Tech/maintenance Protection against Verdigris?

[Freddie]

I live in the tropics, so quite high humidity year round.

I’m basically scraping & lemon juicing verdigris weekly.

I tried wiping over with oil, but found the horn virtually unplayable! Too slippery!!

Are there any products or tips that could help?

I keep several silicon sachets in the case, but they make little, if any noticeable difference.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

Was advised, long ago, by one of Coltrane's buddies, to strip the horn and carefully use paste wax or Ren Wax.
Cruise Ship Ready, were his words.
I would play test his saxes, after he got them repaired.
The difference between walking fast in the Summertime, in Arizona and Key Largo,
AZ, your skin burns off.
KL, sauna fun.

Funny pic near the house,
Look carefully.

 

[turf3]

Epoxy lacquer
Polyurethane lacquer
Heavy plating - silver or nickel.

All this wax stuff (strip the horn and apply wax) is basically just signing up for heavy maintenance in perpetuity.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

Ren Wax, applied properly, is a very thin layer, compared to paste wax.
I would not use paste wax.

 

[Freddie]

Was advised, long ago, by one of Coltrane's buddies, to strip the horn and carefully use paste wax or Ren Wax.
Cruise Ship Ready, were his words.
I would play test his saxes, after he got them repaired.
The difference between walking fast in the Summertime, in Arizona and Key Largo,
AZ, your skin burns off.
KL, sauna fun.

Funny pic near the house,
Look carefully.View attachment 28452

Thanks I’ll try to ship some in.

Epoxy lacquer
Polyurethane lacquer
Heavy plating - silver or nickel.

All this wax stuff (strip the horn and apply wax) is basically just signing up for heavy maintenance in perpetuity.

I get where you’re coming from & it may be my best option.
But it’s a vintage horn & I rather like the look as is. With less green!

 

[skeller047]

You might give Lemon Pledge a try. The spray on stuff. I would remove the keys, and use a cloth to apply, a thin strip so you can get between the posts and under the springs. Also apply to the keys. It won’t hurt the pads. It doesn’t build up like paste wax.

I lived on a boat in a salt water marina for a while, and currently live 100 yards (meters..) from the ocean. Pledge is quite good.

 

[Freddie]

You might give Lemon Pledge a try. The spray on stuff. I would remove the keys, and use a cloth to apply, a thin strip so you can get between the posts and under the springs. Also apply to the keys. It won’t hurt the pads. It doesn’t build up like paste wax.

I lived on a boat in a salt water marina for a while, and currently live 100 yards (meters..) from the ocean. Pledge is quite good.

Thanks, Ive tried pledge, it didn’t seem to do anything.
However it wasn’t Lemon, not much choice in the Grenadines.

 

[turf3]

Pledge is just wax and lemon oil.

Both waxes and oils are pervious to oxygen and water vapor. Any bare metal you're trying to protect with oil or wax WILL oxidize and you'll be faced with perpetual maintenance.

Just have the thing stripped down, polished, and either lacquered (using epoxy or polyurethane) or plated. Or accept lots of verdigris and red corrosion on your hands. And clothes. Don't ask me how I know that both red and green brass corrosion will permanently stain a white dress shirt in the most obvious place possible.

 

[skeller047]

Don't ask me how I know that both red and green brass corrosion will permanently stain a white dress shirt in the most obvious place possible.

At least it’s better than trousers…

 

[TobyB]

My grandfather lived on the beach (almost literally) and used a lot of WD-40.
It seemed to help.

t
Rost off, corroseal and fluid film...

 

[PiccoloPirate]

I wouldn't strip the entire horn at first,
just clean off what is reachable, then try the RenWax. Very thin coat, wait a few minutes, wipe with micro fiber cloth, wait five minutes, and do it again. Wait until the next day, and one more coat.
Did I say very thin layers? 🧐

 

[turf3]

At least it’s better than trousers…

white trousers and I are not friends. First of all I'm overweight and I don't need my pants making me look more so; secondly if I were to put on a pair of white pants there would be a permanent stain before I even got my belt on.

 

[Freddie]

Pledge is just wax and lemon oil.

Both waxes and oils are pervious to oxygen and water vapor. Any bare metal you're trying to protect with oil or wax WILL oxidize and you'll be faced with perpetual maintenance.

Just have the thing stripped down, polished, and either lacquered (using epoxy or polyurethane) or plated. Or accept lots of verdigris and red corrosion on your hands. And clothes. Don't ask me how I know that both red and green brass corrosion will permanently stain a white dress shirt in the most obvious place possible.

Thanks for the tip, but there’s no one inside a long haul flight that could do the job and shipping is more than it’s worth.

My grandfather lived on the beach (almost literally) and used a lot of WD-40.
It seemed to help.

t
Rost off, corroseal and fluid film...

Of those, only WD-40 is available here. But back to an oil. The horn is like holding a bar of wet soap!

 

[LostCircuits]

Okay, based on the visuals you just conjured up I made you a new avatar, hope you like it!

 

[Colin the Bear]

Hammerite?

 

[Freddie]

Hammerite?

Helpful, thanks!

 

[Woodpad]

There is also hammerite non ferro primer.

As your main problem is a too high relative humidity maybe a trick from papua new genua might help. For equipment not made for high humidity they used good closing closets in which a 15W lightbulb burned all the time. The elevated temperature brought down the relatve humidity. If it goes down too much it will dry out you pads,

As a side intrest, can you tell us how difficult it is to keep your pads in good condition? Any tips for mould control?

 

[Freddie]

There is also hammerite non ferro primer.

As your main problem is a too high relative humidity maybe a trick from papua new genua might help. For equipment not made for high humidity they used good closing closets in which a 15W lightbulb burned all the time. The elevated temperature brought down the relatve humidity. If it goes down too much it will dry out you pads,

As a side intrest, can you tell us how difficult it is to keep your pads in good condition? Any tips for mould control?

Living on a yacht, means the drying closet idea is not really doable.

I’ve only had horns for 3 years, but no issue with moldy pads. I do however wipe all the pads with a micro fiber cloth that I spritz a little rubbing alcohol on to. The closed pads get an occasional cigarette paper between pad & tone hole. I spritz the reed immediately after use, too.

 

[Woodpad]

Living on a yacht, means the drying closet idea is not really doable.

I’ve only had horns for 3 years, but no issue with moldy pads. I do however wipe all the pads with a micro fiber cloth that I spritz a little rubbing alcohol on to. The closed pads get an occasional cigarette paper between pad & tone hole. I spritz the reed immediately after use, too.

Living on a yacht means high moisture levels in the air, In combination with salt water it is perfect to grow verdigris. The usual nautical solution is to laquer the bare metal. It is a good idea to whipe the pads with some alcohol to kill molds. It might take away some oil from the pads which can be refilled by periodical treatment with a small amount of naphta.





it

 

[Freddie]

Living on a yacht means high moisture levels in the air, In combination with salt water it is perfect to grow verdigris. The usual nautical solution is to laquer the bare metal. It is a good idea to whipe the pads with some alcohol to kill molds. It might take away some oil from the pads which can be refilled by periodical treatment with a small amount of naphta.





it

Guess it’s touching in with laquer.
Can’t find any lighter fluid out here.
So many things one expects to see readily available, are not.