Columbia Eagle

[Neilvanstem]

Only a few photos of my machine to show the stipes on the mandrel and to ask if something can remove those or if I should just ignore it? I assume those stripes are from a cylinder?

[RodPickett]

Good point.  A common technique to fit a Busy Bee cylinder on a mandrel. 

[Neilvanstem]

Often folks suggest items not commonly found around the house. Any suggestions for items I have around the house? Naptha? Lighter fluid? Any more common household items you can suggest?

[Neilvanstem]

I have so much under my kitchen cabinet just wonder if some of that stuff might also work. I do love gojo, restore a finish, and etc. But worry about now having to buy another item when I have two cabinets full of stuff. I do have metal polish too...... two kinds. 

 

 

[Tinfoilphono]

It's very hard to tell from a photo, but to me that looks like corrosion. I'm guessing that someone left a cylinder on the mandrel for a very long time, and the contact between the ribbed lining of the cylinder reacted with the nickel. I've seen similar corrosion on mandrels that had Blue Amberols left on them for decades. I suspect the plaster retained moisture, which was then kept in direct contact with the plating.

 

It is absolutely worth trying a solvent, as previously suggested, in case it is something on the surface. If that doesn't work, I would suggest lightly buffing it with 0000 steel wool, followed by a good metal polish. It may not be possible to bring back a perfect luster but it should look much better.

[Bruce]

I agree with with the advice so far.  I had a similar problem with a mandrel a couple of years ago.

I started with solvents and then ended with polishing the mandrel on a buffing wheel.

I was not able to remove all of the damage (it was like rust that caused a pitting in the nickel surface) but after buffing the mandrel looked a lot better

 

Bruce

[Lioret]

I have had excellent results removing corrosion using Evaporust.  You can get it at Harbor Freight.  You soak the piece in the solution overnight and it removes the corrosion.  It is not acid.  Then scrub it and polish with Flitz or Simichrome.  I have had zonophone bedplates and support arms that looked pretty tough turn out amazing.  
Gregg

[Neilvanstem]

Finally something I have around the house though taking things apart and soaking sounds extreme. But I do have evaporust and polish though not the ones mentioned. 

 

[RonL]

The lines look like areas where the nickel plate has worn off.  Polish the surface with metal polish.  The remaining nickel will come up silvery and if the areas are devoid of plating, they will probably be brassy or at least different from the shine of the nickel.

 

[Tinfoilphono]

I'm just curious -- how did  this work out in the end? Were you able to improve the appearance?