Rust removal from a saxophone - what to use?
 

The wife has sold her saxophone which she thought was in mint condition but has just noticed two small rust spots (hoping it's not red rot). She needs to fix these or cancel the sale.

What would be the best chemical and material to attempt to remove it with? Is it unlikely to be fixable without professional expertise?

Hydrogen peroxide ?

Didn't know Brass rusted!!

First try WD40 or something similar. Let it soak in overnight. If that doesn't work, then try heating it with a propane torch, though not enough to make the brass glow please. Heat it and cool it a couple times. Then try the WD40 again. If that still doesn't work, then you can try Phosphoric acid, which you can buy at Homebase. Get some safety goggles and some long rubber gloves too. Phosphoric acid will eat rust, but it also likes the zink in the brass, so don't leave it on the part too long. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Google is my friend :)

After reading the thread title, I was gonna say "Wow! Do you play saxophone? :cool: "

Then I thought - No, He (or his close ones) doesn't/don't. If he (or them) did, their saxophone wouldn't have got rusted. :D

Jods thanks, the Mrs had already googled though and seen that thread and a blow torch isn't something we own or have the time to source. So was after a bit of a quicker/easier solution to try.

TH lol unforunately not, I never got past grade 1 piano at school :lol1: just not my cup of tea. The wife used to play the saxophone and flute when at school/college but they are no longer used so been sold. Looks like the rust has occured from sitting in it's case for a number of years. Think she's going to lose the sale and tell the buyer about the two small spots and be honest about it as I don't think it's just going to polish off!

http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/hydro...ls_1_5555.html

i dont honestly know whether this has the same power as the bottle i have

But i use it for removing rust stains from sails ( my job ) , brings them out quickly if theyre not old stains , followed bu lots of water obviously
Also wiped it over rust pitted paint work and it does the same :)

OK thanks i'll let her know.

Still seems strange that a saxophone can go rusty, or are they made of steel.

Les

AUTOSOL! best metal polish in the world! IMO

Thats true.

Les

LOL I understand, Bravo. :D

I thought it was like buying an instrument out of excitement, but not persuing it afterwards. A friend of mine bought a chello. He spend hours researching to buy one of the best ones. Anyway, he bought one, took some lessons of some music student for a bit, then gave up. Now, the chello sits in his living room in the corner, waiting for his stepson to visit, and crack the most tuneless tunes out of it after filing himself with a few beers. They both get very irritating with that Chello in a drunken state. Neighbours also wish them to stop chello-ing in late evenings, it gets that bad. :lol1:

I am impressed to know that Mrs. Bravo played saxophone and flute once upon a time.:cool: