Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

[paddok]

So today in my local consignment store, I found a really cool old USA BC Rich Gunslinger. Aside from having a really worn and beat up finish, the guitar was really cool. I'm tempted to purchase it (as it is offered at a good price).

As I talked with the man behind the counter, I notice however that the BC Rich liscenced floyd was really quite warn and hard some rust.

Is there anything one could soak a floyd in that would loosen up the rust? I'm really dying to get this guitar, then it would be off to GMW for a refin!

[MetalMedal II]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

WD-40 and a toothbrush can work wonders on getting the rusty parts on a floyd moving again. Getting rid of all the rust depends on how much is on there. If it's corroded past the chrome (if the trem is chrome) then it won't shine back up on those areas. But hey, you can always replace the trem if it's real bad.

[MountainDog]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

You need WD-40, 3-in-1 oil, and #0000 steel wool. Assuming the intonation is good, take some measurements on how the saddles are in relation to the main plate, then take everything apart. Clean the parts with a touch of either the WD-40 or the 3-in-1 oil and the steel wool, then wipe off the parts with a rag and reassemble. Add a little 3-in-1 oil to the saddle pivots. You'd be amazed how well you can get the floyd looking after this. I just got a USA Jackson with rusty trem, and after about an hour of cleaning it looks almost new again.

[Inearthed]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

Paddok,

Henrik here recommended using a Teflon Oil and I purchased "Tri-Flow Superior Lubricant With Teflon" (which is used for bikes, scakes and sports gear) and it did an awesome job tearing through that rust on the floyd.

What I did was take the floy completely apart and then got a clean plastic container with a lid.. I then filled the container about 1/4th the way up on the container, placed the floyd parts in there and made sure they were somewhat spread out. Then I left it in my garage for three days and went out twice a day and shook the container to move the pieces around inside. At the end of the third day I reopened the container and took all the pieces out individually. After each piece was removed, I scrubbed them with a tooth brush that I recieved from the dentist and had never used and that pulled the remaining loosened rusty bits on the floyd. Once scrubbed, I took the pieces and dried them off as well as I could and set them down on a piece of paper towel and came back a little bit later wiping them down again. After all of this the pieces looked clean and rust free. Try it out!

[jackson1]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

Expert advice there, Rob [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Inearthed]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

[ QUOTE ]
Expert advice there, Rob [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey, I learned from the best. [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[Ace]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

Rust is not unsalvageable until it does real damage to the parts. Rust can weaken the already cheap metal used on most copy trems to where the parts will break if you try and take them apart. The good news is that trems aren't too hard to replace, so if it really is a good deal on the guitar, go for it and hope for the best!!

[mm2002]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

If it's actually RUST you're dealing with check this stuff out: http://www.safestrustremover.com
I thought maybe it was just more "snake oil" until I ordered a gallon and tried it. The **** works! If you do a lot of guitars and have to deal with a lot of rusty hardware this will be the best 25 you'll ever spend. Just put some in a jar and soak the parts a couple of days. I was amazed.

[TheSteveMan]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

I've tried CLR (Calcium/Lime/Rust remover) and it seems to do pretty well. I had a JT580LP that had some rust on the saddle blocks and the intonation set screws, so I took it apart and soaked the stuff in a little bowl of that stuff.
Some of the other stuff you guys are describing might work a little better though?

[frankencat]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

I use S-100 cycle cleaner and a toothbrush. Works on the bike and works on guitars too [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[yard dawg]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

its metal take it to someone who paints metal and see if they can re paint it..Maybe a powder coat will help it ..

[Jim Shine]

Re: Any chance at saving a rusty floyd ?

I took a big jar and filled it with WD40. I soak the entire unit in that for a few days. I would pick it up once in a while and swish it around to flush out the rust and dirt in the tight areas. The I attempt to remove the screws. They usualy come out easy. The joints of the saddles are usually what seize. Remove the saddle and with a pair of pliars try moving the saddle so it flexes at the joint. If it is stiff and wont move, try using heat. I use a cigar lighter to heat it up. When its hot try flexing it again. It should start flexing. Dipt it back in the WD40 and give it a few minutes to soak. Then try again. You may have to heat it up a few times if it is really stubborn, but it will come loose eventually. Lube it up afterward with 3 in 1 oil.

Most issues with these is grime. The rust usually is just surface. Sometimes the grime is actually a body oil which breaks down the plating and metal in the joints and causes them to seize. You have to get through the grime before anything will touch the rust.

Powder coating a saddle would suck. That stuff is thick. You would have to clean out the block holes carefully to get the block to even go back in. If the plating is gone, I would just replace them.