dont know if y'all know about a product called Evapo-Rust but it works great for drum hardware. i purchased it at a local Auto-Zone. used it last night, for the first time, with a 1940's Radio King. as the name says, its a rust remover. i soaked all the screws, springs, washers, lugs, tension rods ect. everything metal!!!! suggested soaking time is 1-12 hours. i left everything in for two hours and then rinsed everything off in water, like the directions said. i was pleasantly surprised. this product rocks!!!! it saved me a lot of time not having to use the wire wheel. nearly no odor of the product either. simple soak and rinse. there was a few spots of rust i hit with a fine steel wool but those spots broke up easily.
the other "new to me" product i tried was a Mr.Clean Magic Eraser. i purchased that at the grocery store. i used it on the wraps. i made sure to press very lightly to get some hard to beat dirt and grime off. the pad didn't scuff the shine of the finish at all. i was absolutely satisfied with this product aswell.
all in all it costed me a total less than $15 for these two products.
happy and safe restorations to the VDF family.