Posted by lacquer lacky on February 11, 2002 at 22:42:32:
In Reply to: how to get brass sousa to look shinier posted by young tuba stud on February 11, 2002 at 21:03:52:
1/ Get a grown-up to help.
2/ Have a grown-up buy a small amount of paint solvent and some brasso.
3/ Go to your music store and ask them to order you a can of aerosol Nikolas clear lacquer, and a good silver polishing cloth. (A blue-colored "Glo-Cloth" is a good one.)
4/a/ Shine up the brown spot(s) on the sousaphone with brasso.
b/ Gently clean all traces of the Brasso off of the area with solvent and a very soft cloth.
c/ Go over the area with a silver polishing cloth to get rid of the milky look caused by the solvent.
5/ *Spray on the clear lacquer. Spray enough to cover smooth and shiny, but not too much to run. Go back and add about three more coats in the same way. Let each coat dry about 1/2 - 1 hour before adding the next coat.
*If it is very humid where you are, heat up the area prior to each coat (using a butane torch perhaps...remember the GROWN-UP !!!) by gently brushing a flame over the area until it is heated up just a little too hot to touch. This will help prevent "blushing". (The lacquer won't turn white due to water vapor in the air if you heat up the area first.)
6/ Enjoy.