Lacquer stripping: results

[arpthark]

Tried a couple things this past week to strip modern epoxy lacquer:

First, I tried the things I had on hand -- EZ Off oven cleaner extra strength, and a several-years-old can of Aircraft Remover that was made before they removed the methyl-whatever chemicals.

EZ Off: did absolutely nothing except turn the already-exposed brass black (which buffed out fine)

Aircraft Remover: left it on for several minutes; did almost nothing except make the lacquer somewhat hazy/milky. A couple patches did flake off. I have had much better results using this can of Aircraft Remover on old nitrocellulose lacquer.

So, I ponied up for the Ferree's orange gel paint-on stuff (btw, this stuff is nasty, and dissolved the cup I was using to hold it!). This worked way better and was very quick. It is like $11/qt. at Ferree's. Is there a generic/commercial version of this available that doesn't have the Ferree's markup?

I need to refine my methods, and probably created an area of ecological concern, but I tried to rinse and flush/dilute everything very well with plenty of water. I didn't realize this stuff was so reactive with plastics. I had a spare foam paintbrush on hand which I used to apply it, which also ended up melting halfway through the job, and the plastic cup I was using to hold the stuff also disintegrated (not while I was holding it, thankfully). I did wear protective gear, shoes/pants/gloves and did everything outside.

Fun stuff. Thinking about getting a couple other bottles of the gel (and I reiterate: is this available cheaper anywhere?) and removing some Eastlake Orange from a King 2341 whenever my pending trade for that tuba is finalized.

[bloke]

Yeah, I purchase real stripper these days from a commercial supplier. If anyone is heading from Chicago to here and would like to pick up my next batch for me, I'll offer half the amount that it costs to ship. I don't think it will be worth your while, unless you're coming here anyway for me to work on your instruments.

$11 a quart - considering that our money is worth about half or a third of what it was prior to the inauguration - is not a terrible price. The thing is to only use as much as you need to use and then maybe even take your big ugly black thick rubber glove and try to coax as much of it as you can back into the container when you're done.

hyperinflation anecdotal non sequitur:
The only brand of pork rinds (that is actually good) now costs $5 for one of those large bags at Walmart, including sales tax. Before the inauguration, I think they were about $1.39

I really don't feel like I can spend $50 to $150 for a Hanks belt to hold my pants up. Walmart had some actual solid leather ones, but - even though they are solid leather - they tend to warp. Prior to the inauguration, those were $4.50 and now they are $16. I hung it back up on the rack and walked away.

[MiBrassFS]

I was just hankerin’ for some rinds. What brand/variety do you like a WallyWorld?

[bloke]

Mac's !

[Grumpikins]

I recently acquired an old euph that really just needed a good cleaning. I had pulled all the slides and put them in a bucket with dollar store calcium, lime and rust remover with 50/50 water. I accidentally left them overnight and quite a bit of the lacquer dissolved away. If left longer, I'm sure it all would have come off. Not sure what laqcer it was. The horn is a 1960s olds. Maybe try that....

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[bloke]

Buy real lacquer stripper.
It's still available from commercial suppliers, as long as they're willing to sell it to you.

[Grumpikins]

Here's what the slides look like after the accidental overnight soaking. Big difference. Oh well. Doing a whole horn this way though would be a pain in the rear. Going with real stripper for a whole horn probably is quicker and cheaper in that respect. And again, I dont know what type of coating was on this horn either.

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[bloke]

I see some stuff on there that looks like Reynolds.

Very late Reynolds probably had epoxy lacquer. Earlier had nitrocellulose.

"Real" (not that crap that is now sold in stores) stripper will get rid of either.

Heavy-bodied (if a choice) is easier for someone who doesn't have a sprayer/filter/recycle system.

[Mary Ann]

I really don't feel like I can spend $50 to $150 for a Hanks belt to hold my pants up. Walmart had some actual solid leather ones, but - even though they are solid leather - they tend to warp. Prior to the inauguration, those were $4.50 and now they are $16. I hung it back up on the rack and walked away.

