Piston and Slide Maintenance

[soprano]

I am new to the euphonium. How often do we oil the pistons and grease the slides?

[BrandonJones]

This really depends on many factors....how old is the horn, what kind of oil and grease are you using, how much do you play on a daily basis, etc. If it's a new horn, and you play 2+ hours per day, oiling them once every day or two (after cleaning off the piston with a lint-free cloth first!) should be fine for the break-in process. On my Prestige, I only have to oil once every 3 days or so, and I'm good to go. As for greasing the slides, take them out, clean them off, put lanolin on them. Will last for an extremely long time and does it's job. Just don't put too much on there! Hope this helps, and if you have any specific questions regarding either of these two topics, feel free to email me. I'd be more than happy to help you!

[soprano]

I've just begun to learn how to play. I have a 20 year old Besson and practice about an hour a day. Since it is an older instrument I'm assuming the pistons and slides should be oiled and greased on a frequent basis. I'm just not sure how frequently. I'm using Yamaha valve oil and Superslick grease. Thanks for your help.

[fsung]

I have a Besson New Standard (Imperial) that was purchased new in 1975, and practice about 1 1/2 hours every day.

I oil my valves twice a week. (I also blow oil down the leadpipe at the end of a practice session, twice a week.) The only time I grease my slides is after washing my horn (2-3x a year). I also put a >tiny< dab of grease on the theads of the valve casing (both top and bottom) to prevent the caps from becoming frozen. More frequent oiling/greasing doesn't seem to make any difference in the quickness/smoothness of the valve action or ease of slide pulling.

Two things to note with lanolin: you want anhydrous lanolin rather than hydrous lanolin, and make sure to clean off your slides if you're not going to be playing your horn for an extended period of time. Lanolin WILL dry out and WILL freeze your slides every bit as effectively as SuperGlue. (Don't ask me how I know this.)

[kevin67]

If the pistons are dry - oil them.
If you pull one out before you play, and its wet then don't oil it.

Your slides are very important. Make sure you pull your second valve slide reguarly. Else, it will get stuck.

Main thing with any slide grease you choose, DO NOT get it on your valves.

[davewerden]

Originally posted by: kevin67
If the pistons are dry - oil them.

I would modify that slightly. Sometimes the pistons will look wet, but what you are seeing is not oil but rather water, a result of the moisture in the air you blow through the horn.

If the piston looks slick (with a smooth, damp-looking surface) that is probably oil. If you see drops on the piston it is probably water. In that latter case you would want to wipe down the valve and re-oil it.

[hflynn3]

Apparently you do not play on a valve that has never had oil. When I got my new euphonium one of the valves wouldn't come all the way back up. I went to a music store and they sold me a special brush for cleaning the casings and some oil. That seems to have solved the problem.

[JP]

If the slides move freely dry, is it necessary to lube them at all? To provide a better seal? To prevent slide wear? Thanks.

JP

[davewerden]

Originally posted by: JP
1) If the slides move freely dry, is it necessary to lube them at all?
2) To provide a better seal?
3) To prevent slide wear? Thanks.

1) Yes
2) Yes
3) Yes

And, 4) if there is no lubricant, or if the lubricant dries out, it's possible for the slide to freeze in place, mostly on slides that don't get moved much in regular use. In extreme cases it would be necessary to have a repair shop get the slide out for you.

And it's a good idea to clean them off each time before you lubricate it to get off the residue of the last lube.

[majorchubbs]

I use gun grease on my tuning slides, and it seem to last for a long time. It seem to be cheaper than music brand stuff I used before(schilke tuning slide grease). Anybody else use this?