I notice several folks say that they don’t polish their brass whistles because they like the patina that the whistle develops. I have two whistles that are looking pretty bad and could use some feedback. I have a Feadog brass whistle that’s developing a red color which I assume in rust. It smells as well (like an old penny). I also have Walton’s brass whistle too that’s in an even sorrier state. It’s lacquered brass but the coating is peeling. The tone holes are becoming green. These whistles are both less than a year old. I keep pretty good care of my whistles and they aren’t exposed to the elements outdoors.
My question is if this is common to brass whistles and if the people that don’t polish their whistles and prefer the patinas have the same issues. This doesn’t seem to be a favorable patina. These whistles are cheapies so no biggie but are these issues common to high-end whistles like Burkes and Copelands?
Your brass whistle will look better if you strip the lacquer off. I use a green scratchy washing-up pad for this and then polish them with Brasso or something similar. In the future you can either give them the occasional polish to keep them shiny or leave them to develop a natural patina as happens to my brass Burke. The lacquer is your main problem.
Use extra-fine steel wool to remove reddish rust or the green stuff (which is what rust on copper, one of the elements in brass, looks like). I agree about stripping off the coating on the Walton—stupid stuff.
I use acetone (nail polish remover) to remove the laquer from my generations. You could do the same for the Waltons and it would avoid scratching the surface of the brass like a brillo pad would. Just a dab of acetone on a paper towel or rag and it comes right off effortlessly. As for your Feadog, I’m not sure why it’s turning red. I have a feadog that’s several years old that I’ve never once polished and it looks like natural brass with a patina. I’ve wiped mine down with light soapy water now and then because the Feadog tubes have more of a texture to them than Gens and Waltons and tend to get dirty quicker but other than that it’s untouched. I also live in a very dry climate so I’m sure I’d be less likely to have a whistle rust on me.
I took CranDog’s advice and used Flitz after peeling the laquer off the Walton’s whistle. Here is the same Feadog and Walton’s after polishing. I’ll have to polish it some more to get rid of all the rust but I am happy with the results so far. The brass actually looks better than when the whistles were new.
After stripping the coating off my Waltons, Gens, ect. I used brasso to bring on a super shine. But brasso leaves an objectionable smell. I maintain the shine with toothpaste. Just rub it on, and rub it off. By using a small amount a patina can still develop, your fingers will make a shine and used look around the tone holes. I find brass easier to maintain than aluminum. Pulling a small rag with cleaner through the tone tube seems to give the tone a boost also.
These whistles are cheapies so no biggie but are these issues common to high-end whistles like Burkes and Copelands?
Yes, brass is brass wether it’s a cheapie or a Copeland/Burke/whatever.
I purchased my Copeland brass D from Hobgoblin Music and it was shipped in a plastic container. After playing it one evening I put it back inside the container, and the next morning it was green and almost furry with tarnish.
Same thing with my aluminium Chieftain, inside the shipping container it developed white salt-like oxides overnight.
After playing the whistle, wash it in warm soapy water and store it in open air. Then it won’t tarnish much at all.
I do occasionally polish my whistles, but so that the patina that I like will develop.
I use acetone (fingernail polish remover is a weaker version of the chemical) to remove the coating from whistles that have it.
I then use a Dremel tool with a polishing wheel and jeweler’s rouge to brighten it up, then polish it with a piece of chamois leather to give it a golden hue.
Then, the patina will develop until the whistle looks nearly worn out around the holes. That’s the patina that I like.
I need to find a digital camera and take a picture of my Hoover Blacktop on my Generation Bb tube to show what I mean.
The red stuff is not rust. Rust is the oxide of iron. And that is obviously another metal.
Brass is basically an alloy of copper and zink. The green stuff is the oxide that comes from the copper part in the alloy and is toxic. Careful with that! Looking at the pictures of your whistles with the finish still on, it seems to me, that you were having the biggest problems in the areas, where the finish was mostly in place.
So here’s my theory why your whistles became so ugly: The sweat from your fingers got through tiny holes and cracks in the finish and then was stuck there. Being stuck there and having no place to go, it attacked the metal. Sweat contains acid and lots of salt. That’s not good for any metal (except gold). Some peoples sweat is more agressive than others’ and some people sweat more than others. This of course has an effect on the patina as well.
