 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: myrnabs
Date: 2006-02-24 12:02
I was just wondering if anyone knows how to polish nickel keys? Mine are getting super dirty. Any ideas?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: myrnabs
Date: 2006-02-24 12:14
Thanks a million, will try it out asap and I will let you know later on
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-02-24 13:16
It's not dirt, it's oxidation. Polishing will help for a while, just keep in mind that it is a fairly thin coat. The best medicine is still preventative, but it's hard to keep up. That is, wipe off the keys (the parts you touch most often) with a soft 100% cotton cloth (preferably flannel) after each use, or at least at the end of the day so the oils from your fingers don't sit on the keys overnight. This may save you the cost of replating.
..........Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2006-02-24 14:23
But if replating becomes necessary, I would recommend silver rather than a recoat of nickel. All my my clarinets have silver--one is even gold--and the plating has never dulled on any of them. Even after 20+ years of use. Just my 2 cents worth....................(for free)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-02-24 16:45
Strange how some nickel plated keys tarnish more than others - my Vito Eb from about 2000 will dull down very quickly, whereas my old Yamaha 24 (my 'outdoor use' clarinet - I'll NEVER use my Series 9 set outside!) which is about 30 years old is still bright.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: dperreno
Date: 2006-02-24 23:54
I'm a big fan of Simichrome polish for my nickle-silver keys. Works great for me!
Doug
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-02-26 08:56
"Strange how some nickel plated keys tarnish more than others ..."
By "nickel" I assume you mean nickel plating; many people incorrectly refer to unplated cupro-nickel base metal as "nickel".
There are some odd behaviours regarding the tarnishing of nickel. Perhaps organic materials are involved; perhaps certain vapours.
I made some wire puzzles and had them nickel plated. Then they spent a single night in a wooden box which I had recently 'varnished' with polyurethane, and still had such vapours lingering. In the morning the nickel was all tarnished to a very hard, off-white, dull, rough finish. This was very difficult to remove. Perhaps one could ponder on whether there is polyurethane foam used in the case of some instruments where nickel tarnishes badly.
A certain well known woodwind manufacturer in Taiwan sent a shipment of saxophones. When it arrived the nickel plating was severely tarnished - unsaleable. Possibly due to the vapours of a material in the case, perhaps a glue?
A certain respected maker of bassoons has had an ongoing problem with rather fast tarnish of the nickel plated parts. As far as I know their efforts to find the cause have not been conclusive. Suspects are the materials of both the instrument and the case, including oxidation of the materials used to treat the maple. Now only silver plating is offered for the maple instruments, because it has less of a tarnish problem, and is easier to clean.
On old, neglected, disused clarinets I have come to associate certain types of nickel corrosion with rancid/oxidised bore oil or cork grease. The corrosion is over all parts of the instrument, so I suspect vapours from these materials.
Here, an interesting comparison of chrome and nickel, and a recommendation to use Simichrome to clean nickel tarnish. http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Banjo/Nickel/nickel.html
I would suggest any polish that is specially formulated for nickel or chrome.
In my experience Brasso is very slow to clean heavily tarnished nickel plating.
However ammonia is reported to deal with light tarnish. See:http://www.rejuvenation.com/relatedproducts/coverplates/finishdisplayer.html?chosen%5B%5D=PN
... and Brasso contains a small amount of ammonia.
Post Edited (2006-02-26 09:04)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-02-26 16:11
I was recently criticized for having dull keys on my Buffet; my teach was telling me to polish them. I found out that the horn has nickel plating, not silver and that their mellow, aged appearance is part of the aesthetic.
I did not go get a polishing cloth, but I keep them clean with a flannel patch.
Bob Phillips
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
