 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: KellyA
Date: 2005-12-06 04:36
I was wondering what is the equipment involved for buffing old tarnished keys? What do the pros use? I have an old buffet pre-R13 from 1937 and would like to refurbish it. It appears as though the keys are solid metal with no plating. I will be replacing the pads and a few springs on it. The clarinet still plays well, actually it sounds really nice. The corks are fried so I will replace them as well. Any advice is appreciated.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-12-06 12:36
Dremel tool with a wire brush....used judiciously.
Bob Draznik
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2005-12-06 13:02
A 4-way nail buffer file (ask the Missus). Start with an old kitchen spoon till you know how it works. Lesser brands are dirt cheap (from 1$ up).
I could remove a tarnishing at which the wire brush capitulated.
Can also be used to buff dented/scratched mouthpieces.
Related question: Any experience with colourless nail polish on exposed, quickly re-tarnishing (non-silver) keys (throat G# being a candidate)?
--
Ben
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2005-12-06 13:41
How tarnished? The above sound quite aggressive. Isn't chrome polish a better starting point? That'll buff up a mouthpiece, certainly.
(I've never tried polishing keywork - if chrome polish is a disaster, could someone let us know? Thanks!)
And it appears that rubber (ebonite) mouthpieces can tarnish keys - it's the sulphur, you know.
Post Edited (2005-12-06 13:47)
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2005-12-06 14:06
A cotton hand towel and a can of Brasso is all you really need. Keep the stinky fluid off the wood, cork, and pads, and have a ball!
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-12-06 16:08
In any case, whatever tool you use, remember to think **Safety First**. Eye protectection with any power tool, however small, is a very wise investment. Safety goggles are inexpensive and readily available in almost all tool departments everywhere and, at some time or another -- trust me on this -- the best insurance you'll ever be glad you used.
Work gloves also afford protection against friction burns. Especially if you plan to do larger objects in the future, get used to using gloves now.
I've used, and still do use at times, the Dremel gadget with felt buffing wheels quite successfully... without gloves, I might hastily add 
I, personally, wouldn't use wire (maybe brass wire juduciously on really tough spots). Of course, along with experience everyone develops their own methods and preferences. I like black or yellow compound as an 'all around' polish. Red rouge is wonderful for final polishing if you're really 'into it'. I also like to soak keys in Simple Green, half an hour of so, before buffing. Scrub the old oil and grease off with a toothbrush, dry and buff... gingerly, especially if the keys are plated.
The "trick of the trade" is to use restraint while "feeding" the piece carefully into just above (or just below) the center point of your wheel. You want to remove only the surface grunge while leaving as much metal intact as possible. Buff *away* from, not Into, sharp edges. You don't want to "round off" those nice, crisply sharp squared off and pointy parts.
I now use a double shaft motor with a two-inch extension and four-inch or six-inch buffing wheels. It makes short work of a batch or keys.
Most generally, on a slow day and for a one time task, I use Dave Spiegelthal's method of Brasso and elbow grease. Hold your nose and whistle while you work
- ron b -
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Author: cujo
Date: 2005-12-06 16:54
A wire brush sounds pretty harsh. The wire is stronger than silver or nickel so it will remove metal, leaving scratches. I would not even polish my mirror finish steel tools with a wire brush, I lightly use tripoli.
If it is silver plated an embedded polishing cloth will work, it reaches most places expect for a few tight spots. Very gentle and no machinery involved.
For nickel plated I use Ron B's method, with key buffing compund on a razor edge buff. A Dremel works too.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-12-06 21:46
Some random thoughts:
"A wire brush sounds pretty harsh. The wire is stronger than silver or nickel so it will remove metal, leaving scratches. I would not even polish my mirror finish steel tools with a wire brush, I lightly use tripoli.
I agree with Cuji regarding wire brushing. I wouldn't call it a buffing process. When it is aggressive enough to remove tarnish, it is uncontrolled and very likely to leave a myriad of visible scratches. If the bristles are brass and lying down, the best one can expect is burnishing, which does not remove tarnish.
How you go about buffing depends on the surface. The surface could be unplated cupro-nickel key alloy, or silver plating, or nickel plating.
With silver plating, doing the job by hand - "ragging" - is arguably better because it more controlled. Less risk of going right through the plating. Ragging strips are available from Ferrees. For silver I usually use a milder approach, with strips torn off a (Goddards) silver polishing cloth. Hold one end of the rag strip in the vice, hold the other and run the key up and down the rag. You can make your own ragging strips by adding Silvo (or Brasso for more aggressive action for non-silver surfaces), or similar, to cotton (not poly-cotton) cloth.
A fairly aggressive, motorised buff is normally needed for non-silver surfaces.
The Dremel people are clever. Using up those tiny buff mops is many times more expensive than using a 6 or 8" mop. And a lot less successful in operation.
A standard, non-industrial grade, 6" buffing machine is pretty cheap now, and it will not take long before you have covered its cost in the Dremel mops you don't use.
Even a Dremel mop has significant width. A 4" diameter, "razor-edge" mop (#R1) from Ferrees (or elsewhere?) can actually get in the nooks and crannies more easily than a Dremel buff, and works far more efficiently. It is great for doing posts and keys. For larger areas, a spiral sewn, 1/2" (wide), muslin buff is suitable. Felt is particularly poor for getting into the nooks and crannies.
I find the green buff-soap a good compromise. For metals other than silver, a more aggressive one such as Tripoli may be initially needed, or use a more aggressive type of mop, such as impregnated muslin, or one with concentric stitching. There are dozens of types of mop.
Use a different mop for each grade of buff soap so that the grits do not get mixed.
When using a buffing machine, hold the work VERY firmly, and cover the concrete floor with something softer in case you forget, and the key is thrown to the floor. It will happen sooner or later.
Sorry about this post discourteously doubling up on what others said. I was disorganised when I wrote most of it.
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Author: KellyA
Date: 2005-12-06 22:01
Thanks for the advice so far....what is a good source to get the actual buffing machine and wheel? is this something I can pick up at the hardware store?
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2005-12-06 23:29
Flitz metal polish with an discarded T-shirt works wonders.
The down side is that you must disassemble the instrument to do this properly - otherwise the residue of the polish (most of the liquids have a mild abrasive suspended in the solvent) will jam the works.
A toothbrush will be helpful to apply the stuff, too.
I have found Flitz to be particularly effective on silver plated keys, as well.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-12-07 03:13
"....what is a good source to get the actual buffing machine and wheel? is this something I can pick up at the hardware store?"
I can't speak for your country. I would suggest a comprehensive hardware store, a machinery specialist (Yellow pages?) , or look in Yellow pages for electroplating supplies?
Flitz: I think Flitz makes several polishes. Any polish that claims to do nickel or stainless steel has abrasive in it that is far too harsh for silver. It will quite quickly chew through thin silver plating, because silver is very soft. This is the case with the tube of Flitz that I have.
For silver plating, use a silver polish that is formulated especially for silver and possibly gold, unless you need to remove as much as possible in as short a time as possible, in spite of the consequences.
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