Cleaning your lamps.

[Bill Smith]

Hi all, just trying to find out which chrome polish you all like to use when cleaning your lamps? And do you use chrome cleaner on the newer Astro bases and caps, or just wipe them over with a damp cloth or duster. Also, what do you use to clean the older brushed aluminium bases and caps? Any tips and techniques would be appreciated.

Does any body bother to use glass gleaner on their bottles or is that going to far?

Polishes I was thinking of using: -

Autosol (Or is this too abrasive)

Brasso

Blue- Job

 

[Jim]

I use Blue Magic on all of my metal bases regardless of finish.

[Tim Gill]

I use good old Braso on the chrome bases, I have tryed on the brushed aluminium bases but it doesn't seam to work that well so I only bother with the chrome bases.

For lamps which are a complete mess I use Ciletbang (or tough cleaner) on the bases and globes and then finish off with Braso and yes i do use glass cleaner on the globes.

[Kempton]

I just use blue magic metal polish on everything

[Pete]

Hey Bill......good to see a fellow Brummy on here......arrrrright - arrr - kid !

 

Thanks for the photo compliment.  I've tried a number of different polishes.......the three you mentioned plus Auto Glym Metal Polish.

Having used them all on a number of different lamps, I think they all do a good job in general, but my preference is Auto Glym as it produces the best shine by far.  I've also tried using different combinations of polishing cloths, both to apply the polish and another to buff up the shine.  My fellow Gooheads will probably all laugh at this but I use 2 ply soft toilet tissue to both apply the polish and buff up the shine.....

 

The best way I've found is to do a small area at a time.....squirt a small bead of the Auto Glym polish about the size of a small garden pea on to a piece of folded toilet tissue, then rub in a circular motion until the polish becomes grey in colour......continue rubbiing for at least a minute, then allow the polish to semi dry, then buff up with a clean piece of folded toilet tissue.  Repeat as necessary using the previous piece used for buffing to apply the polish.  With any luck you'll have a bright and shiny Telstar before you get to the end of a roll of toilet tissue....lol

 

Autosol is good for removing initial heavy oxidation deposits but the polish is very thick and creamy and needs a proper polishing rag to apply.

Silvo wadding is excellent for prolonged periods of polishing around corners & crevises, i.e a Lunar base for example as it is impregnated with polish.

Brasso is good on clean untarnished metal but it is very thin and runny and smells rank !

Auto Glym used with a soft cloth or toilet tissue will produce an almost mirror like shine with the least noticable swirl marks........above all, some elbow grease and a lot of patience is required to achieve a good result.

 

.......and Ford Prefect will probably have a dig at me again cause she knows I've already spent over four weeks polishing my Lunar.....lol

[Ford Prefect - NPNG]

as if i would do that! ;)  just because you spend all your time polishing up your big-un!

and i'll be taking the auto glym tip from you pete! (for when i feel brave enough to tackle polishing mine again) i've used silvo & autosol in the past like you say Pete for the nooks and heavy tarnish.. but I advise you Bill to do what Pete has said, he is no doubt the most committed polisher here!

[Bill Smith]

Hi all, thanks for your replies to my question especially Pete.

Yes Pete a "Brummy" born and bred originally from Ladywood  now living off Shenley lane in Northfield.

Thanks for all your tips looks like I will be off to Halfords to buy some Auto Glym and Sainsbuy's for some tiolet paper the good stuff...lol.

Do you use the Auto Glym on the brushed aluminium bases and caps as well? Or do you use something else.

[Pete]

Great stuff ! 

Born and bred in Pype Hayes, Erdington, I left Brum in 1987 to work in Peterborough and live in a sleepy little Village called Weldon, near Corby.

Most of my lamps are the older aluminium bases & caps.  I only have one Astro base in the older brushed aluminium style at the moment.  For that, I use neat liquid soap to clean it and the same to clean my plastic Jet bases.

........I also use neat liquid soap to clean my bottles.   I rinse them first in luke warm water in a sink, then rub a couple of squirts of soap into the glass around the bottle, then rinse with luke warm water again and finally buff dry with......yes you guessed it, toilet tissue.

 

My Missus thinks I've got the runs with the amount of toilet tissue I get through.....lol !

 

I also read somewhere that "Mothers Plastic Polish" is good for polishing out light scratches on plastic Jet bases & caps but I haven't managed to get my hands on any yet.....