 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Flutegurl
Date: 2000-08-11 03:53
Hi,
Last week, while I was getting my flute worked on, my repair tech. suggessted that I clean my flute with rubbing alcohol. Has anyone heard of that ? I currently just use a jewerly polishing cloth, and it works fine. What is everyone's opinion on using alcohol ? Thanks !
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-08-11 05:38
I do not use alcohol.
1)I usually wipe out hand oil or sweat by my hi-tech polishing cloth by Muramatsu. This cloth has very minute texture and can wipe out very small(micron order)particles.
I think this is made by Japanese texture maker Klare but other manufacturers also sells same kind of hi-tech cloths.They are typically avaible at spectacles or binocular shops. (I do not know they sell at jewely shops.)
These cloths can be re-used after washing.
2)Above is almost enough. But during long use some part becomes tarnished. Blacky tarnish comes out. Then I use
Hagarty silver polishing cloth. This includes chemical to wipe out oxidized silver such as (Ag)2Zn. But I do not do this often. Once a year at most. Maybe this treatment corresponds to alcohol treatment. But silver tarnish cannot be removed cleanly by alcohol.
p.s. There is 3M(Three-M)'s Anti Silver tarnising strip to prevent silver oxidaization(tarnishing) by putting it in your flute (or clarinet) box.
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Author: Flutegurl
Date: 2000-08-11 17:53
Hiroshi - I use Hagarty silver polishing cloth on my flute about once every 3 months, or when it just needs an extra shine.
Do the 3M tarnish strips really work ?
Thanks for your responce !
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-08-12 21:20
Flutegurl wrote:
Do the 3M tarnish strips really work ?
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I've been using 3M tarnish strips for about two years now. So far, they've done a very good job of preventing tarnish, which certainly would have shown up by now otherwise. I havent had to polish anything after the first cleaning, since I've been using the strips. I use half a strip in a case with a clarinet or a whole strip with an alto or tenor sax (mine are silver plated). My bass sax gets *two* strips.
The instructions mention to keep air away from the silver. Since I keep my instruments in the cases and the cases closed up when I'm not playing (to prevent Shadowy Forces from getting at them...), the strips work well for me, but they won't work on instruments left exposed to the air. The idea of the strips is that they soak up the sulfur out of the air, but that won't work if the air is continuously being renewed.
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