Need help on Tuning Key Corrosion Treatment and Prevention

[LowNloud1]

I have 2 bass guitars, one is brand new the other is 26 years old. The older bass keys are getting dull and "splotchy" for lack of a better word. I don't want this to happen to my new bass in the future.

What products/techniques have worked for you to clean corroded tuning keys and what products will preserve the finish on my new bass?

Thanks in advance for help!

 

[SurferJoe46]

Some older ones might be cad-plated and 'splotches' are normal on them if you don't keep them clean.

Some may be nickel plated. With the toxicity concerns and EPA warnings about cad, however, a lot of applications still use it: NASA, Military, Avionics, instrument, etc., are currently exempt of Haz-Mat warnings.

Cad also was a coating process on many old household artifacts - toasters, electric coffee pots, decorative art-deco bowls, etc., that required (muted) sparkle and corrosion control.

It will not polish out like chrome and attempting to do so will cut through the coating and you'll see the base material underneath it. There might be a flash coat of copper or some other amalgam-cuprous coating. Yeah - there COULD be some mercury under there.

Cars during the Korean War era that normally had chrome on them instead had it for bright work and my dad actually polished right through the cad to the metal underneath, trying to get it to shine like chrome on a 1952 Ford.

Some manufacturers tried nickel plating but nickel was a demand metal for war stuff too.

I put a set of cad plated tuners on an Affinity Precision and although they don't shine up like chrome, if you keep them waxed and clean, they won't oxidize - much. They just look 'old'. That's the total of any RW artifact effect I've done.

Nickel, which is not as reactive as cadmium, is under scrutiny as a bio-hazardous metal. It has reactive qualities when in contact with the mild acids normally present in human body fluids (sweat, tears).

In the near future look for instrument string manufacturers to have to place an MSDS warning in NPS string sets especially since the metal has proven to be a skin allergen for some people.

That's TMI ---------- I know.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Back in the old days, like before 1970, lots of instrument hardware was "bright nickel" plated. Bright nickel is a base coat of copper, followed by a coat of nickel, which is then buffed up to a shine. It's a good corrosion-resistant plating, but the nickel will eventually tarnish from finger acids and chemical fumes in the air. The tarnishing doesn't generally hurt the nickel's corrosion-resisting properties, but it just looks dull.

By the 1980's, almost all instrument hardware had switched to "bright chrome" (aka "show chrome") plating, which is copper, followed by nickel, with a thin top coat of chrome. The purpose of the chrome is to prevent the nickel from tarnishing.

Most hardware made these days is done in bright chrome. Some companies offer tuners and other parts in bright nickel, just to give you that vintage look. It's shiny when you get it, but it will tarnish over time. The chrome plated parts won't tarnish.

Back in the '60's, many instruments had a mixture of nickel and chrome plated parts. For example, the Ampegs that I work on had nickel plated Klusen tuners, but the bridge covers, tailpieces, and screws were chrome. I think the same is true of many 1960's Fenders and others. When they are all polished up, nickel and chrome plated parts look similar. The nickel is slightly darker and more blueish; the chrome is more whiteish.

I don't believe I've ever seen any musical instrument hardware that was cad (cadmium) plated. Cad plating was used on lots of industrial fasteners and some household hardware. The cad plating I'm familiar with is usually a satin finish, and doesn't polish up very well. Cad plating is pretty much illegal here in the US now, because of all of the environmental hazards.

Some of the old cheapo vintage hardware that you see, which may look like cad plating, is usually poor quality chrome plating. A thin layer of chrome was flashed over the bare metal, without the copper or nickel base coats. That's the stuff that you see where the plating is actually peeling off.

Back to the posters' question: Nickel plated hardware that is tarnished is easily polished up using commercial metal polishing compounds. My favorite is Flitz, which you can get at hardware, auto parts, and even grocery stores. With a little rubbing, it takes off the tarnish and leaves a slight protective coating. The nickel will eventually tarnish again, so you'll need to go over it with the Flitz now and then to keep it shiny.

There's not much you need to do to the chrome plating. Just wipe off the mud, blood, and beer with a clean soft cloth. If there's goop stuck on it, a cloth with a bit of Windex on it will help clean it.

If the plating looks dull and you're not sure if it's chrome or nickel, try the Flitz. It won't hurt the chrome.