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Thread: denatured alcohol

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Anderson, Indiana
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    270

    denatured alcohol

    I noticed on RandyL's thread "Mach Brass Euphonium: Valve Compression" someone advised him to clean his valves and casings with denatured alcohol. Is this an acceptable cleaning method? What would be the practical difference between using denatured alcohol and isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol? Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,368
    I can't see that there would be much of a difference, EXCEPT ...

    You really need to be careful with solvents, and with denatured alcohol in particular.

    True story from some years ago: My wife had some contact lenses that were proving difficult for her to get clean. So ... "I'm going to try cleaning them with this denatured alcohol." (My comment was, "Uh, I wouldn't.") Then ... "Ha. this seems to be working well ... Hey! Where did the lens go?" Yup, it dissolved the lens.

    If you ever do any amount of wood finishing you learn that some finishes are good for water resistance, others for resistance to petroleum products, others to alcohol, etc.

    Standard isopropyl ("rubbing") alcohol (typically 70% concentration) is fairly anemic stuff and good for cleaning a number of surfaces. I generally use the 91% stuff that's easy to get in Walmart or the drug store. I suspect that denatured alcohol wouldn't dissolve the finish on a Mack Brass horn, but I haven't tried it. I'd also be a little concerned about what it might do to other things it got on in the process. Don't get me wrong: I love denatured alcohol (probably from my days of 7th grade general shop in junior high school). But I'm really careful with it. I use it on various things as a cleaner. Of course, I also use MEK on various things as a cleaner .

    If a solvent works on one finish, don't assume it will work similarly on some other.

    I don't think I've answered your question. But what I am saying is "Be careful with the denatured alcohol." Test it before using it if you think there might be a problem or you just don't know.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  3. #3
    I've had good luck with Alisyn's cleaner/solvent. It is made for valves and should be safe for your instrument:

    http://www.amazon.com/Alisyn-AL-2390...dp/B0002E3KPG/

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
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  4. #4
    Denatured alcohol is usually ethyl alcohol (the same alcohol in alcoholic beverages) with a small amount of added compound that makes it unfit for consumption. For the cleaning that we would do, regular isopropyl alcohol (sometimes called rubbing alcohol) would be cheaper and equally effective in cleaning. I do use a fair amount of isopropyl alcohol to clean my trombone hand slides, but with the copious amount of valve oil I use, I have never felt the need to use any alcohol on my valved instruments. I have followed the advice of several of the master repair gurus on tubenet, and I flood my valves. I use alot of valve oil, and that seems to do a great job of keeping the internal parts clean.
    - Scott

    Euphoniums: Dillon 967, Monzani MZEP-1150S, Dillon 1067 (kid’s horn)
    Bass Trombones: Greenhoe GB5-3G, Getzen 1052FDR, JP232
    King Jiggs P-bone

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,368
    Yeah, when I clean my tubas and euphoniums I use a get-up kind of like the Quick Horn Rinse. Mine now involves a bucket and aquarium pump that allows me to flush and rinse the horn. For the tuning slides, I do them in the sink with a trombone brush and Dove or Simple Green -- and sometimes 409 if I think they need it. While cleaning piston valves with alcohol is similar to cleaning a trombone hand slide with alcohol, I generally don't use alcohol on the pistons -- but do on the hand slide.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

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