Best way to clean bell of calcified spit drips?

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Basie1955
Posts: 91
Joined: May 15, 2018

by Basie1955 »

I’ve got a 3B SS with the gold washed bell and

need to clean up the dried and calcified moisture, spit, whatever

that runs through the bell. Should be wiping down the horn after each playing but…

Little white spots. What’s safe and effective and won’t ruin

the lacquer?

Of course not just for SS but all my horns - brass bells too- could use

a polishing.

Thanks

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hwlentz
Posts: 56
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by hwlentz »

I’ve successfully used furniture polish - Pledge specifically.
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OneTon
Posts: 757
Joined: Nov 02, 2021

by OneTon »

Have you tried soaking it overnight in a bathtub with Dawn dish soap? If the water is warm to begin with it should not be hotter than what a hand can be comfortably immersed in. Too hot a water temperature can cause lacquer to slough off. Cold water will work.
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hornbuilder
Posts: 1384
Joined: May 02, 2018

by hornbuilder »

Extended submersion in any solution, hot or cold, runs the risk of lacquer coming off. Especially if the lacquer is already compromised.

A furniture polish, as mentioned earlier, or, an amonia free glass cleaner should remove the marks. If you need something a little more aggressive, a mild solution of vinegar and water, applied with a damp, soft cloth, would remove the mineral deposits after a couple of applications.
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Posaunus
Posts: 5018
Joined: Mar 23, 2018

by Posaunus »

[quote="hornbuilder"]... an ammonia free glass cleaner should remove the marks. If you need something a little more aggressive, a mild solution of vinegar and water, applied with a damp, soft cloth, would remove the mineral deposits after a couple of applications.[/quote]

Just make sure you don't expose the brass or lacquer to ammonia - it's a finish-unfriendly combination!
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Basie1955
Posts: 91
Joined: May 15, 2018

by Basie1955 »

Big thanks for the help on this!

Basie
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Thrawn22
Posts: 1436
Joined: Sep 06, 2018

by Thrawn22 »

Pee on it.
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Basie1955
Posts: 91
Joined: May 15, 2018

by Basie1955 »

Thanks Thrawn,

That’s the very first thing I tried.

It worked great on a ‘36 Olds Self-Balancing.

Cleaned her right up. Didn’t work on any of my Conns.

Basie
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baileyman
Posts: 1169
Joined: Mar 24, 2018

by baileyman »

It's just calcium, so easy... Some vinegar on a rag should do it quickly. May want to rinse after.