How To De-Lacquer, Disinfect, Clean & Polish a Trumpet, Cornet, etc. 

Thank you so much, Jonathan ! Some of the hints especially those for the delaquering had been all new to me. For cleaning horns I use and recommend big washbasins (dishes /lavoirs) made of transparent medium - soft plastic in the size of app. 21x13x6 inches. If users dont find them in big home worker tool markets or just those of an unneccesary big heights, look for it in household - tupperware - etc. plastic stores, originally designed not for washing but as boxes for the "under the bed storage" of childrens toys etc. they come with removable covers (caps) and with removable small 1 inch plastic wheels . For our special use remove the covers and the (just inserted) wheels please and check -still in the shop- if the boxes would be constructed as beein watertight too . Those washing basins are comfortably flat - but high enough for trumpets , fluegelhorns etc. Plus they are soft plastic - ideal for the thin brass of our instrument (not for the enviroment, sadly...) You can use them on the floor of your bathroom or in the shower cabin. For desinfection I would rather go to my pharmacy and use the products they recommend for the desinfection of hands and wounds . They should be bought with or filled in a pumping spreader. I am not so very shure if using just such tooth hygienic listerine products alone really would have the power to remove some of the viruses too, but some of the tested products are doing just that - according to their writings on some products of the European parmacy industry. But nevertheless the tipp with the listerin is somewhat that could be used weekly. Trumpets fresh as my teeth. Thank You again Jonathan for so many useful and some new insider hints for our trumpet/ brass - passion.

Thx for posting Johathan. I just got synthetic valve oil for the '55 Olds Ambassador. They work great! Lucky, lucky.

So much info! Thanks for sharing your valve oil recomendations as well!

Some great information. Don't get too hung up on disinfecting a brass instrument. Brass is made of 80% copper. Copper is HIGHLY anti-microbial. Nothing bad lives very long (minutes) in a brass instrument. Decalcifying a horn with a chem flush is a good idea to remove the crusty that builds up. That stuff is the #1 cause of valves ceasing to function and locking slides in place.

Lamp wick works excellent for polishing.

Great stuff! Learned much - I de-lacquered a 50s Olds Ambassador trumpet about 20 yrs ago. I'll have to try Flitz on it. I love the older F.E. Olds horns. I have a 50s Ambassador cornet coming from online auction. Photos indicate much lacquer is gone & some light pink areas of mild dezincification on surface but no pitting. (doesn't look like red rot from interior). No major dents to the horn either. Have you removed dezincification from pipes/slides? If so, what did you use - or what process?

Thanks for all of the advise. You have a great head of hair by the way!

Hello Jonathan, after delacquering a horn how can you protect it from oxidation and rusting? Thank you!

Whats the benefit of relacquering your instrument after doing this and how can i do that

Thanks for putting this out! Some great content and humor here. I'm going to go get some Flitz and brush my teeth with it, Jonathan Milam said to do it... Have you ever attempted to re-lacquer a horn yourself? That could be a fun video if you have any 'beater' horns lying around.

Hi Jonathan, I really like the black look it had before you got rid of it on the horn. Is the black look something you think I can achieve at home whilst still having the horn be playable?

Thank you so much!

thanks

Am I able to delaquer a nickel plated trumpet

That's Oil of Oregano one drop in lead pipe, blow through

Getting the camera closer to the ingredients would be helped.

Your voice sounds like Harry caray lol