TromboneChat

Hi!

Has anyone tried unlacquering a Rath bell? I’ve got an R9 bell that looks pretty terrible and I’d like to take off the lacquer.

Will hot water do the trick or do I need to use a stripper? The lacquer is already removed in large spots on the bell.

I’ve actually never removed lacquer from an instrument before. I’m hoping it’s easy to do with my Rath!

There are several DIY that will work ok, but possibly not on the Rath lacquer.

Hot water might work and is the easiest to try.
Citristrip is probably the least toxic/noxious and probably not the strongest.
Easy-Off oven cleaner will work better than the above, but is pretty noxious and will burn your skin.

Commercial strips can be dangerous and painful to use, but more than likely will work on your bell.
Jax, Aircraft Remover (although no longer as good due to the elimination of the methyl Chloride) just to name a couple.

Might just as well have someone do it for you to ensure a complete removal.

I was able to find aircraft stripper with all the nastiness at O'Riley's in a quart.. the spray stuff didn't have all the meth.
EZ

There's an easy method that I've always wanted to try but never had the courage to do it. ...a Rath is probably too fancy to risk it.

But I was restoring an old bike a few years and getting the frame chrome plated. I meticulously stripped and scraped and polished all the paint off and as soon as I brought it into the shop, the guy told me "you didn't need to do that, we give it a solvent dip that makes the old paint just fall right off."

Since then I've always wondered if you could just take it to a chrome shop and tell them to give it a dip in their solvent bath. Places like that can use much stronger stuff than us regular Joes can buy, something to consider.

FWIW, I prefer unlacquered horns and have removed lacquer on quite a few (and own quite a few). In my opinion, stripping a bell will change its feel only in a subtle way - it never has enough impact to make a bad feeling bell feel good. I would recommend that you leave it alone, sell it, and buy another if you really want something that responds notably different that the one you have. Just my two cents...