Ok. I understand using alcohol pads on bead blasted aluminum. Water would do the same thing, but is not conducive to using on a friction surface. Plus, the aluminum surface is pretty much permanently conditioned as long as the striker used is softer than the aluminum.
But now I am seeing alcohol pads being recommended for almost every surface. Why? I understand that it evaporates and leaves the surface dry, but what exactly is it removing? I'm missing something.
Oils will dissolve in alcohol so it is a good way to get finger oils off of a call. That's pretty much the only reason I can think of. I'm fine with just scotch brite roughing on slate and copper though and saving the alcohol for aluminum and glass. JMO.
I've been wondering the same thing myself. I use them on my anodized surfaces with good results. I wasn't sure about the need on the copper, although I haven't tried it to see what it does one way or the other.
I think cut and run hit the nail on the head..
One word of caution, I would not recommend it for in the field use.. It takes a while to bring the call back to sound through playing... Could be 5 minutes could be 20 minutes.. You almost have to get that striker groove wore back in..
I have had quicker results with a Mr Clean Magic eraser
I tried some on a piece of titanium here earlier after conditioning it. It did remove a lot of something dark colored. Probably just debris from conditioning, but I didn't notice a big change in the sound of it.
A magic eraser. That's a pretty good idea. It evaporates quicker than the alcohol then? Have to give that a try. I know I was in Alabama hunting with a friend and he had an aluminum call that I had built him 3-4 years prior and the surface looked just like it did the day I mailed it out.
Quote from: Gobblerstopper on February 24, 2011, 05:06:57 PM
I tried some on a piece of titanium here earlier after conditioning it. It did remove a lot of something dark colored. Probably just debris from conditioning, but I didn't notice a big change in the sound of it.
A magic eraser. That's a pretty good idea. It evaporates quicker than the alcohol then? Have to give that a try. I know I was in Alabama hunting with a friend and he had an aluminum call that I had built him 3-4 years prior and the surface looked just like it did the day I mailed it out.
I was playing around in the house and used than stuck in front of a heater vent, so no real world advice weather it dried faster or not.. But the slick period was shorter than what it was with alcohol
I tried some on a piece of titanium here earlier after conditioning it. It did remove a lot of something dark colored. Probably just debris from conditioning, but I didn't notice a big change in the sound of it.
A magic eraser. That's a pretty good idea. It evaporates quicker than the alcohol then? Have to give that a try. I know I was in Alabama hunting with a friend and he had an aluminum call that I had built him 3-4 years prior and the surface looked just like it did the day I mailed it out.
and it still looks and more importantly SOUNDS just as good as it sounded brand spankin' new. It's slap full of turleys.
Rick