Horn Question

[Shane]

A few weeks ago, I picked up an Edison Standard Model B, and it came with this horn:




It was made by Babson Bros. of Chicago.

Apparently, the inside of the horn was painted, but the outside and the first four inches of the inside were left as plain, uncoated metal. The painted area is in okay shape, but the uncoated areas are quite corroded to the point where there is flaky rust. I usually leave horns as original as possible, but I'm wondering if anyone might have suggestions as to how I might be able to make this look better. At the very least, I'd like to get rid of the rust that's loose. Thanks!

[Neophone]

Shane,

That's a very odd duck, I've never seen anything quite like that. It almost looks like it was sitting bell down on the floor of a damp cellar, but the decal probably would have rusted off as well if that were the case. Would it be possible to post a close-up shot of the decal and maybe the ring on the outside? Is there any sign at all of paint remnants under either? If you haven't already make sure to post this on the Edison Board as well.

Regards,
John

[gramophoneshane]

My guess is that it was coated with an early clear lacquer/enamel which didn't stand the test of time, and the decal & red/pink paint has stopped it deteriorating, but what was exposed to light has fallen off over time.
The main problem with clear finishes around this time & before was that it was unstable & didn't last.
The same sort of thing was true for blue exterior house paint. It faded & broke down much quicker than any other colour when used outside, so blue was used almost exclusively for interior joinery.

[Shane]

Interesting... thanks for the info. Here's a couple more shots. There is a ring around the outer edge of the bell. It appears to be a metallic nickel type of color, but it is mostly gone. There is a VERY tiny bit of red paint around this area as well. Aside from that and the paint on the inside, there are no visible signs of paint anywhere else on the horn.

[bbphonoguy]

Shane,

That's a very odd duck, I've never seen anything quite like that. It almost looks like it was sitting bell down on the floor of a damp cellar, but the decal probably would have rusted off as well if that were the case. Would it be possible to post a close-up shot of the decal and maybe the ring on the outside? Is there any sign at all of paint remnants under either? If you haven't already make sure to post this on the Edison Board as well.

Regards,
John

I had an Edison, the horn of which had lost its finish entirely, and which was completely coated with a light coat of rust, but the decal survived in almost perfect shape. That said, I agree with John's statement about how your horn got into the condition it's in. I guess the decals were made of tougher stuff than the lacquer.

[Neophone]

Shane,

Sorry for the late reply. That does look like the remains of gold paint on the lip of the horn as well as a bit of red around the decal.

Regards,
John

[Shane]

You're right, John. Strangely, it is the camera lens that brings it out... those remainants of red paint are virtually invisible in person! I didn't know they were there until I took the pictures.