Remove Paint

[yeknomad]

Anyone had experience removing paint from a trombone?
Selmer Bach: has one, possibly two coats of primer with paint over the top
It’s not a bad finish, but the sound is pretty dead.
Would just go back to bare brass and wax it

[Burgerbob]

Paint stripper should do it

[yeknomad]

Sure
Is discolouration of the brass a risk when using stripper?

[BGuttman]

Sure
Is discolouration of the brass a risk when using stripper?

Always. You may (or may not) have to polish up the stripped brass. If you don't do anything after stripping the brass will slowly tarnish and develop a patina.

What kind of paint is on the trombone? Automotive lacquer? House paint? Enamel? Don't know?

[yeknomad]

Thanks guys
I’m not too worried about a patina, I have a bare brass alto sax I stripped.
A guy at work said some paint strippers ‘may’ damage the brass- I know some strippers react with aluminium, but not sure on brass.
The paint is enamel or automotive.
It’s been primed and sprayed well- but the horn is not very responsive.
I could leave it as is- I’m not a proficient brass player by any stretch of the imagination- but it is an interesting project to strip it back.

[CharlieB]

Whether the paint is automotive lacquer/enamel, epoxy or acrylic, it can be removed with acetone.
The acetone will not damage the brass. As a test, you can apply fingernail polish remover (acetone and oil mix) to a small area. The paint strippers that can discolor the brass are those containing sodium hydroxide (lye, caustic soda). Automotive supply stores stock paint removers that are essentially acetone in a gel to keep it from evaporating too quickly. A job for outdoors. Acetone vapors are not user friendly. Also need gloves and eye protection. The acetone stripper will turn the paint into a gooey glop that needs lots of water and some scrubbing to remove. The acetone does not need to be "neutralized." It is water soluble and will wash away.

[BGuttman]

One caution about acetone: It's very flammable! Don't smoke anything while working with it.

Note that there are also strippers made from methylene chloride in a gel. Methylene chloride is not flammable but is health hazard and should not be used in confined spaces (it tends to replace the air in a room, starting on the floor and working up). Many places have banned use of Methylene chloride.

[yeknomad]

Thankyou