brother skinslapper,
tried bleach, tried ammonia, tried oven cleaner, tried isopropyl alcohol. NONE of it worked!
i experimented by putting small side plates in different ziplock bags, then filling them/covering them with a different one of the above chemicals then left it overnight in the bag. the next day I scrubbed with a really hard brush...
some of the chemicals were good at removing the rust/stains, and some of chemicals turned the plating very dark... but none of them pealed off the golden tone.
i'm sure the sand blaster would be the best way to do it, but I don't have one, and the estimate to have someone do it professionally was $150. i'm poor!
i did it myself for $6.00 in sandpaper and a $3.00 facemask. it was a lot of work, tho. took me 3 hrs to do the quinto, almost 4 to do the conga.
i have the drums in front of me... I still cant believe they are the same ugly drums I had not too long ago