Congratulations - you've got yourself a fine banjo. I have one just like it -- same finish, inlays, appointments, tone ring -- and it is a sweetheart.

One approach to take with "restoration" would be to do as little as possible. Just wipe off the dust/grime, and otherwise accept the patina as "beausage" (mashup of the words beauty and usage -- coined by Grant Peterson of Rivendell bicycles...).

It does look like you may need to deal with rusty threads on the hooks/nuts. Otherwise they may not turn smoothly when tensioning the head. You can try removing them, soaking in a mild vinegar solution for a bit, hit the threads with a toothbrush, then thorougly rinse/dry. A drop of 3-in-one oil or beeswax on the threads when you are reinstalling should do the trick. (A beeswax tip I recently discovered -- use some beeswax iipbalm!)

You could also invest in a new set of hooks/nuts if these are too far gone. Your banjo would be worth the extra expense.

I like a product called Meguiar's "Scratch-X". It is designed to remove blemishes from automotive paint without damaging the finish. It is a very gentle polish yet effective. This may help remove the black marks on the pot without damaging the varnish underneath. I've also used Scratch-X for polishing the tarnish on banjo tension hoops. (Beware, though, this suggestion might send other bho members into an apoplectic fit.)

Evidently the previous owner was not a fan of the Wildwood's inherent tonal character. The nylon strings and fiberskin head will significantly dampen this banjo's ability to sing. At some point you may want to consider a new set of steel strings and a renaissance head -- or even skin -- just sayin'.

Enjoy your new banjo. A real score! And what a story it must have, to be discovered in China...

Hey Silver Falls, thanks for your response!

Love the term "beausage" - though I'm thinking here it might be more "beauglect" . The banjo was in Chongqing (Southwest China), which is quite humid. The previous owner bought it in the states and brought it back with him, and said he hasn't had it serviced or repaired over the time he had it - are you saying that the instrument did not come with the Fiberskyn head originally? If not, what was the original head like? I do have spare steel strings around, can definitely give them a try.

On the rust, it is quite heavy, and based on previous experience I'm not sure that vinegar will do the trick for such deeply ingrained rust. I don't mind a bit of character, but also don't want to have to do a complete disassembly every year just to stay on top of the rust issue. Any experience using "Evapo-rust"?

Thanks also for the tip on Scratch-X - unfortunately I could not find it for sale here. I'll look in to it and see if I can find an equivalent cleaning product, but also keep an eye on any other suggestions from BHO members.
 

While I do have some commercial rust remover (I think it's based on oxalic acid, something called "Barkeeper's Friend"), so far I've never yet had the need to use it. A solution of household white vinegar and water, mixed 50/50, has always worked well enough. On things like old bicycle parts and battery terminal corrosion in old radios.

The vinegar solution can be rubbed on flat parts with aluminum foil believe it or not, the idea being that will get the rust while preserving the paint as much as possible (because aluminum is softer). A fine brass brush may be helpful on the threads.

For a "Scratch-X" substitute, you might begin with toothpaste. It has an abrasive that may take off those black marks gently. As well as making your banjo smell minty fresh. Otherwise, have a look in at the local automotive shops and "panel beaters", see if they have something that meets the same purpose of "Scratch-X".

Yes, the fiberskin head on yours may be original. The surface of it may be cleaned with a bit of good old Dawn dish soap -- something good for getting grease off. It will look good as new after that.

The banjo case itself may have been responsible for a lot of the patina and corrosion you are now seeing. In a humid environment, the case will trap and absorb moisture, and keep that moisture in constant contact with the banjo parts. Open up the case outside on sunny days to see if you can dry it out thoroughly (as long as no cats are around), maybe use a hair dryer. Otherwise, best not to use the case for long-term storage in that environment. Your banjo needs to breathe some fresh air!

Lot's of jabber. Don't worry, you and your banjo are gonna be just fine!

Nothing special about the hardware on this. Easier to replace than re-plate. 2002 hardware is probably Korean but could be Chinese. This was before Greg Rich’s campaign to re-establish USA threads on banjo hardware.

The tailpiece is a standard Waverly Old Style repro—I keep them in stock. Am on vacation till September (in Greenland at the moment) but am glad to help when I return.

Nickel plated steel hooks with brass nuts. Paint some WD40 onto the threads and wait 36 hours before trying to loosen. I spray it into the cap and use a Q-Tip. Or you can take diagonal cutters and just cut them off. Bacon style nuts used to be the only thing you could buy. They are being made again but with USA threads.

quote:

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Originally posted by mikehalloran

Nothing special about the hardware on this. Easier to replace than re-plate. 2002 hardware is probably Korean but could be Chinese. This was before Greg Rich’s campaign to re-establish USA threads on banjo hardware.

The tailpiece is a standard Waverly Old Style repro—I keep them in stock. Am on vacation till September (in Greenland at the moment) but am glad to help when I return.

Nickel plated steel hooks with brass nuts. Paint some WD40 onto the threads and wait 36 hours before trying to loosen. I spray it into the cap and use a Q-Tip. Or you can take diagonal cutters and just cut them off. Bacon style nuts used to be the only thing you could buy. They are being made again but with USA threads.

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Thanks Mike - do you mean the tailpiece looks like it needs to be replaced? Could you post to Beijing? Do you stock the hooks and nuts as well?
Appreciate your help!

The black marks on the rim may very well come from the plastic or rubber bumpers on a banjo stand. Sometimes the black dye bleeds right into the banjo finish and can't be removed because it's beneath the surface. Happens a lot on banjo pegheads from electronic tuner clamps too.

To clean the tension hooks and threads try good old Coca Cola. It contains phosphoric acid I believe (yum!) and has been known to clean metal parts from autos for decades. Try one hook/nut first and see how it goes. Soak and scrub with plastic brush like a toothbrush. Avoid metallic bristles.

If it 'twere me I'd just try to get rid of the rust and not go too crazy trying to "restore" any further.

@mikehalloran “Open up the case outside on sunny days to see if you can dry it out thoroughly (as long as no cats are around)”

Is this from experience? You had some neighbourhood cats take up residence in your banjo case??

quote:

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Originally posted by The Old Timer

The black marks on the rim may very well come from the plastic or rubber bumpers on a banjo stand. Sometimes the black dye bleeds right into the banjo finish and can't be removed because it's beneath the surface. Happens a lot on banjo pegheads from electronic tuner clamps too.

To clean the tension hooks and threads try good old Coca Cola. It contains phosphoric acid I believe (yum!) and has been known to clean metal parts from autos for decades. Try one hook/nut first and see how it goes. Soak and scrub with plastic brush like a toothbrush. Avoid metallic bristles.

If it 'twere me I'd just try to get rid of the rust and not go too crazy trying to "restore" any further.

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Yes I was thinking that they could be from a banjo stand too! They seem to be in that position.

Good tip on using Coke - in fact I recall a friend who used to work at the Coke factory in my home town back in the day (around the 70s) said that their own in-house mechanics used to use coca cola to clean the engine blocks... yum indeed!

Thanks for the advice - yes I really just want to get it a bit shinier and remove those black marks if possible.