 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: beejay
Date: 2000-03-11 23:44
A while lack, there was a discussion about the bad effect of rubber on silver plated keys. I wonder if any of you chemists out there know whether keeping a (much washed) chamois leather swab in the case would have the same nefarious effect. Reason I ask is that I'm starting to get some tarnish on a new Buffet RC, and am trying to track down why. It could, of course, also be caused by the sulphurous air from too many cars in the city here in Paris. I've looked high and low for those 3-M or Hagerty anti-tarnish strips that some of you recommended, with no succes, although it is possible to find the rest of the Hagerty silver care products. Does anyone out there have any ideas about cleaning tarnish, preferably without putting any kind of gunk on the clarinet. Many thanks.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Keil
Date: 2000-03-12 00:42
I too use a chamois cloth in my case (R13) and i am experiencing some tarnish, however, all of my friends and i mean all of them have chamois cloths but i only know of 1 of them that have experienced tarnish. Ironically enough he goes to my school and i'm thinking that maybe the tarnish is being caused by something in the ventilation system at my school because another one of my friends uses a chamois cloth and goes to my school but has little to no tarnish, he also keeps his R13 at home.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Willie
Date: 2000-03-12 05:18
It may be the tannic acid used to process and cure the leather. I do know that using a real leather chamois on say the thin plastic windows found in Jeep sidecurtains (boats too) and the windshields of motorcycles (non plexiglass), it will usually start to turn this material brown. The synthetic chamois won't do this so I think it is the tannic acid.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-03-12 18:50
I really dont know for certain, but I sure think you are correct, Willie, [as in earlier posts], also if silver-plated keys turn gray-black, I would suspect some sulfur was in the tanning compounds also. I'll check what I can in chemical methods books. Velly interesting, hadn't observed it myself. Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: beejay
Date: 2000-03-12 20:16
willie;
That's what I suspected, although as an experiment, I wrapped a silver spoon in a piece of chamois and left it for a couple of weeks, I noticed no change. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, I've switched to a cotton cloth. Any answers to the second part of my question? Once you've got tarnish, how do you get rid of it?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-03-14 16:08
I use Wright's Silver Polish in the liquid formulation. This product is available in large grocery stores, in the same department with other cleaning products. I use the liquid rather than the cream because the liquid is easier to wash off.
Be sure any polish you use is labelled specifically for use on silver plate. Some of the harsher products have warnings on the labels not to use them on silver plate. Evidently some of them will eat away at any metal exposed under the plating, and some are harsh enough to damage the thin plate itself over time. My bottle of Tarnex recommends it only for sterling silver. When I posted this information on a sax NG, someone said his bottle of Tarnex was labelled for use on both sterling silver and silver plate. Maybe there are different formulations. At any rate, I stick to the milder formulas such as Wright's.
I only use silver polish when I have all the keys off the instrument, preferably with the pads removed. Silver polish must be rinsed off thoroughly or it will ruin the pads. To avoid tarnish building up again before I want a repad, I leave the clarinet in its closed case when I'm not playing (closing the case prevents new sulphur-laden air from circulating around the clarinet and also prevents Shadow Cat from taking out her girlish aggressions on her favorite enemy...) and leave a 3M anti-tarnish strip in the case. So far, the strips seem to work well, after two years. I'm making a habit of replacing the strips once a year, on New Year's (easy date to remember).
beejay wrote:
-------------------------------
Once you've got tarnish, how do you get rid of it?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
