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What do you guys use to polish raw brass horns? I've heard of people using Brasso but that seems a bit harsh.

Brasso is almost all there is. It is harsh only if you use it on something other than brass, like lacquer or silver plating. The "harshness" is probably the ammonia you smell.

There are a lot of good metal polishes that do an OK job on brass. However, in the military we found that Brasso shines well and leaves a more clear-looking finish.

In my book, though, the goal is to not have to polish it too often. No doubt polishing is a lot of work and a messy job. So I learned from polishing brass belt buckles that if I could keep the tarnish off, I could get by a lot longer without polishing. So my technique was to first get a good, even, shiny surface using Brasso. Then I used a second polish with a tarnish preventative formula - one made for brass.

One good brass polish that will help keep tarnish from returning is available on Amazon: Northern Lab-Goddards 708184 Goddard's Brass & Copper Polish:

http://astore.amazon.com/tubaeuphonium- ... B000BQMBAU

You might also find some other brands in your local hardware/auto/deparement store. 3M makes one called Tarni-Shield (they also make it for silver, so be sure you look for the version made for copper and brass), and it does also a good job of keeping tarnish away.

By the way, I use a 2-step process for brass because the polishes with an anti-tarnish formula don't seem to give as clear a shine if you just use them.

Once the horn is polished this way, I suggest wiping it off where there are hand-prints when you are done playing. A slightly damp cloth works fine. You may find that you have a shiny horn for a much higher percentage of you playing time, and have to get out the polishing materials much less often.

What about Flitz? I've seen it and understand it is very similar to Simichrome. Anyone use it?

The Big Ben wrote:What about Flitz? I've seen it and understand it is very similar to Simichrome. Anyone use it?

Simichrome, Wenol, Flitz... all about the same. All are superior to Brasso as far as I'm concerned.

On Raw Brass Blue Magic Metal Polish ..I get it at Pep Boys .. Its Less abrasive then Brasso ..If you have spot that need more work use Brasso first then go over it with the Blue Magic. Thanks Harv.

Here is a great product I use all the time. It is great for polishing and cleaning up solder flash: