Posted by Chuck(G) on November 20, 2002 at 17:10:33:
In Reply to: Seeking advice on protecting the shine posted by Erica on November 20, 2002 at 14:49:07:
Erica, your horn (at least the valve spatulas) seem to be nickel-plated. I can't tell about the body of the horn because the color didn't come through very well in the photo.
I don't believe that Jinbao makes any instruments plated in silver (they use the term "silver color" to hide this fact).
If this is a nickel instrument, go ahead and use a polish like Mr. Metal to remove the "haze". You can wear cotton gloves to avoid further tarnish (I've seen some St. Pete players do this) or you can just let the darned thing tarnish. The problem is that some people have a sensitivity to nickel and contact dermatitis can result.
If you tend to hold your horn in the same position, you might consider wrapping the contact places with a cloth or leather "guard". Another solution might be to clean the tarnished areas, carefully degrease them with something like acetone, then apply a couple of coats of air-dry lacquer (Nikolas makes some, as does VHT). This would at least give you a barrier between your skin and the metal. You may need to renew it every so often as it wears away, but it'd keep things looking nice.
Just a little brainstorming on my part...