 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Benny
Date: 2001-12-02 02:49
Hello
Will using a Selmer polishing cloth for lacquered finishes do any harm to silver R-13 keys? I know there are some kinds of cloths that are no good but I don't remember if this is one of them. Thanks
Benny
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Author: Benny
Date: 2001-12-02 16:11
It gets any acid from your fingers off the keys so it does not eat away at or tarnish the plating. Some kinds of cloths will actually remove some of the silver.
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2001-12-02 21:35
Go to Wal-Mart and get a package of their 100% flannel cloths that they sell bundled 10 for $3.99 or so. Then get some Haggerty's in the aersol can. I can find Haggerty spray at jewelry stores and a local Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Spray a cloth lightly and let it dry.....use for a year or so and then spray another flannel cloth. Initial expense might be more than a polish cloth but for an individual you should get several years out of the combination.
jbutler
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Author: laurie
Date: 2001-12-02 22:38
JButler - Can I just use the haggerty's silver polish cloth ? or is that bad ?
laurie
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2001-12-03 11:38
Laurie,
Not on Buffet, Silver plate is thin! Use something very mild. I would just use a plain flannel cloth and keep a 3M anti tarnish strip in the case. Change strip every 4-6 months.
John
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Author: Robert Gifford
Date: 2001-12-04 01:34
I dunno, I have a R-13 Vintage, and I use these silver polishing cloths from Mars called "Glo Cloth," They are like $1.99 each and the do wonders.
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Author: laur
Date: 2001-12-04 02:29
Isn't the haggarty's spray more abrasive and harmful then than an old worn away silver cloth ?
laurie
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-12-04 10:52
Fine sand abrasive that is is in the air, and therefore on our instruments and fingers, is possibly far more abrasive than the very mild abrasive in a silver cloth from a REPUTABLE maker, and judging from previous threads that probably excludes cloths supplied by the top instrumnet makers!
Previous threads included Omar Henderson's reports on course, scratching, abrasive particles being included with the fine in low quality polishing agents. Do a search.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2001-12-04 13:21
It would be impossible to rate all the silver cleaning cloths because of the cross-branding and cheap introductions. As indicated in an earlier post, basically you pay for what you get in the quality of the cloth, and several brands have been used on fine silver (including the Queen's and White House antique silver collections) for a couple hundred years with good results. The quality of the cloth depends on the average particle size of the rouge (abrasive polishing grit) and the distribution (especially the larger particles which are more abrasive and can cause scratching). The finer the particle and the tighter distribution of particles the more expensive the polishing rouge and therefore the cost to make the polishing cloth. In some experiments that I conducted using a fine silver polishing cloth and a couple of comparison cloths (one branded by a famous instrument manufacturer), there was definate fine scratching (as viewed under a wide field microscope) left on a virgin piece of sterling silver using the various cloths. Only the fine silver cloth from a traditional fine silver company left the surface free of visable scratching and therefore lower abrasion and wearing down of the silver plating.
There is a reasonable discussion of silver care - do's and don'ts - at >http://www.silversmithing.com/care.htm#Cleaning Silver< by the American Silversmiths Guild. I do not endorse or sell any of the products listed but the short discussion will give you some ideas - especially washing your keys with a non-phosphate containing detergent and keeping all sulphur producing materials away from silver.
I believe in being frugal in spending and substituting home brew or generic equivalent products where possible, but in some cases the best products, containing the best ingredients, just cost more and are a tiny fraction of the total cost of music making.
The Doctor
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