Does replating ruin a mouthpiece

[Bebopking]

Would replating my vintage Florida Otto Link STM ruin it or make it play different? I'm worried about the bare brass in my mouth. But I really like how the mouthpiece plays and wouldn't want to replate it if it would alter it in any way.

[MojoBari]

The main risk is from buffing the rails and plating on the rails unevenly. Other risks include the bite plate falling out and the plating not lasting. Plating can flake off for a varity of reasons. Us a plater that is used to plating sax mouthpieces. Anderson plating is one. J & J Woodwinds is a another.

[Bebopking]

Thanks Mojo!

[Graftonsax]

Is there much of a risk of causing the table to not come out flat, or can that be touched up after plating?

[Captain Beeflat]

Plating can be removed without buffing...simply by reversing the electrolytic process.

Graftonsax
The risk of a warped table could only be present if the mpc were buffed. Any rectification would be necessary before the plating process, since the plating itself is just microns thick.

[mfry]

Plating can be removed without buffing...simply by reversing the electrolytic process.


It's not just stripping, the plater I use wanted to buff items to have a nice shiny surface to plate onto.

Bobbi, as long as you communicate to your plater clearly that the rails, table, tip aren't to be touched under any circumstances, results should be fine. You may have to pull the biteplate first and replace it later, though.

[Bebopking]

Thanks Morgan, my teacher advised me not to get it re plated. I trust his opinion, so I'll leave it alone.

[Al Carter]

Bobbi, I had Bob Carpenter re-plate my bari Lawton and it turned out fine. He didn't touch the rails or anything - of course, he had given his personal touch to it years ago when I bought it from him. He does nice work.

[Pete Thomas]

Would replating my vintage Florida Otto Link STM ruin it or make it play different? I'm worried about the bare brass in my mouth. But I really like how the mouthpiece plays and wouldn't want to replate it if it would alter it in any way.

I really wouldn't worry, I don't think brass is a problem.

But plating shouldn't be a problem, it's such a thin layer it's unlikely to ciase any unevenness that isn't already there.

[Enviroguy]

I do this kind of thing for a living. The metals and underplating on that Florida STM will most likely not create any health effects unless you have metal allergies. In which case, you would probably already know it.

My own Florida STM has no gold left on it. It is mostly silver from the rhodium underplating. But the table, tip, rails and chamber are bare brass from refacing. I'm a Certified Industrial Hygienist and I have no problem using this at all. Just keep yours clean and free of corrosion. ;)

[Pete Thomas]

I do this kind of thing for a living. The metals and underplating on that Florida STM will most likely not create any health effects unless you have metal allergies.

There you go, an expert backing this up. I didn't want to say too much because all my knowledge is more anecdotal, but I've known people play bare brass Links all their lives and not die.

[rogerb40uk]

.....

[Pete Thomas]

.....

Not yet, AFAIK

[Honeyboy]

It may not be bad for you but I've had to return two very nice mouthpieces- a bare brass Labayle and a brass Dukoff because I can't stand the taste of bare brass.

[al9672]

they didn't say any thing about the taste

[MojoBari]

I do this kind of thing for a living...
My own Florida STM has no gold left on it. It is mostly silver from the rhodium underplating. I assume you do not do plating for a living, just safety stuff, right? Claims of Links having Rh plating are a pet peeve of mine. I think Theo started this rumor but has no proof. I believe all vintage Links have (low cost) Nickel plated under the Gold. Modern ones have (thin layer of Copper) Silver then Gold.

[Honeyboy]

they didn't say any thing about the taste

I know. I did.

[Bebopking]

The taste or the appearance don't really bother me. I was mostly worried about brass poisoning. I've heard of trumpet players that played on bare brass mouthpieces and they would get sores on their lips. Maybe it wasn't from the brass, maybe it was cold sores?

[MojoBari]

There is no such thing as "brass poisoning". But some have severe brass allergies. If you feel your lips tingle, you might be allergic. Brass after-taste can be annoying.

[neilangierof]

Morgan Fry (I believe it was) was saying in another post that bare brass turning green is a sign that the mouthpiece is losing material.

Has anyone ever experienced any problems with their mouthpieces because of this green stuff (apart from the potential health hazards it might pose)?

[Mal 2]

they didn't say any thing about the taste

I know. I did.

And I agree with you. I can't play bare brass either. Any time the "backwash" tastes like metal, this means I either need to plate the offending metal, or replace the mouthpiece entirely. I do my own brush plating in such cases, as this means I can do a bare minimum of polishing, and the layer of plating is very thin. I have not noticed any changes to the playing characteristics after such a DIY job. I have had a case where I did not polish the table sufficiently and the silver came off in large flakes stuck to the back of the reed, but that just meant I had to clean it up better and plate it again.

Silver is enough to solve the taste issue, but if it's a Link or other gold finish, I'll generally apply gold to the silver until it matches. This also means I don't have to worry about tarnishing. Unfortunately, the gold solution does not have a long shelf life -- it's rated at three months, but I am noticing a distinct loss of potency after two. It's also expensive, so you might want to wait until you have a need for gold on multiple items before you order.

[chaz62]

only time brass is poisonus is in the smelting process once cooled and made into what you want its quite safe ,,i shud know im from the wolverhampton in the black country in england the heart of brass founding in the industrial revolution workers in foundries used to go down with a form of brass poisoning but i never saw it documented that acustomer died of brass poisoning,,,as for re plating leave it alone if it sounds ok y take a risk

[Sigmund451]

I dont worry about metal loss. The best way to keep a refaced mouthpiece table from getting nasty is to not leave the reed on it to dry and just sit. It promotes oxidation and corrosion at an accelerated rate. Also, just like you should with your HR pieces, give them a rinse on a regular basis.