How to clean nickel?

[the-trooper]

So I took this guitar out of its case after two months or so, and what do I see, fungal cultures and start of new civilizations (in shape of fingerprints) on hardware. Wiped 99% of it with no issues but these two splotches are suborn.
I tried with a bit of rubbing alcohol, didn't help. Any ideas?
It feels smooth, at least I don't feel like it ate through the plating.

 

[James Freeman]

It has begun..

 

[Eagle]

The only thing is cutting polish but just let it discolour gracefully.

 

[Eagle]

This looks great but this is $7k of 1961 pafs

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Great fucking Michael Scott @Eagle thats how you /thread

 

[Frodebro]

Silver polish works on nickel as well, should be easy enough to find at most hardware stores. Maybe even in the cleaning supplies aisle at the supermarket (for polishing silverware).

 

[the-trooper]

The only thing is cutting polish but just let it discolour gracefully.

Either shiny or aged. Interim phase with my fingerprints is not graceful.

Silver polish works on nickel as well, should be easy enough to find at most hardware stores. Maybe even in the cleaning supplies aisle at the supermarket (for polishing silverware).

I have stainless steel polish. Didn't even think of it, I was sure this can be cleaned of.

 

[Frodebro]

Either shiny or aged. Interim phase with my fingerprints is not graceful.


I have stainless steel polish. Didn't even think of it, I was sure this can be cleaned off.o gently

Go gently, stainless is much harder than nickel or silver, so stainless polish might be a bit more aggressive.

 

[Eagle]

Either shiny or aged. Interim phase with my fingerprints is not graceful.


I have stainless steel polish. Didn't even think of it, I was sure this can be cleaned of.

It’s like the first dent. Let it go and age well.

 

[the-trooper]

It’s like the first dent. Let it go and age well.

Oh, guitar has its share of dents and scratches I'm not OCD about keeping them pristine. But these to motherf*ckers are annoying me, everything else wiped right off, why not them!?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Oh, guitar has its share of dents and scratches I'm not OCD about keeping them pristine. But these to motherf*ckers are annoying me, everything else wiped right off, why not them!?

It would bother me too! The only reason I'd let covers go like the ones Andy posted, would be because I'd have no idea how to get those screws cleaned. The covers would be easy.

 

[Frodebro]

It would bother me too! The only reason I'd let covers go like the ones Andy posted, would be because I'd have no idea how to get those screws cleaned. The covers would be easy.

The screws are easy. Back them off until they are fully clear of the pickup cover, then get ‘em with a Dremel with a felt polishing tip (they are available in a pointy cone shape).

 

[SwirlyMaple]

You sure that's not corrosion? Skin oils left behind on metal parts eventually etches into and corrodes many types of plating. That's why corrosion often appears in the shape of permanent fingerprints, because they are fingerprints

There are some specialty swirl-free jeweler's rouges for soft metals like nickel that can buff things away while removing very little material. Nickel is a common finish on many brass wind instruments, and in most music stores you can find specialty polishing cloths for those which have a combo cleaning cloth and rouge-impregnated cloth that will clean/shine/buff gently.

Beyond that, there are many different metal polishes that will work, but nickel is soft any many of those polishes have abrasives, which will leave swirls behind. And then you'll have to use another polish to remove those swirls, which takes off even more metal... not ideal.

 

[Eagle]

Oh, guitar has its share of dents and scratches I'm not OCD about keeping them pristine. But these to motherf*ckers are annoying me, everything else wiped right off, why not them!?

It’s corrosion. That’s why I said cutting polish but if it is plated it will go through if you do it often. You can get raw nickel covers that aren’t plated but you are going to need to live with it.

 

[the-trooper]

You sure that's not corrosion?

No idea, leaving it as is.

That’s why I said cutting polish but if it is plated it will go through if you do it often.

Nah, not messing with it, if it can't be wiped off, corrode away.

 

[Jarick]

I have some Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish I got at either the hardware store or automotive store that cleans and polishes nickel really well. It's under $10.

I used it to bring some raw nickel covers to mostly polished, although there were some micro scratches as I didn't prep them. It looked pretty good though, not fully polished shiny but not raw.

I've also used it to clean up dirty or old covers. It won't fix scratches or corrosion, but cleans really nicely.

This particular polish I think is a chemical polish and generates a lot of black residue, so I use paper towels.

 

[fretworn]

I have some Mothers Mag and Aluminum polish I got at either the hardware store or automotive store that cleans and polishes nickel really well. It's under $10.

I used it to bring some raw nickel covers to mostly polished, although there were some micro scratches as I didn't prep them. It looked pretty good though, not fully polished shiny but not raw.

I've also used it to clean up dirty or old covers. It won't fix scratches or corrosion, but cleans really nicely.

This particular polish I think is a chemical polish and generates a lot of black residue, so I use paper towels.

This is often in my final polish for making knives that need to show the Hamon (quench hardening line). I have all kinds of cool abrasives laying around.

 

[Warmart]

This is often in my final polish for making knives that need to show the Hamon (quench hardening line). I have all kinds of cool abrasives laying around.

View attachment 7689

Note to self. Don't fux with @fretworn

 

[fretworn]

Note to self. Don't fux with @fretworn

30 Grit for you!