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Raw Brass Alergy!!!!


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eddierdiaz
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Joined: 17 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:10 am    Post subject: Raw Brass Alergy!!!! Reply with quote

Hiya,
I own a Calicchio 3/9 reversed. Is a great horn but it happens to be raw brass (wich I personally love). I think I'm getting alergia to it because of the contact and I don't really know what to do...sell it and buy another horn, gold plate it, take it somewhere and plate it???.
I went to the doctor and told me it looks to be an alergia I'm having the test done next week, has some one had this experience before??... It affects my lips and it's horrible, any suggestions. Thankx
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radtrumpet.com
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just commented about this not to long ago. I have a bad reaction to raw brass as well....it really makes me sick!!!!...if I touch raw brass and happen to wipe my lips off or anything....big trouble.
I would just get the horn clear laquered....that way it looks like raw brass...it probably won't change the playing characteristics of the horn...and you won't suffer.
I once tried one of those non plated Taylor mouthpieces and got really sick from it....this was before I knew I was having reactions to the brass.
hope this helps,
Rob
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lmf
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:20 am    Post subject: Raw brass Reply with quote

Hi,

If the doctor is called it should tell you that your days on raw brass may be coming to an end.

Perhaps, you should go for the silverplate or gold! Certainly you should plate the horn and the mouthpieces you use to stop the danger the allergy presents to your health .

If you can't play because of the allegy which affects your lips, it must be miserable and playing the horn only causes further damage.

Do you feel the horn is worth saving? You could always trade it in or sell it, but I suspect you have a fondness for the horn. You could probably find another person that likes raw brass, but then again you might not.

If I really liked the horn, I'd plate the finish and keep in for myself!

Best wishes!
Lloyd


Last edited by lmf on Sat Jun 16, 2007 1:58 am; edited 1 time in total
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Don Herman rev2
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Raw brass is poisonous. Some people are less sensitive to it than others, but the effects are cumulative. It is also dangerous, leading to liver and kidney problems. Some people poo-poo this, but it sounds like you have personal knowledge.

I would get the horn silver plated; the difference in sound should be minor, but your comfort level (and safety factor) will be much higher.

In the meantime, wearing light gloves should help.

HTH - Don
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ConnCoprion
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What you could do...is just get the valve section gold lacquered, and leave the rest. I doubt that you handle the rest of the horn as much as you do the valves...this way you could retain the look and sound of the raw brass...w/out having to touch it....just my piddly 2 cents worth...
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bkonstans1
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of my buds who plays trombone has this problem. Yeh, get the horn laquered if you like the brass, or silver or gold plate it @ Andersons.
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bachstrad72
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could also get everything but the bell and maybe the leadpipe plated
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dales
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Olds Ambassadors that are 35+ years old are often recommended as the best student trumpets, and many of us have bought, sold, and tinkered with them with the idea of passing them on to young students. The lacquer on these horns have usually worn off, however, and it's not cost-effective to re-plate them without taking a financial hit. With that in mind, should we avoid giving these horns to students?
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trpt.hick
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you love the raw brass, maybe you could get just the areas that your hands touch spot lacquered?
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lmf
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:14 am    Post subject: Raw Brass Reply with quote

Hi,

I was just thinking! Raw brass is deadly over time.

Maybe that is the reason people who work at the brass instrument factories should be compensated fairly as they have to work around the stuff that is dangerous!

Someone should be telling that to Conn-Selmer!

Best wishes!

Lloyd
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cameron24reeves
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aw man. Hope this got sorted out!
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multiphonic
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cameron24reeves wrote:
Aw man. Hope this got sorted out!


13 year old thread...
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Crazy Finn
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

New poster with 5 posts... wonder what that's about.....
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HERMOKIWI
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If it was 50 posts to be able to list something in the marketplace we'd be looking at 50 worthless posts instead of 5 worthless posts. So, keeping the minimum at 5 does have its advantages to those of us who want to participate in the discussions.
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LittleRusty
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 5:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

HERMOKIWI wrote:
If it was 50 posts to be able to list something in the marketplace we'd be looking at 50 worthless posts instead of 5 worthless posts. So, keeping the minimum at 5 does have its advantages to those of us who want to participate in the discussions.

One also needs to take into account the people who complain e v e r y time we get a new member with five or fewer posts.

And then those people who complain about the complainers.

Seriously, in the grand scheme a few inane posts are not a big deal. Much better than having scammers and spammers in my opinion.
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khedger
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can somebody post a link to info verifying that raw brass is poisonous? I've read that it's only harmful if one is allergic or if it absorbed through open sores or cuts, and that the absorption rate is very low.

So, does anybody know the real skinny?

keith
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stumac
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A search of the British Medical Journal I did a while ago only gave one case of suspected Brass Poisoning among workers at a brass foundry before WW1.

I have played on raw brass horns for years, I keep them clean and waxed with a car polish, at 82 I don't think I have had Brass Poisoning.

Regards, Stuart.
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Don Herman rev2
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2020 5:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Google the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for brass or just search for health studies. It is a long-term thing so up to you to decide. I have some handouts from my doctor ages ago but have no hope of finding them and TH is not a medical forum.

Speeding works great until you crash.
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multiphonic
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2020 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C31&q=brass+toxicity&btnG=

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C31&q=brass+poisoning&btnG=

Look for research re: occupational (e.g., dermal) exposure to brass, copper or zinc. It might be difficult to find studies isolating impacts of dermal exposure from inhalation or ingestion.

Anecdotally...

I have a raw brass natural trumpet that I must handle with gloves. Without gloves, I develop tingling in my hands after several minutes of handling. With gloves, no tingling. I also reacted to the raw brass mouthpiece and had to have it silver-plated. No rash or itching in either case. Allergy? Poisoning? I don't know.
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blbaumgarn
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2020 10:29 pm    Post subject: Raw brass allergy!! Reply with quote

I have been fortunate to not react to any horn that I ever played, some laquered and most silver finished. when I was finally tested for allergies the Dr. said I fell into the top 2% of all allergic people in the country. What he told me about life and aging and life changes was that we can kind of go in and out of our reaction to substances (like a finish or raw brass). The trombone professor when I went to college had to wear cotton gloves to play ,but that helped him and allowed him to play. Whatever folks, see a doctor if you need to and take their advise. There are most likely ways to keep playing if you react to raw brass or a specific finish
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