Posted by Lee a. Stofer, Jr. on January 08, 2000 at 08:41:42:
In Reply to: Sandblasting tuba for satin finish posted by Phil on January 06, 2000 at 19:53:49:
Phil,
If you instrument has a satin silver finish and the finish is not too worn, and the horn is not too bad, dent-wise, I'd recommend a good clean-up. Satin silver is properly cleaned with whiting and alcohol. Silver polish will tend to leave dark residue in the pores. Dampen a clean, soft cloth with alcohol (rubbing alcohol will do), dip the damp cloth into the whiting powder, then rub the horn, a small section at a time. I get the best results when I wipe off the residue before it completely dries. A satin silver finish will "glow" when properly cleaned. This will clean it, but provides no tarnish protection. To keep the appearance, I've found that lightly spraying the horn with Hagerty's (aerosol), letting it dry, and buffing it off with a terry towel does the trick.
Refinishing a horn is a considerable expense, and I'd make sure it was worth it before doing so.
-Lee Stofer