Author Topic: Keeping It Clean, and Luster on Rubber Cymbal Covers.  (Read 28418 times)

Keeping It Clean, and Luster on Rubber Cymbal Covers.
« on: May 31, 2012, 09:37:45 PM »
Added -

So far, there have been some decent tips. Ill add them to my post so you can read them without the psychobabble if you need answers now. The untreated rubber on your cymbals require a different care method then the rest of your kit, and are the hardest to clean, treat, and keep from fading.

1. Clean with a damp, soft rag, using warm water.

2. If its really dirty, use a damp soft rag with a non abrasive cleaner that breaks down completely with no grit, and is water soluble.

3. Polish.
303
So far 303 Aerospace Protectant has shown us the best results to make the cymbals rubber pads look out of the box new. Then again, TD has been the only one to show before and after pics using any products, and its expensive.

Plexus Anti Static Cleaner, Protectant and Polish
Works great on any hard plastic. 



Need more input!

4. Products that dont work on rubber cymbal pads.
Pledge.
JO System Lubricant.

(When testing products, use a small section of your pad!)

You will find that cleaning the rest of your kit is pretty easy. Warm water and a soft pad should do the trick.

Looking forward to more comments!
 
------------------------------------

Hi guys.

Ive got a early DM6, and the pads and cymbals have lost their luster.

Id like to know if anyone has found a good way to keep them clean, as well as bring back their luster.

I bought a new pad that doesnt look like its the same materials as the rest of the kit. Its also somewhat sticky. The older ones arent scored or pitted, just ground in dusty.

What do you use for your hard plastic and rubber pieces and soft Alesis pad heads? My drum head has an impact circle, but it doesnt have a problem triggering.

Im about to break out a damp soft cloth with just water. After some reading, a mild detergent on the new pad to reduce the sticky has been suggested. Ive also read that pledge and tire polish can get it gleaming. Not going to try that untill someone says its a good thing, lol.

Thanks for reading guys.

Added -
Used a soft, damp cloth on the pads, worked wonders.
I had a stash of some plastic cleaner/polish I used on the rims and plastic parts of the cymbals.

The rubber bits are more difficult. I tried a few things in small areas I read on the net. Pledge, guitar polish, mild dish soap and water..
Every time after it drys, I end up with a milky finish. While the Pledge had the best results, I really had to coat it. However the rubber is still milkish.

Id like the rubber bits on the cymbals to be a dark and shiny black. Next up is tire cleaner. Might even try 3 in 1 oil in a very light coat.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2012, 09:27:44 PM by THeGAME »

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2012, 02:06:09 AM »
cleaning unsealed rubber is a total pain in the butt. I dunno what to suggest, but I would aim for something along the lines of tire cleaner or weatherstripping cleaner for cars. One thing's for sure; if you get oil or grease on it, it will probably get sticky too. Petroleum products with solvents in them, like WD40...stay away from the pads.

Speaking of keeping it clean...lookit what my CL searcher came up with yesterday. No words do it justice; especially that rack.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/msg/3048180818.html
DM8 pro!

Offline gorgatron

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2012, 02:06:14 AM »
i can't answer much, since my kit is newer, and the only one i've owned.

But! as for that new head you ordered, it sounds like you ordered a mesh head, which are totally different than the stock heads. just google 'mesh head' and see if any of the results match your new head. usually, when people switch to mesh heads, they do a conversion to the innter materials as well. there are several options, and you may not even need to go to the trouble, if you're not interested. have a look at the stickys at the top of the DIY forum to get an idea. some are super easy, others a bit labor intensive. none are so difficult to give a headache, unless you decide to do a bunch of soldering. anyhow, check it out!

best of luck!!!


move along, there's nothing to read here... ;)
« Last Edit: June 05, 2012, 05:36:49 PM by gorgatron »
Alesis DM10 Studio - modified Trondster dampened rack, Hellfire mesh head conversion on toms and kick, converted 1971 14" Ludwig 303 snare w/ aluminum shell - cone + rim piezo conversion; alternate between Stock and Blue Jay Roms, BFD2, Reaper, Reason 6.5

Offline Trondster

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2012, 02:44:14 AM »
Gorgatron - the Dm6 pads are quite a bit different from the RealHeads used for the Dm8 and the Dm10:


The pads don't have drum heads, the pads are made of rubber.. :)
DM10 Pro kit with dampened rack, extra crashes, mesh heads, Gibraltar stands, P2002C and a dream cherry snare by Diamond Drums.

