| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
cheiden
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 8911
Location: Orange County, CA
|
 Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:33 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| Beyond16 wrote: | | The other day, I poured a pint or so of concentrated bleach down the mouthpipe of my tuba. I then pressed all 3 valves and blew it through. Then I rinsed with the water hose on the mouthpipe, letting several gallons flow with the valves pressed and also working them. No more musty smell. It sounds extreme, but the result seems good. |
In high school a friend intended to soak his silver-plated mouthpiece in alcohol but instead accidentally left the piece in a cup of bleach for hours. When he came back the silver finish had turned a deep unpleasant purple-ish shade that wouldn't buff out. I took it to the chemistry teacher who looked up the likely reaction and he then told what solution would reverse it. In this case it was a mild acid. A little while later the piece was a nice shiny silver again.
_________________
"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Jason Rogers
Veteran Member
Joined: 25 Nov 2021
Posts: 101
Location: Salisbury, MD
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:37 am Post subject: sterilizing a horn after covid |
|
|
Wow.... lots of interesting answers here...but least we forget an extremely quick and easy solution to sterilizing a brass instrument that we all should be carrying around in the instrument case...valve oil?
Maintain controlling the bacteria inside the tubing of your instrument by regularly dropping valve oil down the leadpipe and blowing it all the way through.
I will never forget having to borrow an instrument in college just before a concert because mine was producing a strange internal vibration sound...it was a length of crud flapping inside of the tubing ...as I discovered later while cleaning!!!
Keep your instruments clean...you will always be amazed at how well the response is!!!
_________________
Martin Committee 1954
Benge
Bach Stradivarius
Schilke
Getzen |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kehaulani
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 9003
Location: Hawai`i - Texas
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 9:00 am Post subject: Re: sterilizing a horn after covid |
|
|
| Jason Rogers wrote: | | I will never forget having to borrow an instrument in college just before a concert because mine was producing a strange internal vibration sound...it was a length of crud flapping inside of the tubing ...as I discovered later while cleaning!!! |
An aside, I had a friend who kept getting a metallic vibration from his cornet while on a concert band tour. First couple of nights went by and he couldn't figure it out.
One night he rested his cornet a little too hard on his leg and a "church key" fell out. 
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird
Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
adagiotrumpet
Heavyweight Member
Joined: 31 May 2006
Posts: 903
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 9:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="Brassnose"]Materials chemist here. When blowing through the horn afterwards, you only need to inhale a little bit of bleach- or acid-loaded air and you’re in trouble. This also goes for isopropyl alcohol - not good for you (mind you, IPA is not ethanol - related but different compound. You can’t drink IPA).]
Are you suggesting that using isopropyl alcohol with Spitballs or the Blowdry System is not a good idea? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
