|
|
fccfp Special user NJ 563 Posts |
I have a set of combo cups from Johnson. Bought 'em at least 20 years ago. They look pretty dingy. What do you reccomend? I am afraid to try Brasso or other products as I do not wish to ruin the finish (such as it is).
Thanks, Bruce
A.K.A. Jay The Magician
www.jaythemagician.com |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
If these cups are really tarnished, the finish is already shot. Use any brass polish. What they use at the factory is a machine with a buffing wheel on it.
Brasso works. So does Simichrome. You basically need to clean and polish the cups. Have fun!
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
fccfp Special user NJ 563 Posts |
Thanks Bill,
I should have just PM'd you from the begining. I will have to take a really goos look at them and see what I should do. It's fairly obvious which one is the chop cup. Bruce
A.K.A. Jay The Magician
www.jaythemagician.com |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
That shouldn't even show up at all from the outside. The main thing is don't give up. I haven't seen a set of brass cups yet that couldn't be cleaned completely. I even have a set of brass Paul Fox cups that had pieces of rubber band stuck to it that I was able to restore to new condition.
It just takes a lot of determination. It's like the old gag. What's the differrence between a bowling ball and a politician's promise? With a great deal of determination and plenty of salt, you can swallow a bowling ball.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
bonehead New user 59 Posts |
Two other great products are "Blue Magic" and "MAAS". Both are excellent for polishing cups.
|
Snidini Special user 776 Posts |
Great products bonehead but I have found over the years a great German product that's probably the best on the market for metals. It's called Flitz. It not only polishes (non abrassively) but removes any tarnish/corrosion and puts a surface seal against moisture also. Try it, you'll like, I guarentee it. I use it on my copper cups and other metals that I want moisture protection from.
Snidini |
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
Flitz is good. So is NevRDull. In fact it is probably the best. It is totally non-abrasive.
There are times, though tha you need something that has a little abrasive in it. When you do, be very careful.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
Sean Macfarlane Special user 880 Posts |
Question?.....If you start cleaning your cups regularily, instead of leaving them for long periods, will you always be able to keep that brand new shine to them? or will they continue to get darker and darker over the years?
Oh and what's the wax the Whit Hadyn uses on his cups? Cheers. Best, Sean Macfarlane |
elgranmago Veteran user 371 Posts |
I own the JP Cups and would also be interested in knowing the answer to the first question posed above by Sean.
José.
"It´s kind of fun to do the impossible". Walt Disney
|
Gary Dayton Special user New Jersey 542 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-10-17 13:32, Sean Macfarlane wrote: It would be like any other copper/brass/silver object. You can keep them looking brand new with an occassional cleaning. Once cleaned, you can also use just a jewler's cloth to keep clean. |
Whit Haydn V.I.P. 5449 Posts |
You can help keep the cups from changing patina by using Carnuba Wax--car wax. It will protect from air and moisture.
I think cups should be very shiney, even when they have a dark patina. Mine have a special patina on them that I applied with heat, and they are very dark, but they have a high gloss or shine and look very "deep." The shine makes them look rich and "cared for"--the patina makes them look old and mysterious. The cups should be dark in my opinion, and the balls bright. The balls are the heroes of the piece, the cups merely background. You don't want the cups to distract attention from the balls, something that I think bright metal cups tend to do. |
flimnar Special user Salt Lake 577 Posts |
Car wax! Makes sense, now you mention it. I don't have the knowledge/skill/confidence to fire up my expensive cups, but once they have the patina I want, I may give the car wax a try. Does anyone else treat or coat their cups?
Thanks-- Flimnar
"This one goes to eleven..." Nigel Tufnel
|
Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
I use spray wax, designed for fiberglas and marble countertops, which coincidentally also contains carnauba wax. I bought it at Home Depot under the name "Gel Gloss."
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
|
RiserMagic Veteran user 361 Posts |
I agree with Whit about the cups being darker. The contrast between balls and cups is important. Also a dull cup does not reflect a concealed ball in your hand the way a shiny cup does. Spectators notice such things. An original high polish on the cups will produce a very smooth patina which can then be waxed to make the cups appear to be ancient. I use a liquid carnuba wax designed for wood floors (ACE hardware). Carnuba is a very hard wax and is excellent for this purpose. Buff the wax with soft flannel or an old T-shirt. Whit mentioned that he produced his dark cup patina with heat. I really must caution people about the heat technique - if using a torch. The better cups will be "work hardened" during the spinning process. This makes the cups more durable. Heating the cups too much (any red color at all) will actually anneal or soften the metal making the cups less resistant to denting and other damage. Be careful as the cups can not be rehardened after being spun. I'd hate for people to ruin their expensive cups by overheating. Another way to get a patina is to place the clean cups for several days in a plastic bag with sawdust moistened with cat urine. I know, this sounds strange; but is an accepted technique. The difficult part is squeezing the prescious liquid from the neighbor's cat ;-)
Jim |
manal Inner circle York ,PA. 1412 Posts |
While you're in the automotive department look for Mothers Aluminium polish. It is non abraisive and cleans all metals as well as aluminium. I was a metal finisher for 5 years( if you have a Harley 7 years old or less I probably ground , flapped and buffed a couple pieces on it ). I've used this on antiques as well as pieces that weren't safe to put on the buffing wheel due to thin plating or because the piece was too delicate. A can is less than $6.00 and will last a long time.
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Ever so sleightly » » Cleaning cups (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.03 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |