C Melody Saxophone Forum

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C Melody Saxophone Forum / C-Tenor (C-Melody) Saxophones / Ozone Shock for Stinky Sax

Danny
User ID: 2992754 Oct 13th 12:18 AM
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. This was a very stupid idea and I am now sorry. I’m only sharing this humiliating event with everyone so that no one else will do it. The ozone shock treatment did kill all mold and bacteria and it purified the air, however at a cost. All of the air born particles evidently become negatively charged and then stick to surfaces and the metal sax must have been the most attracting surface because the sax is covered in a tacky residue. The silver body will now have to be completed cleaned by hand or chemical dip I suppose. Also very strangely and unexpected, two springs simple broke and fell off. They were in good working condition before. I can only suppose that somehow the negative ion charge caused the metal springs to give up electrons from their molecules or some sci-fi thing like that. I hope that the rest of the springs don’t simple start falling off like pine needles off a tree. No telling what other damage this Ozone generator machine might have done. The sax was in almost mint condition and playing very well. All I wanted to do was to get rid of the smell once and for all. Now it looks like over haul time.

Captain Muggles
User ID: 9454293 Oct 13th 10:26 AM
Danny.....I just went back and read your last post under Stinky Sax. I'm sorry that I did not see it before. I would have told you to DEFINITLY NOT to do it! I know hindsight is 20/20, but I knew the end result before you did it! Sorry I did not see it in time to talk you out of it!

Captain Muggles
User ID: 9454293 Oct 13th 11:57 AM
Danny....Here it is in almost laymans' terms. Negative ionization has all kind of effects on silver or gold plating. They use negative charged ions in the plating process. It is a precise and detailed process. The distance away from the item is crucial, as is the intensity of the bombardment. Also the spacial distribution of bombardment intensity is a consideration. You did it haphazardly and may have ruined your plating. You can't just "Wing It" when messing with ions and ionization! After all, they use these things in Nucular Bombs! Don't they?

Captain Muggles
User ID: 9454293 Oct 13th 11:59 AM
Danny....I hope ozonization and ionization are the same thing. If not, disregard my comments!

Captain Muggles
User ID: 9454293 Oct 13th 12:33 PM
Danny.....I just checked negative ozonation against negative ionization. Google says they are the same, so I guess I stand by my comments!

Danny Oct 13th 4:41 PM
I can only blame myself for shooting first and not asking any questions. The plating seems to be cleaning up just fine so far with a polishing rag. But more springs are breaking off about 1/3 from their bottom. I guess this is their stress point. I'm going to go ahead and replace all the springs since I can't trust them now. With the sax stripped might as well do new pads as well.
Any one have recommendations for pad/resonator type for 1930 Buescher C-Mel silver plated. I was inerested in the black roo pads with metal domes for an interesting new look but more importantly I would like to preserve the dark sound of this sax.

Alan (UK)
User ID: 8200143 Oct 14th 5:24 AM
Danny - if it's a 1930 Buescher C-Mel you have (and not a Buescher stencil), doesn't it have Buescher snap-in pads ? Try levering up one of the existing resonators, should just pop off, and there'll be a stub left inside the cup.

Buescher went over to those quite early in the 20's on their 'own named' C-Mels. So going for any other pads than replacement snap-ins then requires removal of the stubs - if present.. (don't throw the bits away, valuable ! )

Just about any pads will preserve the 'dark' sound', but the more resonator area you have will allow you to also play brighter and clearer, with wider tonal variations - which is again linked to mouthpiece choice. For example, it'd be really restrictive to fit modern pads and stay with a 20's C-Mel mouthpiece.

Danny
User ID: 2992754 Oct 17th 6:58 PM
No more stinky sax.
The sax is stripped and hand polished. It cleaned up beautifully.
The pads are Buescher snap ins with metal dome resos and still in great shape so I don't think I'll bother to replace them after all.
All other springs tested and appear to be strong.
Hope to have all things back together by next week and ready to play again. I'll be experimenting with several C-Mel MPCs; new Aquilasax, new Runyon and the original vintage Buescher.

