Ok so I got the bell flare stripped and waxed. I masked it off at the seam of the flare and the throat to try to keep the deep glow inside of the bell. I think it looks good but I may strip the rest of it as there is a lot more missing laquer and brown brass inside the bell than I thought.
I sprayed a good amount of citri-strip over the surface and let it sit for an hour. I then used a stage 4 blending abrasive sponge (much like scotch Brite but a little more abrasive) very lightly and the laquer and brown patina just rubbed right off. There were a few dents that had a build up of patina that took a little more work but it didn't take a large amount if removal. I then used 800 grit sand paper in a circular pattern around the flare to blend the strokes. I then cleaned the bell to ensure there was no dust or other contamination and moved on to the wax. I started with a buffer and a light pad but I didn't wind up using it because the bell isn't flat enough and I was concerned about digging into the metal with the edges of the buffer. So I finished It by hand.
I took pictures throughout but my camera isn't good enough to really show much difference between the steps so here are the before and after.
Throughout the process I used very light abrasion to keep the integrity of the metal and keep the removal as low as possible. I like the glow in the bell but I may go ahead and do the rest later. I also haven't done any reshaping yet. I'd like to smooth a few of the wrinkles out and then I think it will look really good.
Conn 20j
- andrew the tuba player
- 3 valves
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:17 pm
- Location: Some where in Arkansas
- Contact:
Re: Conn 20j
1969 Mirafone 186 BBb
1965 Conn 20J
Olds fiberglass Sousaphone Project- for sale
Epiphone Thunderbird Bass Guitar
Cremona 3/4 upright bass
1965 Conn 20J
Olds fiberglass Sousaphone Project- for sale
Epiphone Thunderbird Bass Guitar
Cremona 3/4 upright bass
- rodgeman
- 3 valves
- Posts: 406
- Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2010 9:26 pm
Re: Conn 20j
Looks great. Thanks for the updates.
- andrew the tuba player
- 3 valves
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:17 pm
- Location: Some where in Arkansas
- Contact:
Re: Conn 20j
Thanks. I think it looks good. The brass is a lot brighter than I thought it would be but I think it looks good. A few of the wrinkles and repairs did show up some more so I'll probably do some reshaping sometime soon but I think it's definitely an improvement.
1969 Mirafone 186 BBb
1965 Conn 20J
Olds fiberglass Sousaphone Project- for sale
Epiphone Thunderbird Bass Guitar
Cremona 3/4 upright bass
1965 Conn 20J
Olds fiberglass Sousaphone Project- for sale
Epiphone Thunderbird Bass Guitar
Cremona 3/4 upright bass
- Daniel C. Oberloh
- pro musician
- Posts: 547
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:22 pm
- Location: Seattle Washington
Re: Conn 20j
Looks great, Andrew.
Glad I could help get your prize back up and running.
Best regards,
Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass works
http://www.oberloh.com" target="_blank
Glad I could help get your prize back up and running.
Best regards,
Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass works
http://www.oberloh.com" target="_blank