Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

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RobL
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Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by RobL »

I need to do some touching up. Are there any brands of rattlecan lacquer people recommend (or recommend against)? Thanks.
tbonesullivan
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by tbonesullivan »

Nikolas lacquer is what I have used in the past. I first heard it mentioned when going through Dan Oberloh's restorations on their website.
I lacquer all our horns and in our shop we only use Nicolas air dry lacquer as I find baked-on epoxy finishes to be costly in equipment and difficult to deal with should the instrument be damaged and need additional repair.
I believe it is an old school cellulose based lacquer, similar to what Bach instruments used for decades until recently.

Here's a video where it was being used to protect areas where the silver plating on a trumpet had worn through. I know it's not as durable as some other coatings but it is, IMHO, easier to work with for the novice. One thing I can say is SURFACE PREP IS EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. You want it utterly polished and clean if any type of lacquer is going to adhere properly.

David S. - daveyboy37 from TTF
Bach 39, LT36B, 42BOF & 42T, King 2103 / 3b, Kanstul 1570CR & 1588CR, Yamaha YBL-612 RII, YBL-822G & YBL-830, Sterling 1056GHS Euphonium,
Livingston Symphony Orchestra NJ - Trombone
modelerdc
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by modelerdc »

I’ve used Tamiya clear in the aerosol can, works great can be found at some stores that sell plastic models such as Hobby Town
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Sniffynose
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by Sniffynose »

Mohawk works great! Have used it on several horns now.
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greenbean
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by greenbean »

Every tech I know uses Nicolas for spot lacquering.
Tom in San Francisco
Currently playing...
Bach Corp 16M
Many French horns
RobL
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by RobL »

Thank you for these recommendations!
RobL
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by RobL »

tbonesullivan and greenbean, confirming this is the one you mean. Tx

https://www.ferreestoolsinc.com/product ... olas-clear
hornbuilder
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by hornbuilder »

Realize that the air dry lacquer is not terribly durable, and will need touch ups fairly regularly, especially in contact areas.
Matthew Walker
Owner/Craftsman, M&W Custom Trombones, LLC, Jackson, Wisconsin.
Former Bass Trombonist, Opera Australia, 1991-2006
tbonesullivan
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by tbonesullivan »

RobL wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2023 8:15 am tbonesullivan and greenbean, confirming this is the one you mean. Tx

https://www.ferreestoolsinc.com/product ... olas-clear
That should be the one! I would go with clear.
David S. - daveyboy37 from TTF
Bach 39, LT36B, 42BOF & 42T, King 2103 / 3b, Kanstul 1570CR & 1588CR, Yamaha YBL-612 RII, YBL-822G & YBL-830, Sterling 1056GHS Euphonium,
Livingston Symphony Orchestra NJ - Trombone
tbonesullivan
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by tbonesullivan »

hornbuilder wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2023 10:20 am Realize that the air dry lacquer is not terribly durable, and will need touch ups fairly regularly, especially in contact areas.
I put on a double coat years ago on the outer slide of my Bach 42, and it has held up. However I will also say that I am OCD as HELL. Every trombone gets the contact points wiped down after use with a microfiber cloth and/or a Conn Selmer / UMI lacquer cloth that has a bit of silicone impregnated into it. I also do not have acidic sweat, and tend to wash my hands a lot.

A lot of this comes from playing electric guitars with oiled necks, where if I play it with dirty hands, it gets sucked into the wood, and getting it back out is a pain.
David S. - daveyboy37 from TTF
Bach 39, LT36B, 42BOF & 42T, King 2103 / 3b, Kanstul 1570CR & 1588CR, Yamaha YBL-612 RII, YBL-822G & YBL-830, Sterling 1056GHS Euphonium,
Livingston Symphony Orchestra NJ - Trombone
RobL
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Re: Rattlecan lacquer recommendations

Post by RobL »

Thank you, tbonesullivan, greenbean, and hornbuilder!
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