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So I'd like to get rid of the really pungent raw brass/previous chemical polish smell on this 186 that Dan Schultz built and not having any luck. Gave it a deep clean, warm water with Dawn soap bath and did the pledge treatment as recommended and it's still the same. So bad in fact, just sitting outside the gig bag it fills the room with the smell and you almost taste it (but I am highly sensitive to stuff anyway). I've got a spray can of the Nikolas Gold lacquer from another project, will that mask the raw brass smell once it dries so I can actually play the horn? Once I start huffing and puffing the migraine will probably knock me out....any suggestions?

I would give it a coat of carnauba car wax. I have used it on de-lacquered trombones and it makes handling them nicer. I am also not into the raw brass look/touch/smell...

Either that or... well... you know... buy a new horn!

greenbean wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:22 pm I would give it a coat of carnauba car wax. I have used it on de-lacquered trombones and it makes handling them nicer. I am also not into the raw brass look/touch/smell...

Any brand specifically? Does it leave a chemical or odd smell after you wax it or is it neutral?

Did vinegar help?

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:51 pm Did vinegar help?

I didn't try yet, would rather spray lacquer or wax it before I ruin the horn or fry my nasal passages

KingTuba1241X wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:11 am

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 11:51 pm Did vinegar help?

I didn't try yet, would rather spray lacquer or wax it before I ruin the horn or fry my nasal passages

You're just gonna trap the stink under the lacquer or the wax

But really, spray lacquer over unbuffed raw brass is going to look bad. And it seems like a lot of work, compared to just finding something to neutralize the ammonia smell.

I've used Meguiar's Cleaner Wax on raw brass horns. It's safe for clear coat finishes so the mild abrasive in the liquid doesn't scratch or mar the finish. It smells good (to me) and acts as a great barrier to water spots.

BuddyRogersMusic wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:51 am I've used Meguiar's Cleaner Wax on raw brass horns. It's safe for clear coat finishes so the mild abrasive in the liquid doesn't scratch or mar the finish. It smells good (to me) and acts as a great barrier to water spots.

Ok just bought some and tried it, not a bad smell for sure. We'll see if it gets rid of the brass/old polish smell or not. Not sure how much to use, but I slathered the horn pretty good, let dry and clothed it off...does it need to be water/soap washed again after this process?

I just buff it with a soft rag until I'm satisfied with the feel and the rag doesn't turn dark. I don't worry about washing it.

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Isn’t there a virus that defeats the sense of smell?

The Meguire's Wax Cleaner stuff really works, at first it leaves that bubble-gum-ish chemical smell but once that dissipates it is almost neutral. Pledge, however smells nicer but reverses to the raw brass smell because it seems to wipe the wax coating off.

If someone has a brown tuba - and their only complaint is that it smells of brass - if they wipe it down really well with a soft cloth, I suspect that either an automotive paint shop or a band instrument shop would not charge them very much to hit it with clear, particularly as minor runs and dust would just about not show at all (which would remove nearly all of the pressure from the job).

I can do that in the back yard for free (minus the cost of the clear) and of course, what clear to use would be subjective as well as if it still smelled like brass afterwards. I'm only "dating" the horn and plan to sell soon anyway, so it's not a big deal. Would be a nice topic in the future to come back to in the archives if someone had any questions about the process at least.