Danny User ID: 2992754	Oct 13th 12:18 AM DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. This was a very stupid idea and I am now sorry. I’m only sharing this humiliating event with everyone so that no one else will do it. The ozone shock treatment did kill all mold and bacteria and it purified the air, however at a cost. All of the air born particles evidently become negatively charged and then stick to surfaces and the metal sax must have been the most attracting surface because the sax is covered in a tacky residue. The silver body will now have to be completed cleaned by hand or chemical dip I suppose. Also very strangely and unexpected, two springs simple broke and fell off. They were in good working condition before. I can only suppose that somehow the negative ion charge caused the metal springs to give up electrons from their molecules or some sci-fi thing like that. I hope that the rest of the springs don’t simple start falling off like pine needles off a tree. No telling what other damage this Ozone generator machine might have done. The sax was in almost mint condition and playing very well. All I wanted to do was to get rid of the smell once and for all. Now it looks like over haul time.
Captain Muggles User ID: 9454293	Oct 13th 10:26 AM Danny.....I just went back and read your last post under Stinky Sax. I'm sorry that I did not see it before. I would have told you to DEFINITLY NOT to do it! I know hindsight is 20/20, but I knew the end result before you did it! Sorry I did not see it in time to talk you out of it!
Captain Muggles User ID: 9454293	Oct 13th 11:57 AM Danny....Here it is in almost laymans' terms. Negative ionization has all kind of effects on silver or gold plating. They use negative charged ions in the plating process. It is a precise and detailed process. The distance away from the item is crucial, as is the intensity of the bombardment. Also the spacial distribution of bombardment intensity is a consideration. You did it haphazardly and may have ruined your plating. You can't just "Wing It" when messing with ions and ionization! After all, they use these things in Nucular Bombs! Don't they?
Captain Muggles User ID: 9454293	Oct 13th 11:59 AM Danny....I hope ozonization and ionization are the same thing. If not, disregard my comments!
Captain Muggles User ID: 9454293	Oct 13th 12:33 PM Danny.....I just checked negative ozonation against negative ionization. Google says they are the same, so I guess I stand by my comments!
Danny	Oct 13th 4:41 PM I can only blame myself for shooting first and not asking any questions. The plating seems to be cleaning up just fine so far with a polishing rag. But more springs are breaking off about 1/3 from their bottom. I guess this is their stress point. I'm going to go ahead and replace all the springs since I can't trust them now. With the sax stripped might as well do new pads as well. Any one have recommendations for pad/resonator type for 1930 Buescher C-Mel silver plated. I was inerested in the black roo pads with metal domes for an interesting new look but more importantly I would like to preserve the dark sound of this sax.
Alan (UK) User ID: 8200143	Oct 14th 5:24 AM Danny - if it's a 1930 Buescher C-Mel you have (and not a Buescher stencil), doesn't it have Buescher snap-in pads ? Try levering up one of the existing resonators, should just pop off, and there'll be a stub left inside the cup. Buescher went over to those quite early in the 20's on their 'own named' C-Mels. So going for any other pads than replacement snap-ins then requires removal of the stubs - if present.. (don't throw the bits away, valuable ! ) Just about any pads will preserve the 'dark' sound', but the more resonator area you have will allow you to also play brighter and clearer, with wider tonal variations - which is again linked to mouthpiece choice. For example, it'd be really restrictive to fit modern pads and stay with a 20's C-Mel mouthpiece.
Danny User ID: 2992754	Oct 17th 6:58 PM No more stinky sax. The sax is stripped and hand polished. It cleaned up beautifully. The pads are Buescher snap ins with metal dome resos and still in great shape so I don't think I'll bother to replace them after all. All other springs tested and appear to be strong. Hope to have all things back together by next week and ready to play again. I'll be experimenting with several C-Mel MPCs; new Aquilasax, new Runyon and the original vintage Buescher.