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Left the neck in bleach for too long !!!!

7K views 37 replies 26 participants last post by  guesswork 
#1 ·
Hi there,
I just did a very stupid thing, I left my sax' neck in water and bleach for too long ( 2 days) and now it's all dark green, the leather of the wee pad is gone and a bit of rust comes out from the inside of the neck. I feel very very stupid as this sax used to look great, it's a silver plated Selmer Series II.

Don't know what to do now really. I'd love to know what kind of metal is used on a neck like this ( alto series II silver plated selmer). I'm thinking of taking it to a jeweller to do another silver plating. Do you guys think it's a good idea ????

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
First, make sure that the silver plate has been ruined. Try polishing the neck and see if it shines up. If the silver plate has indeed been eaten away, Anderson Plating can probably make it look like new again.

Here's a link:

http://www.andersonsilverplating.com/
 
#3 ·
Hi there,
I just did a very stupid thing, I left my sax' neck in water and bleach for too long ( 2 days) and now it's all dark green, the leather of the wee pad is gone and a bit of rust comes out from the inside of the neck. I feel very very stupid as this sax used to look great, it's a silver plated Selmer Series II.

Don't know what to do now really. I'd love to know what kind of metal is used on a neck like this ( alto series II silver plated selmer). I'm thinking of taking it to a jeweller to do another silver plating. Do you guys think it's a good idea ????

Thanks.
Bring it in to sax.co.uk store in Denmark street and I'll have a look and at the very least change your pad for you.

Griff
 
#6 ·
That would have been the first thing to do If I was still in the Uk. Sax.co.uk was where I shopped when I was living in London, and I also got my sax repaired and checked a few times. Always left very satisfied :)

Now I think I will have to sort it myself as there's no music stores or sax repairers at all where I am right now. A jeweller is my only option. Do you think it's risky ?
 
#4 ·
Sorry,

I didn't notice you were in the UK. Here in the US, we just assume that everyone we come across also lives in the US. :bluewink:
 
#5 ·
Yes - I can confirm there is life outside the US.

Happy to live in deepest, rural UK - but luckily with access to a great local Tech, who can get all the horn services I might ever need !

Blowhard2
 
#8 ·
This isn't nearly as bad as it may look. Worst case scenario you'll have to get the neck re-plated and since that will pretty much ruin it you can buy one of my horns but I'll sell you one at a discount, a half of a percent off. Phil Barone

Hi there,
I just did a very stupid thing, I left my sax' neck in water and bleach for too long ( 2 days) and now it's all dark green, the leather of the wee pad is gone and a bit of rust comes out from the inside of the neck. I feel very very stupid as this sax used to look great, it's a silver plated Selmer Series II.

Don't know what to do now really. I'd love to know what kind of metal is used on a neck like this ( alto series II silver plated selmer). I'm thinking of taking it to a jeweller to do another silver plating. Do you guys think it's a good idea ????

Thanks.
 
#10 ·
I see that Barone has finally become a true Republican like me. Welcome to the dark side, Phil... :bluewink:
 
#9 ·
No bleach, acetic acid (vinegar) only and stay with the process, don't go shopping etc... I use clear vinegar and then some distilled water to wash out any residue and then a wipe out with denatured alcohol to absorb any remaining H2O in bell OR neck interior...
 
#12 ·
For heaven's sake, take off the octave key FIRST. It's about the simplest thing you can do on the horn, and it helps keep the rod from rusting out.
When you're done, blow the little tube out with a can of compressed air before putting the key back on.
 
#16 ·
You can avoid all of that by running a swab through it every time you use it.
 
#17 ·
Agreed! I have never had a problem with a gunky or green neck (yuck) but I ALWAYS run a swab through not only my sax but the neck as well. It takes me longer to my sax away than the other players around me and makes me look like a slow poke but it's worth it!
 
