OT - cleaning up old copper

In the music industry.. silver and brass horns are generally laqure sealed.

Soundguy

I get a new band every night.. the vast majority of them have horns.. I can't tell you how many thousands of horns I've mic'ed up in my carear.

They may not come from the factory silver/laqured.. but a lazy musician will go a long ways to get out of work..

Boil bass strings in alchhol.. etc.. etc..

Weedeater line for upright bass strings.. etc..

Go ahead and nitpick.. I'v seen it all.

Soundguy

who know what some punchy would do to his axe.

Kinda makes ya cry to see a 2-3-4 thousand dolalr horn treated like that.

However i think the worst instrument abuse was a guy that brought in an upright bass. He played this gig often.. and was too cheap to buy a stand for it.. always leaned it against the wall, and used a bridge pickup. While walking across stage one night at break , he tripped on his own pickup line, and knocked the bass over.. Can you say 'kindeling!' I about fainted and i was way back in the FOH booth...

Soundguy

You might want to look at some of the architectural preservation briefs put out by the National Park Service, or get some ideas from your local heritage preservation office (sometimes a non-profit, sometimes a city/county entity) or historical society.

I think I'd try a paint stripping solvent and something soft and non-abrasive like a sponge after the stripper had soaked in for a while. Then lacquer the surface when it is clean.

It sounds like a really interesting project! Good luck.

Colin, MN