How do i protect themetal hardware of my guitar?

[Triptych]

Hi people, I was wondering what I can do to protect the metal hardware of my guitar such as the tuning heads, the bridge and saddle to prevent it from rusting.

Also, is it possible for me to remove the rust on the parts that have already began to rust badly? Thanks!

 

[OrangeChannel]

wipe it down after each use....

 

[brentrocks]

wipe it down after each use....

that is about all you can do except for maybe a coat of turtle wax.

 

[hambucker]

Why worry about a little rust? It adds character and a little mojo!

 

[Lew]

Why worry about a little rust? It adds character and a little mojo!

Agreed.Check out Tims purple beast, the pole pieces have rust

 

[Triptych]

Well, I just wanna know cos the part where it holds the strings on my bridge (do you call this the saddle?) is rusting pretty badly...just wanna know if I can do something about it. Seeing the rust is alittle too painful for me man heh

 

[PurpleSport]

Tryp -

Look for a metal polish called "Flitz" - I think they even have a website at www.flitz.com.

I once cleaned up an entire motorcycle that had been exposed to many years of the salt air and elements in Florida with the stuff, and it was amazing - the thing had a LOT of rusted and corroded aluminum and chrome, and didn't harm any of it. The fact that it didn't require a ton of elbow grease and that it's easy on the skin (you can apply it with your fingers - it has a toothpaste-like consistency if you get it in a tube) also made it a miracle product in my eyes.

As for guitars, I polished up some of my rusted/pitted bridges, pickups, and tuners with it afterwards and it worked really well at both cleaning and protecting too, although one should be careful when using it on "black chrome" or other similarly color-plated metals. I remember reading online that some guys who've cleaned up their guns with it would find sometimes it took the blueing off their barrels, magazines, etc. ...

It's been years since I used it - I bought it after seeing it demo-ed in a warehouse store years ago and haven't seen it on regular store shelves since - but if the current formulation is as effective as that was, it should work well. And if it doesn't, it'd still work for cleaning up your silverware, appliances, etc....I remember it being able to remove lime scale and other bio-nastiness along with rust and tarnish.

Good luck!

 

[NorM]

To protect and lubricate metal parts I use Remington Teflon spray. A little with some elbowe grease goes a long way. Careful though. My father described it as being , "Slicker than greased owl sh*t that's been boiled with okra."

 

[nobozos]

To remove rust from parts, remove them from the guitar, and soak them in WD-40. Hit them with a toothbrush after they have soaked for about 15 minutes, then rinse them off with clean WD-40.

After you have removed the rust, use some light gun oil on the parts so that there is a thin film of oil over them.

Most of the time, the only parts that rust are the "little black parts" of the Floyd Rose in the bridge and the nut. If you have a standard trem, usually the set screws are the first to go. In very severe cases, the chrome or nickle plating starts to chip or rub off, which will allow the metal underneath to rust.

This is very easily preventable if you simply wipe down your guitar regularly. Some people say "Wipe it down every time you play it." I personally think that may be a little neurotic. Just don't let those critical components get dirty. I usually try to put some light gun oil on those trouble pieces once a month to keep them from getting dry. Once they get dry, they want to absorb whatever comes in contact with them, which is usually the sweat from your hand, which is an excellent electrolyte. Electrolytes are what is needed to make corrosion possible. By covering these trouble spots with a light coat of oil, you prevent the sweat from making direct contact with the metal.

Take special care to clean away any dirt or build up from around these small moving components. While the oil helps protect the pieces, it also has a tendency to collect dust and fibers from your guitar case liner.

In short, it's just a simple matter of good housekeeping.

 

[SteveB]

nobozos,

great insights on preventing rusty hardware. I'm gonna try a little oil on those pesky little screws that always rust.

 

[PurpleSport]

"Slicker than greased owl sh*t that's been boiled with okra."

Dayam, that's FUNNY, Norm...I think your fellow Southerners here can definitely relate to that best!

(speaking of which, this one's HATED okra since day one...<ugh!>)