cleaning galvanised stuff ?

[sardine]

I've salvaged an old galvanized tub from an ancient timber barn before it was demolished. I want to use it as a log bin indoors, its a tired dark grey colour, is there any way to get it clean and bright zinc again ?

I'll never get in country living magazine if its not shiney.

Web search is saying all kinds of things from using milk, to oxalic acid, soap pads to waxed paper.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Keep as is? Shabby chic, init.....

 

[Gareth J]

Shiny, shiny? You'll need to remove the oxidised layer and then cut the metal back to remove the pits it will have caused. Increasingly finer wet and dry followed by metal polish.

Google polishing aluminium, they're fairly similar metals.

If you want to keep some of the patina but give it a bit of shine, try hitting it with some autosol and wire wool. You won't get a mirror finish but I doubt you really want it that shiny anyway....?

 

[norlander]

clean and bright? and ex 3 Para?

 

[pedrobedro]

Have it galvanised

 

[MattF]

If it were I, I think my tool of choice in attempting to clean that up would be Brillo pads. Either that or try rubbing the surface with some scrunched up aluminium foil and see if that does owt, once you've brushed any residue/oxide off.

Have it galvanised

 

[rosinante]

Brasso works, we had to polish bins when I was in the navy-- then stand in them on the parade ground shouting I am rubbish at rifle drill!!
Worked on the rear crossmember of my galvanised landy chassis,
Chris

 

[sardine]

clean and bright? and ex 3 Para?

Ive never cleaned or polished anything before. I thought brasso was an after dinner liqueur.

 

[brightspark]

Keep as is? Shabby chic, init.....

no shabby sh....it

 

[brightspark]

Ive never cleaned or polished anything before. I thought brasso was an after dinner liqueur.

for wino/s it is aparently

 

[sardine]

Shabby shic looks great in country living magazine, but not so good in real life, it just looks like you get everything out of a skip, which I do.

 

[MattF]

Shabby shic looks great in country living magazine, but not so good in real life, it just looks like you get everything out of a skip, which I do.

My nephew has been taking the pee out of me something rotten for similar the last few weeks. Helped him clear out his shed the other week, and by the time I'd done, his shed was a lot tidier/emptier, and his pile for the scrapman was lighter too.