Offline gorgatron

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2012, 03:24:04 AM »
well, i stand corrected. ;)
Alesis DM10 Studio - modified Trondster dampened rack, Hellfire mesh head conversion on toms and kick, converted 1971 14" Ludwig 303 snare w/ aluminum shell - cone + rim piezo conversion; alternate between Stock and Blue Jay Roms, BFD2, Reaper, Reason 6.5

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2012, 04:13:11 AM »
try Bleche-White. its white wall/ tire cleaner. Can be found anywhere here in the states. After they are clean and dry try some low luster tire shine. It will help them look better and keep the rubber from totally drying out so it doesn't become brittle.

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2012, 10:23:30 AM »
Silicone degrades rubber. Never, under any circumstances put silicone on rubber.

Armor All (and most other rubber/vinyl dressings) contain silicone. The silicone is what creates the shine (that's why auto tire dressings are generally just pure silicone). If you use a product that produces a "shiny black" look, then just be aware that the you are damaging the rubber on your cymbals to produce that shine.

303 Protectant is (imho) by far the best product to use to dress the rubber on your kit (and your car for that matter).

Does NOT contain silicone
Prevents fading due to sunlight (claims equivalent of 40 spf)
Leaves a natural looking matte finish
Does not leave a greasy film


Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2012, 10:40:21 AM »
Silicone degrades rubber. Never, under any circumstances put silicone on rubber.

Armor All (and most other rubber/vinyl dressings) contain silicone. The silicone is what creates the shine (that's why auto tire dressings are generally just pure silicone). If you use a product that produces a "shiny black" look, then just be aware that the you are damaging the rubber on your cymbals to produce that shine.

303 Protectant is (imho) by far the best product to use to dress the rubber on your kit (and your car for that matter).

Does NOT contain silicone
Prevents fading due to sunlight (claims equivalent of 40 spf)
Leaves a natural looking matte finish
Does not leave a greasy film

This should be stickied, should it prove true.
DM8 pro!

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2012, 11:38:47 AM »
Silicone degrades rubber. Never, under any circumstances put silicone on rubber.

Armor All (and most other rubber/vinyl dressings) contain silicone. The silicone is what creates the shine (that's why auto tire dressings are generally just pure silicone). If you use a product that produces a "shiny black" look, then just be aware that the you are damaging the rubber on your cymbals to produce that shine.

303 Protectant is (imho) by far the best product to use to dress the rubber on your kit (and your car for that matter).

Does NOT contain silicone
Prevents fading due to sunlight (claims equivalent of 40 spf)
Leaves a natural looking matte finish
Does not leave a greasy film

This should be stickied, should it prove true.

Oh, it's true alright. Here's a good explanation.

Quote
Myth # 5: Using petroleum– or silicone-based tire cleaners/shines won’t damage tires.”

Fact: Many popular tire cleaners/shines contain petroleum or silicone products, which will damage the rubber. Tire manufacturers add a wax-based protectant that helps to protect the tire against ozone, which will cause the tire to begin to crack and dry rot. This wax protectant is forced to the surface every time a tire is flexed as it rolls. The silicone ingredient in many common tire shine products dissolves this wax protectant, thus increasing the tires vulnerability to dry rot. Consumers are advised to read the label when shopping for a tire cleaner/shine, and make sure there are no petroleum– or silicone-based ingredients.

http://www.ercweb.com/resources/viewtip.aspx?id=7349

This is directly from the Armor All site:
Quote
Armor All® Original Shine Protectant contains water-based silicone emulsions, surfactants, and ultraviolet light inhibitors, humectants, dispersants and gloss enhancers. Armor All® Ultimate Clean Protectant contains water-based silicone emulsions, surfactants, ultraviolet light inhibitors and a fragrance.

http://www.armorall.com/faq/interior.php

Silicone strips away the protective waxes that are engineered into modern rubber products. Sure, it makes the rubber look great for a while, but in the long run it makes the rubber susceptible to dry rot.


Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2012, 11:55:28 AM »
Someone on the vDrums site posted some nice before/after pictures of their cymbals dressed with 303 protectant. 303 potects the rubber, does zero damage, makes the rubber look good, and it lasts a long time.

