 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: AussieClaire
Date: 2016-08-27 07:51
Hi again all - I need to pick your superior brains once more! I've just bought a clarinet off eBay, but before your eyebrows go through the ceiling, I made sure to buy a good make from a seller with good feedback, and it is a Leblanc Vito Soprano Reso-Tone (the upper joint logo says "USA 3", with the 3 in a circle, under "Reso-Tone").
My question is, although the pads, cork and keys are in great condition, the metal bands around the joints are slightly tarnished and I was wondering what they might be made of, so I know what type of cleaner to get?
Thanks again in advance.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-08-27 09:09
I just use a domestic metal polish, something like Brasso, Silvo or whatever. It works for me.
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-08-27 09:35
The keys and other fittings are nickel plated so they may or may not polish up to a bright shine depending how badly tarnished they are. Nickel plate turns dull grey when it tarnishes and that can't be removed all that easily with a polishing cloth.
The only way to successfully polish nickel plate up to a very bright shine is to machine polish it using a buffing machine and Tripoli on a polishing mop. But you will need to have removed the socket rings from the body to do that as the heat generated through the friction of polishing may melt the plastic and an accidental slip can cause the mop (spinning at high speed) to catch and damage the finish of the plastic or a tonehole.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2016-08-27 17:57
Vito 3s are nickel plated, not silver.
I use fine or extra fine grade steel wool on nickel keys, hand polished, not machine.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Buster Brown
Date: 2016-08-27 19:42
Another cleaning question. The outside of my R13 tends to crude up. What do you use to clean it?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-08-27 20:23
Use a barely damp cloth to wipe the surface down.
Wet a cotton cloth or duster under a cold tap and wring it out thoroughly so there's no more drops left, then wipe the surface over with it to remove grot and grime from the surface. Then buff it over with a dry cloth/duster to restore the shine. You don't need to do this too often.
Don't use alcohol or solvents as that will remove the dye that Buffet use to make the joints look uniform unless you want to. Also alcohol will strip a highly polished finish and leave the surface dull and expose the surface vessels that have been filled in with polishing compound.
As for nickel plated keys - a silver polishing cloth used regularly on them will maintain the shine if used from the word go. But on a used clarinet with dull grey nickel plate, it won't do anything.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Buster Brown
Date: 2016-08-27 21:29
Thank you. I have silver keys (I have Vintage model), so keys are not a problem. Simple wipe down with polishing cloth works well.
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Author: AussieClaire
Date: 2016-08-28 10:19
Sorry guys, I forgot to check the "alert" box so didn't realise you had all replied. Thanks, I tried the silver cloth and indeed it didn't do anything, but in the end it's just cosmetic. The keys are in good nick which is what counts.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-08-29 00:43
An old T-shirt works wonders too.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-08-29 01:26
I got a $6 "Leblanc Professional Nickel-Finish Polishing Cloth Standard" model 3294B from WWBW, and it did much better on my Arioso keys than many other things I'd tried, including much-ballyhooed MAAS Metal Polish. I cut it into more manageable size pieces, wipe down my keys after every play, and they got shiny within a week or 2 and have stayed that way for months now, and I've still got some new unused cloth left.
In particular, a couple of my ring keys came to me (new) tarnished black- and this product fixed them.
All any of us want from our instruments, accessories, reeds, whatever- is that they do their job effectively without fuss or unreasonable expense or effort. Wouldn't that be nice?
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2016-08-29 01:28)
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