Actually, with RustPrufe, you might find the use of 0000 steel wool to be a help.

Thanks Guys -

I thought about trying steel wool or a Scotch-Brite pad and decided against it because I do not want to physically alter the very uniform satin finish of the cups. If the Innosoft B570 fails, I will try the 0000 steel wool or the green Scotch-Brite and work to remove the rust while carefully following the \'grain\' of the original finish.

Really appreciate the input and will keep you posted.

DC, you will not easily be able to preserve the brushed satin finish if you use a green scotch brite pad on the cups, same is true for steel wool. I've tried this and it's nearly impossible. I would suggest polishing them professionally. You might be able to find a polisher in your area that can put a satin finish on them if you want it. Almost all chrome plating shops do polishing, as it is needed prior to plating.
I solved this problem for a buddy by nickel plating his Sisti steel cups. No chrome, just nickel. They never rusted again.

Thanks Donnie -

Wondered how, without a lathe, I would be able to reproduce that satin finish by hand. Your post confirmed my reluctance to go that route.

I understanad that you are a Magpie of sorts, preferring the shinier things. Had not considered plating and now you have my wheels turning...

Thanks again,

Doug

Yeah Donnie did my Sisti Cups and not only do they no longer rust they really hold up well to continued use.
I would have them done again, if I ever got another set with problems, as the finish took out the rust and sealed them from further harm.
Thanks again to Donnie for putting his extensive knowledge of magic and the needs of his customers to great use. I couldn't be happier with the cups. Saved my investment from any further harm due to the elements.

Those Sisti Professional cups are also very heavy and would probably beat most finishes to death with regular use.
Donnie warned me not to drop them on my foot...the finish would survive the fall but my foot would be broken.

I had tried everything else to get rid of the rust spots and it would always come back. The green pads helped stave it off much longer than the steel wool did. The steel wool would make the whole insides rust and just spots on the outside. The green pads cleaned it up for 8months or so before spots would appear back and some of the spots would appear to be black instead of just normal rust. No pitting occurred on my cups, thank goodness and I also started to use a product called:
Krud Cutter Brand The Must for Rust Rust Remover and Inhibitor
It is water based and non-flammable as well as biodegradable.
you can get it at the hardware store or from their website:
http://www.Krudkutter.com

The rust inhibitor was a suggestion of Bill Palmer's but was more of a temporary fix , Donnie's was a permanent one and I highly recommend having them Nickel Plated.
Hope that helps ya,
Mike

Thanks so much Mike -

Your insight helps a great deal actually.

Really appreciate everyone\'s input and advice on this thread.

Best to all,

Doug

It sounds to me like the guy that sold you these cups created a whole lot of work for you! I am, however, certain it was unintentional.

That said, it seems to me that putting nickel plate on the cups would detract from their value as a collectible since they would no longer be "original." I'm hoping the new product you ordered does the trick. It certainly sounds good on the website.

Hey Dale does rust and black spots add to the value?
I tried for several years to sell my cups and the nickel plate was cheaper, better for the cups value long term. The plating actually added to their value and I have had two offers to sell them....I like them too much to sell them now.

If he is using his cups then his value is in their use not their collectability. They are not Sherwood Engraved cups. The value of cups is subjective anyways and that market is very small.
They will still be blue steel, they will still be RNT made cups. Depending on who he has finish them as well as the type of finish applied they could become unique making them even more collectible over time. I wonder if there is a finish that could be applied that would bring out the qualities of the blue steel? The Black Chrome is also an option which is an awesome finish too.
If there is a flaw in the original cup then is it not your duty to try to fix that flaw in someway making it more unique and or useful?
My Sisti Cups are unique in that they are Sisti Professional Steel Cups with a very hard nickel finish. Donnie added to their value with the finish he suggested and I know they will last at least my lifetime even with daily use. They would be in the scrap heap one day had I not had them finished making their value nil.
I can also use them with a minimum of maintenance.

Mike

We have a difference of opinion. There is no doubt in my mind that you are thrilled with your cups that Donnie nickel plated for you. His work and customer service is amazing. He has worked on special projects for me as well and his customer service is beyond compare. That said, I have been buying and selling collectibles for about 45 years, including vintage cars, antique furniture, and collectible magic. I've sold so many sets of cups over the years, I'm sure I've even bought and sold the same sets more than once. I've had repeat customers that won't buy cups unless they have the original bag and balls. I used to own this set of blue gun steel cups and sold them to Doug. In my opinion, the cups have a greater future value if they are polished and protected rather than nickel plated. They made very few sets in this material. If you had yours plated, that's one fewer set that to some people would be collectible. I'm happy you are thrilled with your set. If I still owned the set we're talking about in this post, I would be thrilled that you had them plated. That would make my original set even more rare. In the end, this will be Doug's decision and whatever he chooses will be the right one because it will be what he wants.

We just have a different perspective. I understand your viewpoint and respect it.

Yes, and sometimes I get a bit 'o green appearing on my Sherwood copper cups.

I've heard this from a few sources, Bob White mentions this on his DVD; nickle plate not chrome plate.
Why? What's wrong with chrome?

Nothing is wrong with chrome Kevin. I love chrome. I do Bright Chrome, White Chrome and Black Chrome. Chrome is very strong and an additional layer of protection over the nickel plate. If you do a professional chrome job, it will hold up to a lot of abuse withough chipping, cracking or peeling.
Some people just prefer the look of a nickel plated finish. It's a lovely variation. One day I'll nickel plate a bunch of cups and offer it as a standard inventory item. One day...

I do suppose though that from a "magic minutia" point of view it could be considered a liability: A highly reflective surface on the outside of a set of cups and balls has the potential to reflect an object that is concealed in the hand. Al Schneider mentions this on his DVD series. I've never found it to be a problem, but for some, I suppose it's plugging holes that might exist.

I got some rust spots in our new, satin-finish stainless steel kitchen sink. Tried everything non-abrasive that was recommended to me. Nothing worked.

Used an SOS pad and some Soft Scrub. I barely had to touch the surfaces and the rust came right off. Went in the direction of the grain, of course, but it was so easy, and required such a light, light touch, I doubt it was necessary.

YMMV, of course.

Some people are allergic to nickel.

Nickel usually has a kind of yellowish tint while normal chrome tends to be a bit on the bluish side.

Cool, thanks.

BTW, chrome is a very durable finish. Most of the banjos that come out of the US are fitted with nickel-plated parts. The nickel plate works very well except on the armrests of banjos. For some reason, with the new "environmentally sound" plating systems, the nickel tends to be a little less durable than it was 30 years ago. Chrome is much more durable, but some banjos, for example, really sound brash with chrome-plated parts. The plating does affect the sound.

I had a set of Foxy 2.5's nickel plated because it's warmer and I couldn't spring the cash that silver would have cost so it was the closest I could get at the time, it's only 1 stage away from chrome anyway but I would suggest sending them to Donnie or shopping around for a good quality plating if anyone goes down that route.