 It does produce a matte instead of gloss finish, but that's more a matter of personal taste rather than right vs wrong (I happen to prefer the matte finish--on cymbals and my car--but I know others prefer a gloss look; to each his own).






Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2012, 02:29:47 PM »
dag gum, that's an impressive finish.

Definitely sticky!
DM8 pro!

Online Hellfire

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2012, 04:32:57 PM »
Silicone degrades rubber. Never, under any circumstances put silicone on rubber.

Armor All (and most other rubber/vinyl dressings) contain silicone. The silicone is what creates the shine (that's why auto tire dressings are generally just pure silicone). If you use a product that produces a "shiny black" look, then just be aware that the you are damaging the rubber on your cymbals to produce that shine.

303 Protectant is (imho) by far the best product to use to dress the rubber on your kit (and your car for that matter).

Does NOT contain silicone
Prevents fading due to sunlight (claims equivalent of 40 spf)
Leaves a natural looking matte finish
Does not leave a greasy film

This should be stickied, should it prove true.

Oh, it's true alright. Here's a good explanation.

Quote
Myth # 5: Using petroleum– or silicone-based tire cleaners/shines won’t damage tires.”

Fact: Many popular tire cleaners/shines contain petroleum or silicone products, which will damage the rubber. Tire manufacturers add a wax-based protectant that helps to protect the tire against ozone, which will cause the tire to begin to crack and dry rot. This wax protectant is forced to the surface every time a tire is flexed as it rolls. The silicone ingredient in many common tire shine products dissolves this wax protectant, thus increasing the tires vulnerability to dry rot. Consumers are advised to read the label when shopping for a tire cleaner/shine, and make sure there are no petroleum– or silicone-based ingredients.

http://www.ercweb.com/resources/viewtip.aspx?id=7349

This is directly from the Armor All site:
Quote
Armor All® Original Shine Protectant contains water-based silicone emulsions, surfactants, and ultraviolet light inhibitors, humectants, dispersants and gloss enhancers. Armor All® Ultimate Clean Protectant contains water-based silicone emulsions, surfactants, ultraviolet light inhibitors and a fragrance.

http://www.armorall.com/faq/interior.php

Silicone strips away the protective waxes that are engineered into modern rubber products. Sure, it makes the rubber look great for a while, but in the long run it makes the rubber susceptible to dry rot.


Good info. I haven't had a chance to buy any 303 Protectant. If you don't mind, I would like to play devils advocate for a second or two.

The above are facts, but the first one is a fact about tires only. That is not to say that these eCymbal could be made the same way, but the truth is, we don't know. Tire rubber is not necessary the same type of rubber used on our cymbals. To say it is based on the factoid that you listed is a leap of faith.

Do you have a picture of an eCymbal that is destroyed from using Armor All? I ask this because the above is always listed as a reason not to use Armor All, yet I've never seen an eCymbal that has rotted away because of Armor All use.

Now, obviously this would depend on how often one is wiping down his eCymbals with Armor All. If you are only using it once or twice a year and using it sparely, I bet the cymbal will stop functioning long before Armor All  would have any noticeable damage to the rubber on your cymbal.

Actually, I already know the answer to my last statement. I own two Roland CY-6 eCymbals. I bought them in 2003. One of them broke on me back in 2008. The other one I still have. I used Armor All on them between once and twice a year since 2003. If there is damage to the rubber, I don't see it. But, I also don't expect to get more the ten years out of any edrum products.  You will find that rubber triggers start to get harder as they age. Armor All or not I would need to re-surface a trigger that is 15-20 years old for that reason alone.

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2012, 09:42:52 PM »
Thx all!

Great info. Im looking forward to finding a solution, and it seems you all have good ones. Ill add the short list of things to try..

Talldog, thanks for the before and after pics.
You may have answered already, but how often do you treat and how long have you been doing it. Your rubber pads look fantastic!

I could use a light coat of 10w-40 motor oil and have great results, but what kind of damage would it do to the kit? Im sure it wouldnt be pretty. Despite the wear out period of this kit, I plan on owning it for decades. I have a very good record with longevity and electronics. But I have no history with rubber, lol.

