 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Eb
Date: 2001-03-11 01:39
I would like to know exactly what the 3M tarnishing strips are for, and how to use them. Any help would be appreciated. I found that a tic-tac box, with a sponge in it, with moisture creates at great dampit. Just leave the top open! Thanks for all the help in advance!
~Thanks~
~Eb
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2001-03-11 02:14
The strips contain a chemical that absorbs contaminants in the air that tarnish silver plate. Placing one in the instrument case helps keep silver plated keys from tarnishing. They need to be replaced every six months. They also work well for unplated nickel silver keys found on older instruments. For a humidifier I use a something found at pipe shops. It is a ceramic material that pipe smokers place in the tops of their humidors (glass containers for pipe tobacco). The cermamic aborbs water and releases it slowly. No need to worry about a sponge or water getting everywhere in the case. I just wet it, let it absorb water, and place it in the case away from the clarinet. I quit smoking a pipe about 10 years ago after watching a dear friend of mine die from lung cancer. These are the only things I didn't throw away. The humidors are great places to store open boxes of reeds also!
John
John
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2001-03-11 11:14
Bill,
Mine are round and are (were) glued to the lid. It doesn't matter about which side being up or down. The neat thing about this material, and I'm not sure exactly what it is, is that it will absorb water and yet be dry to the touch. Wet it every few days and forget it.
John
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-03-11 11:27
John,
I was referring to the 3M strips, and I think you are referring to the humidifier. Correct?
Bill
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Author: Ginny
Date: 2001-03-11 19:36
I found that the 3M tarnishing strip did not keep my keys from tarnishing (although its still in my case.) What really helped was to keep my mouthpiece and swab outside the case. My corrosive saliva!
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-03-12 11:54
Ginny, hard rubber mouthpieces contain a good dose of sulphur, which is the prime tarnishing agent for silver. Old mouthpieces probably give off significant sulphur because they smell and taste bad. So your saliva may be OK after all. Wool (& wool felt) also contains sulphur, but surely your swab is not wool. Onions do too. Hmm!
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Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-03-12 17:42
Ginny and all:
Keeping one of the older instruments shimmy is, indeed, a problem. Wiping them off after each time you play with a clean dry cloth really helps, but some of them will never polish and shine like the newer ones because of the metal content. They are also sometimes called "German" silver, and have a tendency to turn rather brown over the years. I haven't found anything that could really make them shine except a repair shop after an overahul.
Bob Curtis
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-03-12 18:24
Bob Curtis wrote:
>
> Ginny and all:
>
> Keeping one of the older instruments shimmy is, indeed, a
> problem. Wiping them off after each time you play with a clean
> dry cloth really helps, but some of them will never polish and
> shine like the newer ones because of the metal content. They
> are also sometimes called "German" silver, and have a tendency
> to turn rather brown over the years. I haven't found anything
> that could really make them shine except a repair shop after an
> overahul.
"German silver" has no silver content. It is a nickel alloy. Nickel alloys, whether German silver or nickel plating, tarnish brown. However the reactivity of nickel is so much lower than silver that it takes a relatively long time. If moderately taken care of and/or moderate care is used in its storage, it can be decades before nickel alloys start to get brown spots. This is quite a contrast to silver, which starts to tarnish in weeks or months depending on the environment.
German silver never is super shiny like silver plating or nickel plating. It tends to have a very soft shine. Personally I consider it very nice looking but can see where it would appear dull to someone who prefers the shinier look of the nickel or silver plating.
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2001-03-12 18:27
Bill: It doesn't matter with the strips or the humidifier.
Dee: You are correct about the nickel silver, but I've found that the 3M strips help keep the raw nickel silver from getting that brownish tinge that it takes on after awhile.
John
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