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Anyone have tips on stripping the lacquer off a tuba. I was bathing my Rudy and I seem to have been a little too ambitious with the water temperature. It's not the end of the world, the tuba was missing patches for quite some time and I guess I have the time to do this. Any tips? Just more hot water and a scotch bright pad? Heat gun? Methylene chloride?

Gel paint stripper, easy off oven cleaner are the things I've used. You'll have different results depending on which kind of lacquer is on the horn. Epoxy can be tough. Scotch brite will scratch the brass. I usually apply the stripper and let it sit in the yard for a few hours. You might have to do that several times.

Try Citristrip. It sounds like it would do just fine on your horn, and the fumes are not noxious like other options. I did this on my pt6 last summer, mainly because the lacquer wear was pretty patchy and not very pretty. Sure, some don’t care for unlacquered horns, but in my case it not only looks better but it plays with more color and better response now. Citristrip worked great for mine. Give it a try.

Try hotter water. Sounds like it's got Nitro lacquer, so if you use really hot water that lacquer will float off in sheets.

I've tried all the above and more and nothing takes it off my Conn 2J aside from abrasivivity of some sort