 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2022-04-20 19:53
I noticed since moving from Washington DC to Maine that the German silver keys of my vintage clarinets are all rusting. In DC we had central air, which I think kept the interior drier during summer, whereas in Maine (until recently) A/C of any sort was unheard of.
It's stressful for me because of the number of instruments I have. I just do xxxx steel wool being super-careful with the pads and the debris. Silver polish doesn't touch it.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2022-04-20 20:08
Attachment: B4ABE376-DB15-4BE4-9D35-49F564D055A1.jpeg (1263k)
Not really much you can do to prevent it. I definitely wouldn’t use steel wool though, that will wear down the keys fast. Personally I just leave it an enjoy the patina. In the sax world raw brass instruments are praised for the beautiful patina they develop. It’s a shame clarinetists don’t feel the same way, I love the soft golden color of tarnished nickel silver.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: hans
Date: 2022-04-21 07:06
Bill,
Steel wool sheds small particles. Maybe you could try stainless steel polish instead?
Regards,
Hans
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2022-04-21 22:34
Hi Bill,
I grew up in the West of Scotland which is similarly very humid, and cars used to rust very fast there too, so that the body work got destroyed in a very short time. Might it be worth having one room in your house where you control the humidity to keep your instrument safe?
The air is very dry where I am and we use a humidifier to keep the humidity up a bit.
Jen
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2022-04-21 22:37
Some years ago I got a set of 19th century C. Kruspe clarinets. The German silver keys were heavily corroded (I wouldn't call it rust but dezincification; the copper and zinc components of German silver separate on the surface under atmospheric conditions). I used rotating brass brushes on a Dremel or Proxxon tool and got quite a smooth surface without bruises. But be careful and wear glasses:The brass bristles tend to fly off and are not easily removed from the eye.
(Sorry, I missed attaching pictures here; see next posting)
Post Edited (2022-04-21 23:25)
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2022-04-23 11:08
Hi Bill,
I just found this online:
https://cimcim.mini.icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/01/The_Care_of_Historic_Musical_Instruments_small.pdf
It has a bunch of information about coping with environmental factors in the long term care of older instruments.
The good bit is under the heading: "Strategies for Environmental Control
Relative Humidity and Temperature "
Post Edited (2022-04-23 11:08)
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