TubeNet

Sorry, Xavier, but the diagnosis we gave you on the other site is still likely to be the case: there is a good chance that de-zincification (red rot) has begun and that it will continue regardless what you do. Some of the damage appears to be cosmetic, but that red rot won't go away. You need to find a qualified repairman (Are there ANY in Panama?)to confirm what Dan and I mentioned, as pictures are not the same as actually seeing the damage.

------and right you are to check here! This is where so much useful info is passed on. What I tried to say was that you wouldn't want to hold out a lot of hope that your problem was something minor like cosmetics.
Get to a repairman soon! Good luck.

Panama, huh? Tropics+seawater=corrosion.

I'd recommend that you find a good metal polish that has a bit of chemical action to it, like Mr. Metal or Noxon. I don't suspect it'll do much (more) damage to the horn, but it will remove the easy discoloration and give you a rough idea of what you've got to work with.

Xavier wrote:How do I go about relaquering the horn?

Lacquering a tuba isn't exactly a do-it-yourself-at-home project--at least not if you want it to look good.

In a pinch, you can simply keep the horn clean and put a coat of paste wax on it periodically to protect it.

You might be able to kill two birds with one stone if you can get this stuff.



Metal polish and wax in a single step.

There's also this stuff:

Xavier wrote:How often do you mean by periodically?

Depnds on how much you handle and play it, but every couple of months should be more than enough.