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The one product I continuously depend upon

6K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  PigSquealer 
#1 ·
This stuff has magical powers. I don't know where I'd be without it. Id be doing the dollar bill thing like most people with sticky pads, which sucks big time. This stuff gives me peace of mind on every gig that if my pads start to stick, I can just apply a few drops on the gauze strips gently between the pad and tone hole rim and surface, and the pads will no longer stick for at least a few days. and it is not toxic like lighter fluid and one $7.00 bottle lasts me about 3 years. Liquid Tin Bottle Drinkware Beverage can
 
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#6 ·
The guys who developed this stuff worked on my Super 20. They gave me a bottle of it. I haven't needed it yet but I can say they sure know their way around those old Kings. They are nice guys too which (for me) makes a difference. I do know they used it on the sticking pads I had and I'm not experiencing any issues...
 
#10 ·
I've used Vandoren Powder Papers for years and my pads rarely stick. Every 6 months or so, or when I remember it, I clean them with lighter fluid. I've never found it to be harmful and it does clean the accumulated crud off.
 
#13 ·
It's often not available at your typical hardware store in a lotta places. And FWIW, this is the first time I have read about using it for sticking pads. But if it is 800 or 1000 grade, I can understand why it'd work fine (no pun intended). Yup, 1000gr feels almost literally like swiping your fingertip across a piece of plain white bond paper.

Then there's 1500gr !...which you can use on yer'------

:|
 
#15 ·
I just use a "coffee filter" that I cut into a shape good for sax key pads. I even leave one under the G# key from time to time in between playing times. When I remove the filter all residue has been cleaned and the pad shape doesn't change at all. I also feel that new products are worth a try if given good reviews. That's why SOTW is so great!
 
#16 ·
Glad to see that somebody else does this as I've been using Melitta Coffee Filter paper for close to ten years. I saw those B&G Universal Pad dryer pieces at my tech's shop one day, but the price was absurd. Back home making some coffee the lightbulb lit and I took a couple of filters and cut them into convenient sizes to use to dry the pads. It takes less than a minute to dry the whole horn and is especially good for the closed keys, Eb1, C#1, palm and side keys which often are wet, and of course the G# pad. I have about a dozen pieces in an envelope in my case, along with the Vandoren powder paper pack, and since they can be used over and over again endlessly, one whole package of Melitta Filters is probably good for a lifetime.
 
#17 ·
Another vote of confidence in coffee filters! I don't leave them in place when the horn is fallow, thinking that it would keep the pad wet longer. And thanks for the 1000 grit thought, can't't hurt to polish up the tone holes.
 
#20 ·
Fact is it has never been a problem. I put a piece of the paper under a pad and close the pad down on it and then look at the paper. If the pad was wet the paper will have absorbed the moisture and you can see it. I repeat one or two more times on different sections of the paper or on another paper until the paper remains dry. This stuff is really absorbent so it will pick up the least bit of moisture and you can see it immediately. I put the wet papers on some surface in my practice space or if at a gig, simply back in the envelope, and they always dry out quite quickly. This material is not cloth so it doesn't retain liquid and once dry, although there may be a stain or signs that the paper is not fresh and new, no kind of molds grow because it is dry already. The paper is really thin, you realize, unlike a reed, and also doesn't have tubules inside it that retain liquid. Even when they have been used dozens of times the most they show may be some dirt stains and wrinkles from being used. I've been using them close to ten years and can vouch for this. When the papers are new, they're fairly stiff but with a lot of use they tend to get wrinkled and soft and are harder to slide under the pads easily. That's when I replace them, but not due to any problems with smell or molds.

BTW, when I said I keep them in my case I erred. What I do is keep them in a plain envelope, usually from some bill or other, which I have in a pouch in my backpack with my strap, swabs and other gear.
 
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