Back in '93, Jurassic Park came out. A lot of toys followed. Ive got this Raptor upper torso that is pretty cool. Not sure what the toy is made of, but its not hard plastic, or soft rubber. A year ago, I coated it with a substance and a water blend once.


 It still looks slick and repels dust and shows no sign of breaking down the toy. Its completely bio degradable and safe for consumption if you move around your stick. Ill post results as soon as try it out.

A cookie to whom ever guesses what the substance it...
« Last Edit: June 01, 2012, 10:25:37 PM by THeGAME »

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #13 on: June 04, 2012, 10:32:38 AM »
@Hellfire, you are right that I am using information from the automotive rubber world, which may or may not apply to the drum rubber world. But, given the following two choices, which would seem to be the safer route:

1) Use a product that may or may not harm your cymbals
2) Use a product that will not harm your cymbals



Online Hellfire

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2012, 02:05:31 PM »
@Hellfire, you are right that I am using information from the automotive rubber world, which may or may not apply to the drum rubber world. But, given the following two choices, which would seem to be the safer route:

1) Use a product that may or may not harm your cymbals
2) Use a product that will not harm your cymbals

Neither, I go with my experience.

Think about it for a second. One person states something harms there cymbals base on some car care forum (yep, that's where this comes from) yet no proof has ever been shown on the entire internet. Why? Because either:

1) hasn't happened yet to an eCymbal or
2) its a boogie man.

Anytime someone tells you something is "good" or "bad" you really should look into it yourself and find out how much of it is hear say, old new that doesn't pertain to today, or is totally false.

I did a little digging into this whole Armor All boogie man thing. What I found is, when Armor All first hit the market in the 1970's it did damage some types of dashboards (not all). They ended up changing the formula and passing out $500 checks for damages. Remember, first impressions are everything. Well, Armor All didn't do so well with their first impression and now they are forever plagued with what happened to them in the 1970's.

Now, if you were to say Armor All cause more dust build up, I would agree with that, but again I don't use a lot of Armor All and my cymbals don't look wet when I'm done using it.

With all that said, that is not to say 303 Protectant isn't a great product. I just don't like it when false or misleading info is spread about any product.

The same thing happens to Smartrigger. When they first came out, they had an issue with the clear laminate coming off. They fixed that problem years ago, yet some will still chime in with, "don't buy Smartriggers. They de-laminate within a year." Then when you point out that its been quite some time since that happened you get the old "but why take a chance it might happen again".

The way I see it. If it works for you, great. Go with what works.

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2012, 01:24:33 AM »
Hellfire you make some fantastic points in your last post.

Maybe i'm at fault when I made the original post to use the tire shine. I use a 100% soluble tire dressing on all my show vehicles. I hate the silicone based stuff because once it gets dust or dirt in it, its a real pain to remove it and not show stains. Honestly I don't know for certain if the dressing or cleaners will harm the rubber thats used on the cymbals. I made a mere suggestion at what I would try if my cymbals were rubber based and I wanted them clean and looking new.

Online Hellfire

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #16 on: June 05, 2012, 08:55:23 AM »
Hellfire you make some fantastic points in your last post.

Maybe i'm at fault when...

Nobody is at fault for anything. This topic goes back on other forums at least to 2007. It doesn't matter what brand of this or that people use as long as they are happy with it. That is really what my point is.

Most of time I just wipe my eCymbals down with a damp cloth and a little bit of dish soap. That will get you 70-80% there.

Offline gorgatron

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #17 on: June 05, 2012, 05:34:28 PM »
i use the alcohol-free, static-free moist wipes that i use to clean all of my electronics, but especially the inside of my PC when i take it apart ever few weeks to clean out the gathered dust.

it doesn't make them shine, but gets most of the surface junk off. my cymbals aren't anywhere nearly as used or old as probably anyone whose posted, but by wiping down the kit with those moist cloths about once per month, my kit stays very clean looking, and the leftover junk on the cymbals from my wood-tipped sticks is mostly removed. i use them because i always have them, and don't want to worry about investing in another product which would have but a single purpose. i do that enough already.

i like the dish-soap and warm water idea for the cymbals. if i work that into my rotation, say every 2nd cleaning, the junk left over from the sticks would be taken care of, as the cloth would be slightly more abrasive than the wipes, but not enough to leave scratches.

interesting discussion, and thanks for the all the tips!  :)
Alesis DM10 Studio - modified Trondster dampened rack, Hellfire mesh head conversion on toms and kick, converted 1971 14" Ludwig 303 snare w/ aluminum shell - cone + rim piezo conversion; alternate between Stock and Blue Jay Roms, BFD2, Reaper, Reason 6.5

Offline Andy Keys

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #18 on: June 06, 2012, 05:34:25 AM »
When you say "dish soap" do you mean washing up liquid?

