Fading Ebonite Instrumets?

[grafinvonwandernd]

I'm sure a lot of you deal with ebonite/hard rubber instruments and we all know how horribly they can fade. I recently purchased an ebonite Russian flute and started looking for a way to dye it as it had some really odd fading. After searching on the internet I found Pensbury Manor Black Hard Rubber Pen Potion No. 9 - Black Hard Rubber Dye and thought I'd give it a try. I am thrilled with the results and thought I'd share them with you. If you're interested in restoring the colour of your ebonite instruments you can get the dye from this website. http://pensburymanor.com/PMBHRPPNo9.html

[Jon C.]

That worked out well, good going!

[monkeymonk]

Thanks for starting this thread! i have been thinking about restoring my ebonite flute recently. It's in better shape than your's was but anytime moisture gets on the surface that area will turn green. Usually a little wiping down helps but not always. I heard about "Stem Restore Kit" http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/html/st ... e_kit.html for pipe stemswhich seemed like a great, safe option but i didn't think it was a good idea to use an abrasive compound on the surface of my flute, especially on the tone holes and the embouchure.
Is the headjoint ebonite and if so did you treat that too?

[jemtheflute]

Hi grafinvonwandernd, and welcome here. That does look like a potentially very useful product. I have some Ebonite flutes which might benefit.....

I'm just curious, as this is your very first post, are you the manufacturer/a supplier of the product or just a satisfied user?

[grafinvonwandernd]

This dye colours the rubber and then leaves a protective coat over it that you buff to a shine.

Monkeymonk: The headjoint is metal with a plastic lip plate; it sadly needs a lot more than just a dye. The screws are stripped and the lip plate is cracked.

Thanks for the welcome, Jemtheflute! I am not the manufacturer or supplier, just a satisfied user that knew some of you had ebonite instruments.

[monkeymonk]

That's a lot of work but i know folks here on this forum go to great lengts to restore antique flutes.
In my looking in to some of these restoration products i came across a saxiphone forum that discusses using Pen Potion on old ebonite moulthpieces as well as the Stem Restore that i mentioned above. On the second page of the thread a lengthy procedure for using pen potion is listed: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread ... outhpieces
Can you talk a little more about the procedure you used?

[grafinvonwandernd]

This dye doesn't have nearly that many steps to it.

1. Wash the object you wish to dye to remove the oils. Suggested cleaning with 50/50 mix of ammonia and water or alcohol followed by rinsing with water. (I used soap and water and had no problems.)
2. Allow to dry 12 hours.
3. Set instrument on a stand and use a paint brush to apply dye evenly. May take two coats. (Dye is a bit thinner than most of the paint I've ever used, quite easy to work with.)
4. Allow to dry over night.
5. Hand buff. (I consider this to be the hardest step.)

If you get any dye on the silver parts of the instrument it will just rub off.

[RudallRose]

what's the holding time like? in other words, how long before the painted dye wears off?
or how does it handle use, either hands-on contact or the spittle of a flute?

how long before you need to re-do it?
or is this yet to be determined?

[Jon C.]

I would think using museum wax to seal the deal might be a good last step. What do you think?

[grafinvonwandernd]

Not sure how long it would take before you'd have to redo it, if ever. Just finished it a few days ago and the instructions don't say anything about how long it lasts.

Museum wax might be a good last step, depends on how long the coating the dye leaves lasts on its own.

[Jon C.]

Not sure how long it would take before you'd have to redo it, if ever. Just finished it a few days ago and the instructions don't say anything about how long it lasts.

Museum wax might be a good last step, depends on how long the coating the dye leaves lasts on its own.

The museum wax might help seal in the dye against moisture.

[jemtheflute]

Re: last few posts - follow the OP link and read the manufacturer's info about how it is supposed to work.

[MTGuru]

One could also ask for opinions about the goo over at the Fountain Pen Network - the counterpart to the Chiffboard in the pen enthusiast world:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/

These people are every bit as crazy - I mean, geeky - about pens as we are about our chosen obsessions.

I recently found a friendly and highly recommended local pen restorer there, who has agreed to take on my beloved 1952 Schaeffer Snorkel in the next few months. It's not ebonite, though, so it won't need the goo.