Does anyone know of a way to remove a small scratch on the inner slide without taking it to a repair shop? I realize that may be the best way to fix it but is there any other safe way?

no

Dont worry about it. If its not affecting your slide movement and is not protruding is should have no effect on instrument. Unless it is deep and on the runners and those are usually covered with fine scraches anyway.
Sounds like your bone is brand new. It will get various small marks eventually all over it. Unless the slide sounds scratchy over doesnt move very smooth there is no need to worry.

If the scratch is throught he lacquer on the inner slide your going to get rust. rust is bad. take it to a repair tech to getit looked at. oh yea and make sure this repair knows what to do with trombone slides.

Most slides are made of Chrome or nickel plated brass. Not laquered steel.
It is possible for brass rot to happen on the slide. But the whole inside of the trombone is not laqured or plated. The inside of the outer slide is not laquered or plated at all. Really would not make a different if a small space on inner slide lost plating, Unless it was on the runners.
Anyway he siad small scratch and it most likely could not have gone through the plating.

Well if you really want take it to a repair tech. Just to ask, cant hurt.

Really if you wanted to remove the scratch the tech. would need to buff it so it would look smooth. Buffing would remove extremly small amounts of material arond the scratch "blending" it in. I doubt any tech would buff an inner slide anyway, expecially for this reason. Replating is costly and pointless for this situation.

chrome slides? really? wow.... thats impressive.


slides can rust. if youd like ill email you pictures of King 2b with rusted stockings.

also i always recommend taking things to the repair even if the expert advice online from somebody who has no idea the extent of the damage tells me not to.

a scratch through the plating on the slides can be very bad for your slide. getting it looked at and made sure its set straight is good. anyways its always fun to get a freshly tuned up slide.

cheers.

this is also a VERY general rule to everybody. dont try to fix something yourself unless it really is SUPER simple like screwing in a loose screw. if its anything that takes some sort of expertise and you just look it up online and decide to do it yourself. dont. just take it to a tech.

Why bother arguing, since now know I have learned NONFERROUS metal CAN rust.

Just go to
http://forum.trombone.org/

Questions asked there will get responses from real professionals that actually know what they are talking about.
People there dont waste time arguing over basic scientific properties of brass.

Wow guy, wow. Way to make a small debate into a large argument.

Anyone else want to whip it out on the table and compare?

As for the original question, no, there isn`t really an easy way to fix scratches on a slide. If you are really concerned about it, take it to a trusted repair shop and have them give you their professional opinion AFTER looking at it. Just make sure it is a "trusted" repair shop. I live in one of the top ten major metropolitan areas of the country, and there is only one shop I bring my trombones to for repairs, ESPECIALLY slide work, and I don`t mind the 1 hour drive to get there. Yay for A&G in Oakland, California.

We can argue nonstop about the physical properties of metals, whether or not you should get it looked at, the differences between "rust" and "rot", or whos is bigger, but in the end, it`s your decision to get it looked at or not.

There ya go.

Just so you know, the repair moderator on the trombone.org website is my good friend and repair tech. so im not just talking out of my butt these are things that i have learned from him.

Brass "rust" is actually copper oxide that forms green crystalline deposits. Brass "rot" is dezincification, which turns the metal red. Brass is made up of copper and zinc, so these are the general forms of decomposition. Copper oxide is usually not a real problem if it happens in small amounts (like if there is sweat on the instrument) and is cleaned up with a damp cloth. Dezincification in mass quantity is generally a sign that the brass is changing it`s alloy composition and is probably nearing the end of its usefull life. Small spots can be caused by sweat as well, and should be polished with a brass polish, unless it is a lacquered horn and you like the lacquer.