band question

[Chris at Owens Custom Calls]

i've just started making copper bands because i love the way they look.  has anyone that dips their calls with spar had any problems with the band tarnishing?  i gave a call to a guy back in may and he brought it back today for me to look at.  the copper band still had finish on it and it was not chipping off.  but underneath the finish, the band looked dirty near the top.  it wasn't discolored anywhere else.  ystarting to worry.  any ideas?

[BigB]

Copper is an easy one to tarnish.  I haven't found anything yet that keeps it from tarnishing.  I haven't dipped one in a long time, so I'm no help there.


Brian

[dogcatcher]

I rarely use a band, but in the old days when I did I always used lacquer for the finish and covered the band with it.  I started that after I got out of the Army in 1969, the  uniform brass was coated in lacquer and we had to get it off so we could polish it.  It was  to get that lacquer off, so I used it and I never had complaints.  As a last thing, when I made NCO I bought the gold plated uniform "brass" so I did not have to spend an hour every day polishing the  brass.  Did I mention I hate brass.

Marvin

[Chris at Owens Custom Calls]

i assumed by having a finish over it, it wouldn't tarnish. i think i only put one coat of a thinned finish on it because it was a practice call.  hopefully that is the problem. 

[Bob from Eames Custom Calls]

C'mon Marvin, tell us how ya really feel.......

 Bob

[dogcatcher]

I remember the day I made E-5, myself and some of the others headed to the PX and bought our gold plated brass.  My next tour was Ft Polk as a Drill Instructor, I could spot tarnished brass a mile away.  On a clear day sometimes it was more than a mile.  Any screw ups in my Platoon that I needed to keep on the Fort, no problem look at their brass, a sure way to deny a weekend pass.  Need a detail?  Do a brass check, guaranteed as many "volunteers" as needed.  Did you know that mustard will polish brass?  Did you know that Brasso is made by the same company that makes French's Mustard?  Did I tell you I like brass so much that it can kiss my brass?  That is why I bought GOLD PLATED BRASS!
Marvin

[Bob from Eames Custom Calls]

Oh man, A D.I. ............ I remember the days!

 Thank God I wnt Navy

 Bob

[idahofowlweather]

I use a lot of copper and about the olny thing I have found to keep it from looking like a penny is Rod Wrapping Finish... most of the time I try to keep the finish off bands... when I sell a call with a copper band I let the customer know that if they want the band to look like new agian they just need to apply some brasso to it every now and then... most like the penny look...

Jake