I have a Johnson chop cup I've had for quite a few years. It has a nice deep dull patina as I've never cleaned it. I want to get another chop cup to do a two cup routine. If I buy another new Johnson chop cup, can I clean the old one so it looks like the new one? It doesn't have any dings or dents so I'm not worried about that. What would be the best way to clean it. Or would it be easier to make the new cup match the old one and what's the best way to that?

Thanks,

Stevie D

It's a shame to lose all that patina that's developed over the years...

If you really want to do this, head to your nearest grocery store and by a tub of Wright's copper polish (used to clean copper bottom pans)It also works on brass, but not quite as quickly.

The patina will wipe away within seconds. It may have a sort of "frosted" appearance after stripping off the patina. You may want to do the same thing to your new cup so they match.

I would encourage you to give them the same treatment what ever you choose to do. Personally I'd take them both to buffing wheel but not everyone has the equipment to do so . I would use somthing like FLITZ over wright's but that's just my preference. I find that WRIGHT'S give the metal an odd look. But that's just me.

I agree with Dave… the Wright’s copper polish is the easiest and quickest stuff to use for a quick cleaning… then I follow it up with the FLITZ (thanks Dave for the recommendation years ago).

Using the Wright’s cream first saves some elbow grease than using FLITZ by itself… at least that is what I find.


I use this method all the time on my Johnson Cups, and then I will follow the treatment up with some wax.

Thanks,
Bruce

Good, sounds doable, lol So what kinda of wax is best for shiny cups?

I use what's called Renaissance Wax but any good carnauba wax will do. What you're basically doing is stopping the patina from progressing once you have it where you want it.

Waxes will certainly help preserve a nice finish, or a nice patina, and keep copper and brass from tarnishing for a short while, but the down side to using wax on your cups is that it makes them very slippery. If you just put them on display, then waxing is the way to go, but if you plan on handling them and using them for a routine, you better get a good grip, using your full hand, when you pick one up.
No way am I using a waxed cup for a routine. That would be like doing multiplying bottles on roller skates.

SAY WHAT?

Johnson cups are (with a few exceptions) brass. Why wouldn't you use Brasso to polish them?

Have you ever used Brasso? I think it's terrible.

Yep. I spent 3 years in the ARMY wearing class A uniform nearly every day. I polished a LOT of brass with Brasso! Why don't you like it Pete?

For cups it wasn't close in speed or quality to Wenol or Wrights... Just me? In my Army days I used Brasso. Maybe Brasso has bad memories for me?

I hate Brasso for the same reasons. There are plenty of other polishes on the market that work faster and produce a great shine. I'm using Maas almost exclusively now for copper and brass. But Brasso - I can't go back to that - I have the same bad memories from military service.
But, like Bruce said, keep in mind that Wrights is just a cleaner, not a polish. If you want to remove tarnish quickly and thoroughly, use Wrights first, but to polish, follow it with a good product designed to polish and protect.

What about TARN-X as a cleaner? then once polished an spray can clear epoxy worth a hoot?

Wright's is great....or Simichrome.

I have used many types of wax on my Cups; Renaissance wax and many auto waxes... I have never had a problem with them being slippery at all. But all of them need to be reapplied from time to time if they are used a lot. As Donnie wrote, I also have used wax to keep some patina right where I like it on some Cups... these are some shelf sitters.

I went through a BRASO phase... it works well but is very labor intensive. The Wright’s with a FLITZ follow-up is the best combo for me.

I have only used TARNEX once to take care of some spots on a set of PF Phoenix Cups... I used a procedure that Bill Palmer recommended. It took care of the Cups, but boy does the stuff stink.

Thanks,
Bruce

NEVR-DULL is what I use on all of my cups.

Contrary to what you might imagine, Renaissance Wax is not slippery.