#18 ·
in this, as in may others things in life, prevention is better than any cure! Swabbing you saxophone, neck, and mouthpieces, even only occasionally, prevents any need for doing this heavy cleaning at all (if you buy a vintage saxophone that hasn't been cleaned ever in its life that is a different thing) .
 
#20 ·
There are some platers in my area, but none specilizing in musical instruments. So a local sax player had a neck silver plated by a local plating company. It was excellent, one of the best I've seen. But it was funny that the tenon, spring and spring screw, key and everything really was plated with it. But it didn't cause any problems that weren't very easily fixed.
 
#23 ·
i always use calk remover,or lime away for this kinda stuff....and actually it might still help your situation as well....at this point if your considering a replate,it couldnt hurt......soak for a little under an hour and then polish... (usual soaking time is much less)
my experience,as well as the experience of my friends who make mouthpieces usually turn out pretty bad when you give your instrument,or mouthpiece to someone who isnt used to dealing with instruments...no matter how much they promise they will take care of your precious instrument,they just dont think of it or respect it like someone who specializes in instruments.
 
#24 ·
I swear, people should need a license to own a saxophone. There should never be a need to do something as foolish as has been done here...and why bleach!!!??? Simple swabbing once a month would prevent any build up and what are you blowing through the horn?
 
#30 ·
Seeing as younhear the word guru freely used here,im suprised people arent soaking it in their own urine
 
#34 ·
Why send it away for plating when it is unclear if the OP has tried to clean the crook?

I would first try something like a silver cloth or some Hagertys silver polish to see if the plating can be restored first. If that fails then send it for plating.

A good jeweler should be able to tell you whether or not it can be cleaned or if it needs replating.
 
#35 ·
I always take the reed and lig off the mouthpiece and then run a swab through the mouthpiece/neck assembly before even pulling the mouthpiece off. Then I wipe down the mouthpiece and put both away. This is the part closest to your lungs!!! You really want to suck on a bacterial incubator??
 
#36 ·
And preferably the correct swab for the crook and not the swab that you use for your sax body! last year I have had around a dozen wrong sized swabs stuck, in crooks which have been a pain to remove and repair particularly when the DIY-ers have had a go with a large screwdriver and either gouged the inside of the crook and/or made the tenon outof round, the worst case was severe enough damage to the octave pip to warrant a replacement ordered and soldered in - luckily it wasnt a Selmer paris braized in pip.
 
#37 ·
The active ingredient in bleach is chlorine. When silver is exposed to chlorine it turns to silver chloride, a white, insoluble material, used in photography because it darkens when exposed to light.

I would never use bleach on silver!

Swab a neck so it does not need cleaning.
If it needs cleaning, first remove the key. Then use detergent and warm water with a bottle brush, to remove water-soluble gunk. If hard, mineral deposits remain, then fill for say 20 minutes or more with vinegar. (Both light and dark work) Then repeat the detergent and bottle brush.

If you are getting parts electroplated, remove pivot rods, springs, etc first! Electro-platers are electro-platers; they normally know nothing about instruments. (nor do silversmiths) Also, tell them that you do not want the inside of the pivot tubes (or posts) plated. (unless there is a sloppy fit!)

A plater does not need to specialise in instruments in order to plate these parts. They just need to be experienced in silver plating - the durable sort rather than the merely decorative sort, which will be far, far thinner.

Your local silversmith will either have suitable plating facilities or know where this can be done locally.
He is also likely to have the knowledge to analyse the situation your neck is in.
 
#38 ·
My chemist-mother has informed me she does not see why bleach would "dissolve" silver plate. It has probably just formed a layer of "protective" tarnish, which a careful-cleaning job should remove easily. I do not know whether or not your neck had a layer of clear coat over it to protect the finish, but if it did you will have undoubtedly removed this.

If it did have a clear-coat, you will have removed it. This will lead to issues with retaining it's vibrant finish, so you will probably have to polish it consistently or submit to it becoming tarnished

John
 
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