Aligator clips and some woven strap and make yrself some 'spenders. They hold yr pants up w/o squishing yr tummy, and you can find neat-o colors.

[bloke]

30 lbs. down currently, the belt isn't seeming to be as essential.
Just for what it's worth, I'm not stopping here.
Admittedly, it is sort of annoying to re-lose the same weight I lost a few years ago. Losing all that weight before revealed (four) epic hernias, so I got back on a carbohydrate type of diet (candidly, to make things move easily) until I hit the age where magically one receives free surgery. In the meantime,
I gained back about half the weight that I had lost.

[Mary Ann]

I am not going to wear suspenders but am alternating between my two smallest pairs of pants with the heaviest underwear I own. Up to 91 pounds from the low of 78, but the hands are like trying to type wearing ski gloves.

[Sousaswag]

@arpthark I'm about to get a quart of that Ferree's stuff. Thinking about stripping that old B&M of mine. I assume that worked the best of what you tried?

From 5 feet away this tuba looks okay... But, as you run your hands around the tuba, the lacquer is pretty rough feeling, pretty worn on the valve section, and rough on the bell flare. It's worn and old enough I don't feel bad about it. This way, I can save some $$$ and do it myself here and see if it works well enough to try on one of my Holtons.

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[arpthark]

Aw man, I'd just leave the lacquer as-is on your B&M.

But yeah, the Ferree's took a couple passes to remove Miraphone epoxy lacquer, but it didn't remove at all the spots of burnt lacquer. As I said, the chemical melted some of my paintbrushes and the plastic cup I was holding it in. Eventually ended up putting it in a glass jar and smearing it on with a stick I found outside (very high tech!). Then when it was finished, leaving it on a bit longer than indicated in the directions, I hosed it off into a bare dirt part of my yard. Sorry, bugs.

One thing that took me by surprise when stripping old lacquer is that when you remove the lacquer, the brass underneath will still be very shiny, and the spots that have worn lacquer/patina are going to still be not shiny, so for your instrument to get a uniform finish it needs to be polished or satin-brushed or whatever. I used Scotchbrite on an old Besson I lacquer stripped about 8 years ago and it turned out great.

http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php?t=72780

[bloke]

I had a lot of trouble with (real) lacquer stripper stripping late 1960s Elkhart Conn lacquer. It's epoxy and quite thick. This is in contrast to Yamaha epoxy lacquer which usually strips really easily and is quite thin.

[jose the tuba player]

i was able to strip eastlake orange off a mellophone bell using this
https://www.homedepot.com/p/EASY-OFF-24 ... /312609564
after a second coat it did tarnish the brass.

[arpthark]

i was able to strip eastlake orange off a mellophone bell using this
https://www.homedepot.com/p/EASY-OFF-24 ... /312609564
after a second coat it did tarnish the brass.

I used the same product and it produced no result, but that was on newer epoxy stuff. I might still use it in the future if I need to strip any mean-ol' King orange stuff. Kind of considering it with my 2341.

I recently bought a distressed-lacquer/otherwise nice Bach 42 trombone and I'll probably strip that down.

[bloke]

Old-school lye-based strippers really only work on epoxy lacquered when combined with a good bit of heat.

ancient history:

(1979 - 1982 or so...)

We had the guts of a gas water heater (welded to a cut off c. 1-foot tall ring of a 55 gal. drum) resting on the ground...a natural gas line running out the back wall to it (it was outdoors), and - in a 55 gallon drum which sat on that welded-together contraption) we had water and a BUNCH of Red Devil lye dumped into it...There was also a sort-of-OK-fitting (friction-fitting) lid for the drum.

We would turn that thing on, wait for it to get up to a rolling boil, and it would strip ANY lacquer.

I'm not setting up something like that, these days. Back then, I was too young/dumb to be afeared of it.

[York-aholic]

Yep, that would certainly take care of just anything shy of silver plate!