Glass cleaner on nickle. How about blue?

[Jim NNN]

A trick that I learned in the music business was to use Windex on nickle plated banjo parts to shine them up - it was far less abrasive than chrome polish, yet produced a good shine. Same idea applied to nickle and chrome parts when I started collecting old motorcyles/cars.

Am I correct in assuming the same goes for nickle plated revolvers? AND IF SO, how about blued finishes? ANyone done that?

Just curious. Thanks - Jim

 

[BigBill]

I use the Simi chrome polish to clean up the tarnished nickel finishes. I then use the used Simi chrome polish I just used to clean up the blued guns. It doesn't have its original bite once it's used. Just go softly.

I purchased a H&R 923 22lr revolver that was said to be nickeled because it was so badly tarnished and yellowed. After a good polishing I found an excellent chrome plating job under the tarnish. The gun is worth three times what I paid for it.

I picked up a can of renaissance polish that was suggested here. I haven't tried it on the clean finishes yet.

 

[Gunhacker]

If the Windex contains ammonia, that is probably not a good idea to use on Nickel plating.

Under the Nickel is an electro coating of copper, ammonia attacks copper and is why it's used in most of the bore cleaner/solvents advertised for "copper fouling". Any breach in the integrity of the Nickel surface will allow the ammonia to attack the underlying copper, and the nickel will release.

Now... I don't know what the relative strength is for the ammonia found in Windex versus bore cleaner, and whether it's an apples to oranges comparison, but with so many alternatives available, why chance it.

I've been using Simple Green for years with no ill effects, it excels on stainless guns.

 

[Jim NNN]

Thanks for the input. I understand what you're saying about nickle plating. I'm probably really more interested in seeing if Windex is viable for light cleaning of decent condition blue finishes. Anyone done this?

It was my impression that Windex is a relatively inert non corrosive cleaner, but what you said about the ammonia content makes me think maybe it isn't.

 

[Tom_R]

Glass Cleaner

Guys, I worked in the framing business for a few years, and please take this advice, only use glass cleaner on glass. It is actually a very harsh cleaner, and for something as nice as a Nickel S&W, I would stick with a tried and true metal polish which can be picked up for 10 bucks.

Just my advice, for whatever it is worth, but I have seen glass cleaner mess up plastics, enough times that I always vowed I would only use it on glass.

 

[kwill1911]

Windex has ammonia, others have vinegar, some have dilute muriatic acid. Almost all are at least mildly caustic because glass is unaffected but the grime and minerals on top of glass will yield to the chemicals. I've seen guns ruined by such cleaners, ESPECIALLY blued guns.

 

[Jim NNN]

Thanks very much for the warnings guys. That's why I ask first!

 

[Doubless]

Jim, I use Flitz on both blued and nickeled finishes, and have for years. I have seen Flitz take off the brown from blued finishes, but never have I seen it penetrate the bluing, as I have read about in different threads on this site. All I can say is that it hasn't happened to me...

As for nickel, I don't think there is anything any better than Flitz, and it does a wonderful job on blued revolvers as well, in my estimation.

Just my honest $.02...