[TPIN] Re: lacquer stripping

[Allegro69]

>
> Message: 7
> Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2007 12:41:15 -0500
> From: "David Douglas" <dsdouglas at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [TPIN] Re: lacquer stripping
> To: tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
> Message-ID: <200701141241150703.00BDE6DE at smtp.comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
>
> Regarding lacquer stripping, it should be noted that older instuments
often have a nitrocellulose lacquer that is relatively easy to strip, and
newer ones  (say post 1960s?) can have an epoxy lacquer that is very durable
but a bear to get off, even with solutions designed to do that.
>
> Dave Douglas
> Classical trumpet/cornet

While chemicals can strip the lacquer off horns, horn restorers would also
resort to using the buffing wheel to strip lacquer as well as using it to
polish the horn before relacquering. The wheel is effective, but by the same
token can be hazardous for the instrument. Quite logically, there's only so
many times that this can be done before swiping the horn with the wheel
starts to thin down and weaken the horn's metal where pin hole leaks will
begin to show. Most vulnerable is the 2nd valve knuckle where a pin hole is
most likely to appear. It's a joy to have a decrepit horn brought back to
it's original beauty, but there presents potential risks. Maybe rather than
having the horn stripped, polished, and relacquered which will have to be
done again later at a greater risk than before, have the horn silver or gold
plated to reduce the need of having it beautified subsequent times. Better
yet, let the horn alone altogether and let it look aged, funky, and well
traveled. It's sort of like giving the instrument a red badge of courage.
BOB