 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clariman
Date: 2008-06-24 20:19
Hi All
Just found the solution for those mouthpieces that have turned green after cleaning them.
Just use 'T- Cut' a very fine abrasive solution used on car body works.
Very lightly rub the solution on the mouthpiece but AVOID the facing, it really comes up a treat !!
If you are unsure try a little on the back first.
Bob
ghigi@btinternet.com
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Author: beejay
Date: 2008-06-24 23:50
T-Cut is a petroleum product, so you wouldn't want to use it anywhere your lips come in contact. There's been a thread or two about this. Personally, I get good results with olive oil.
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Author: clariman
Date: 2008-06-25 05:20
I've tried olive oil, not a very good result !
T-Cut really does work, once used, clean the mouthpiece with a proper mouthpiece spray, that gets rid of the taste.
ghigi@btinternet.com
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Author: Alfred
Date: 2008-06-25 05:27
Uhm...Petroleum based?
No thanks. I'll stick with the olive oil.
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Author: NorbertTheParrot
Date: 2008-06-25 06:46
"T-Cut is a petroleum product, so you wouldn't want to use it anywhere your lips come in contact."
Vaseline is a petroleum product, and plenty of people put that on their lips, and many other parts of the body, without severe health consequences.
T-Cut may or may not be highly toxic, I've no idea, but its origins in petroleum are no reason to condemn it.
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Author: Merlin_Williams
Date: 2008-06-25 13:01
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works pretty well for removing the green, and it also can take care of nasty calcium deposits too.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2008-06-25 14:47
Just a warning to the uninitiated who might be tempted to try this out on an old mouthpiece (or a Lyrique clarinet  ). I notice that the instructions for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser say not to use it with chlorine bleach. To me, that suggests that the component that is turning the green back to black is probably ammonia. On this board, there has been some discussion of the use of ammonia for this purpose in the past. There has also been discussion of the use of chlorine bleach. Whatever product you use, please always heed the warning labels -- and never mix ammonia and chlorine.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2008-06-25 17:53
-- "T-Cut is a petroleum product, so you wouldn't want to use it anywhere your lips come in contact." --
But we're all happy to breath in lungfuls every day!
Steve
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Author: hans
Date: 2008-06-25 19:19
All petroleum products are not equal by any means, in terms of being potentially harmful. As noted above, we use vaseline on our lips, etc. It would be useful to know if "T-Cut" contains any aromatic petroleum products, which are believed to cause cancer.
Hans (retired oil refinery production planning manager)
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2008-06-25 22:20
Let me do a reality check.... Other than appearance, what's the problem?
It's my understanding that an old mouthpiece having a greenish color is most likely due to high sulfer content in the hard rubber formula and it's leeched out over time. Personally, I would never risk damaging a mouthpiece by using questionable treatments just for the sake of appearance.
What makes the most sense to me is to contact Omar Henderson (The Doctor) and see what he'd suggest for cases like this. I've gotten good results with his products and I've come to trust his research & views about clarinet maintenance.
Roger
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2008-06-25 22:24
Try tooth powder, the sort sold to clean up smokers teeth (do you have that in the USA). I've used it in the past and it does a reasonable job with no health risk.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2008-06-25 22:57
Clariman says:
T-Cut really does work, once used, clean the mouthpiece with a proper mouthpiece spray, that gets rid of the taste....
I say,
Whether or not it gets rid of the taste, you cannot be sure it removes any residence that may have soaked into the mouthpiece material. This is not Vaseline, which is petroleum jelly. It is a car paint cleaner intended to remove oxidation, road film and tar spots and containing volatile petroleum distillates.
The warning label on containers of T-Cut sold in Britain reads:
"Caution flammable. Contains petroleum distillates. Do not consume. If swallowed seek medical advice. Keep out of the reach of children."
I wouldn't want to put any in my mouth.
What's so bad about green mouthpieces anyway?
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Author: Tara
Date: 2008-06-26 02:41
I'm with Roger and beejay... who cares if it's a bit green??? Although mine is not, so I guess I wouldn't understand!
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2008-06-26 03:06
Removing the surface colored sulphur compounds will temporarily bring back the black undersurface but will remove some mouthpiece mass - probably won't make a difference though if you leave the table alone - but will not halt the migration of sulfur to further react at the surface. If you get it black and wax it and keep it out of sunlight and other insults such as the intitial treatment that turned it green it should stay black for a while. The ultimate trick is to turn the sulfur into a stable black sulfur compound which will inhibit further color changes much as oxides of some metals protect the surface from further oxidation (e.g. aluminum). This process also does not remove mass. If someone comes up with a simple and safe way to do this it will be wonderful but IME turning stable green or brown sulfur to stable black takes some strong chemical reactions that are not DIY.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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