Regards
Andy

Online Hellfire

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #19 on: June 06, 2012, 09:25:33 AM »
When you say "dish soap" do you mean washing up liquid?

Regards
Andy

Yep. Ajax, Dawn, or what ever. Don't need much (a drop maybe for the whole cymbal) and you need to make sure that you get all the soap back off the rubber or it might leave a film. Basically means you use two wash cloths, one with the soap and the other without soap. Remember, you don't want the cloths dripping with water. Just damp. Water and electronics don't mix well. ;D

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #20 on: June 06, 2012, 07:40:46 PM »
Also, try to avoid anything with a gritty feel that doesn't completely break down. This will scratch the rubber and plastic, allowing for more debris to accumulate and make it even harder to get clean.

Well, my Dino post experiment didnt work. Still didnt take away the milky look. The answer was water based sex lube. Dino looks good though eh? Lol. I used a light coat on a small section and it did nothing at all it seems. Might work if I coat it, but Im not willing to take the chance Ill waste my best lube on a greasy kiss on the cheek, lol.

Im going to look for some 303 in the next week. Hope I find a small bottle cuz this stuff is pretty pricey. Dispite all of the "You could also use it for.." things, I wont, so I dont have a need for a large bottle.

For those of you using tire cleaner - what brands?

Also, has anyone tried treating the rubber on the cymbals?



 

Offline Andy Keys

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #21 on: June 07, 2012, 04:55:12 AM »
Thank Hellfire, just needed to invoke the old transatlantic translator  :)

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #22 on: June 07, 2012, 09:27:34 AM »
...Im going to look for some 303 in the next week. Hope I find a small bottle cuz this stuff is pretty pricey. Dispite all of the "You could also use it for.." things, I wont, so I dont have a need for a large bottle.

I just received a smaller bottle of 303 Protectant for a little over $10 from Amazon. I get free shipping w/ Amazon Prime though. Not the cheapest stuff, but the larger bottles are more like $25 I think.

I haven't tried anything on my DMPad cymbals yet, but saw so many "don't use Armor-All on e-cymbals!" posts at vdrums.com, I decided to try the 303. Interesting discussion from Hellfire - I have read where people used Armor All and were happy with that, yet seen no evidence that it harms the cymbals as so many others claim. Still, I guess I decided to play it safe. Oh well...

I could post some pics when I get a chance to clean the cymbals if anyone is interested.
E-drum setup: Alesis DM10 Module, S&S Industries Stinger XL snare & Stinger P1 toms, Alesis DMPad cymbals, Roland PD-8 & KD-7, Gibraltar rack/hardware, Tama hardware, Hart Maxxum/Magnum Mesh Heads, Roland KC-350 amp, Audio Technica ATH-M50s headphones

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #23 on: June 07, 2012, 08:32:57 PM »
Please do Tires.

If anyone has a before, after, and during post of their cymbal rubber, please post as well. Explain what you have used to keep them looking good over a long period of time. Before, after, and over a period of time will help everyone in the future.

Thanks all!

Re: Keeping It Clean?
« Reply #24 on: June 07, 2012, 09:55:01 PM »
Please do Tires.

If anyone has a before, after, and during post of their cymbal rubber, please post as well. Explain what you have used to keep them looking good over a long period of time. Before, after, and over a period of time will help everyone in the future.

Thanks all!

Hopefully I can do it this weekend, but whenever I get to it, I'll post pics. I'm planning on cleaning them with a damp cloth before using the 303, so I'll take the in-between pics.  :o ;D ::) 
E-drum setup: Alesis DM10 Module, S&S Industries Stinger XL snare & Stinger P1 toms, Alesis DMPad cymbals, Roland PD-8 & KD-7, Gibraltar rack/hardware, Tama hardware, Hart Maxxum/Magnum Mesh Heads, Roland KC-350 amp, Audio Technica ATH-M50s headphones