remove the nasty tobacco resin without damaging the acrylic, since acetone will eat away at it. Wonder if something like that would work, can't imagine it would damage the wrap.

I'm sorry I was here for removing heavy rap from smoke.

My apologies.

I am sorry...I am here for an argument?

Don't think so... rap on all you like... I think you are here just in the Nickotine...:)