The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

JerryVan wrote:

kirtley2012 wrote:What is the best lacquer to stop the horn tarnishing again?

Kirtley,

Once a horn is polished nicely, you only need to polish again maybe once a year, (depending on your local environment, humidity, etc.). Any coating will only last so long, then it will be a mess to remove it, polish & recoat.

Thanks!, that is helpful! (because it's alot easier for me).
I do suppose that the corrosion on it is the accumulation of 60+ years of tarnishing so if I get the surface smooth I could just leave it, I might even let it corrode, it looks more like its age with the darker colour, although I won't let it get anywhere near to how bad it was.

As far as buffing goes, a dremel will not do it... It might polish a screw head, but not a horn. The best buffer assembly that has worked well for me - and cheap... is an old motor from a refrig, washing machine, etc. Put a mandrel on the shaft and mount the motor on some type of stand. Get a real buffing wheel or two (a hard stitched one and a softer one for finishing) and mount it to the mandrel. Use jeweler's rouge on the wheel and buff... always place the item where the wheel is turning downward and hold it tightly... check YouTube or Google for buffing methods and you will find the info you need...

For those who don't have an old washing machine lying around, there's also this: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-buffer-94393.html

I wasn't sure if they have a Harbor Freight store in England... I was also thinking that if you have a large non-metallic tub, you could try reverse electrolysis on it...

Can I just check this.
If the corrosion is removed with wire wool then the horn is polished smooth, can it then be just left un-lacquered without the corrosion becoming a big problem?, has anyone left a horn un-lacquered?, I don't really have a place to lacquer a horn, I would get someone to polish it to a shine then lacquer it for me and get the job done right but I don't know where I could get that done where I am or how much it would cost.

I like a shiny horn but it is over 100 years old, as aslong as it looks better than it did then I'm happy with that!

Is that an all-brass horn or a sheet metal horn with a brass bell?

Looks to me like a steel horn with a brass bell.

Get out your magnet and test the body of the horn - if it sticks, it's sheet metal - if it doesn't, it's brass... As far as polishing brass and leaving it un-lacquered, that is my preferred method. Polishing it removes all of the years of built up crud and leaving it uncoated, lets it age back to a nice patina...

Nope, all brass, I have already removed some of the corrosion on the horn and it shows shiny brass both on the bell and the body of the horn underneath that buildup of corrosion and dirt.

If you want to put anything on the polished brass, might I recommend a paste wax?

Keeps the tarnish off fairly well, and is easy to remove if you want to repolish it…

Bill