 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clay
Date: 2004-03-02 23:18
Hi,My clarinet's keys have started...rusting,I think?????? I have noticed a buildup of a black substance on different parts of my clarinet. The keys are silver. The rusting however is not in places where I normally touch the clarinet. Could it be acid from my fingers??? Oxidation??? Or is there a special cloth or something that I need to clean the keys with??Thank You
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-03-02 23:24
I believe this is what is commonly referred to as "tarnish". It happens to all silver. Eventually. You need to somehow remove that tarnish. There are polishes that will do so. And in order to help prevent it in the future, wipe down the keys after playing every time.
Do a search on the board with some variants of what I described above. "remove tarnish" or "tarnish" or "polish key", etc. and I'm sure you'll find plenty of ideas of how to get rid of it, and also probably an explanation or two of how it got there in the first place.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: hans
Date: 2004-03-03 00:29
Clay,
Polishing may remove the tarnish and make your keywork shine but eventually you will polish away the silver plating and expose the metal underneath. It's best to leave the oxidation alone, since the clarinet's playability is not affected by it.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2004-03-03 07:04
That's why it's best to just wipe it down after playing - just remove some of the stuff your fingers may have left behind.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-03-03 10:41
Yes, tarnish, caused by contaminants in the air, particularly sulphur compounds.
Sulphur is in products of combustion (gas heaters, industrial fumes, coal fires, motor vehicles, etc), onions, garlic, (possibly perspiration after consumption of the last two items, wool (and hence most felt), egg, flatus, hard rubber used for mouthpieces, geothermal activity, certain horticultural sprays, some cosmetics (particularly acne preparations), ......
Perhpas you are able to identify the cause and keep your clarinet away from it. Salt-laden air at coastal locations are also bad, and the vapours from spa pools are probably not too good. Many silver compounds go dark on exposure to light.
The following site may be of interest: http://www.silversmithing.com/care.htm
3M Company's anti-tarnish strips (i.e. impregnated paper), kept in the case, while active, will absorb these vapours and prevent most tarnish occurring but only while the instrument is in the case.
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Author: CJB
Date: 2004-03-03 12:30
hans
At last someone else with my approach to the keywork - if it does the job does it really need to look pretty?
I'm getting quite fond of the metalic blue colouring that has developed on the bottom half of my A :-)
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Author: Jhall
Date: 2004-03-03 13:33
Clay,
There was a note in with my new Buffet (I'm so-o-o-o poor) that said some mouthpieces will cause silver keys to tarnish. Of course, sunlight also will discolor silver.
John
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2004-03-03 14:11
Gordon's point about the 3M Anti-tarnish strips is a good one. They are relatively inexpensive, are good for at least 6 months each, and will help if placed in your case with your instrument. You can find them online or possibly at a jeweler.
The other recommendations would be what other's have said - wipe off your instrument after each use, and keep your mouthpiece (in a good case) in a separate compartment of your case. You can also buy a good "silver-finish polishing cloth" from Leblanc, Yamaha, ... These wont get into the tight nooks and crannies but will keep the rest of the silver looking very nice. I also suspect you don't want to use this cloth too frequently but don't know that definitively.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-03-03 15:30
As usual Gordon has pretty much said it all, but I'll add my 2c. I am convinced the black stuff is SilverSulfide (AgS). There might be other minor constituents but sulfur is the bad actor. And sulfur is everywhere as Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)....the stuff in flatus as Gordon mentions slyly(don't play your clarinet in the bathroom). Keeping hard rubber mouthpieces inside your clarinet case is asking for trouble. ....as is also eating egg salad sandwiches before you play. I'm from the "Hans School" which says, don't fret about it since removing it only leaves clean silver to get black and eventually the silver plating is gone.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-03-03 21:01
Jhall wrote "Of course, sunlight also will discolour silver."
I don't think that is strictly correct, although I am sometimes wrong....
Sunlight discolours certain tarnish products which have formed on the silver. Various silver compounds are used for photographic purposes because of their sensitivity to light. But I don't think light discolours the silver itself.
The pedantic one. Gordon.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-03-03 22:23
Agreed, Gordon. Sunlight turns silver chloride black but not silver itself. Of course hydrogen sulfide is present where sunlight is too....by coiincidence.
I think sunlight was dangerous to Dracula too.
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