Cleaning Your Horn - and Herco Spitballs

[davewerden]

Here is a video where I describe my various cleaning procedures, including the use of Herco Spitballs. (It is the verbose version, and I'm thinking about editing it to make an additional, much shorter version.)

https://youtu.be/kVxSxMnV8i8

[John Morgan]

Nice. I added a comment/question on the youtube video.

[Snorlax]

I love my spitballs!!!

[davewerden]

I love my spitballs!!!

You mean the Herco kind, right?

[Euph95]

Does anyone here know which size of spitballs will work best with a medium shank Willson 2900? I'm worried the small size will be too small to have any effect and that the large size will get stuck in the lead pipe. Any help is appreciated!

[daruby]

The regular trombone/euphonium ones work fine. I use them in my small shank English baritone (even an old Besson 956 4 valve with the worst twisty wrap in the world). No problems. Just make sure you insert far enough into the leadpipe, pull out the tuning slide, and blow like hell with the mouthpiece in the leadpipe. Even with all 4 valves down, I have never had a problem getting them to come out.

[Euph95]

Awesome, I'll grab some of the normal ones then! Thank you for your help!

[davewerden]

Just to be clear, you want size 15.

[John Morgan]

I have really become a fan of the Herco Spitballs. I thought Linda was too, that is, until I forced her to watch a couple episodes of blowing the spitballs through my horn, and the resulting yuk that splatted onto a couple paper towels. She now goes to another part of the house when I do the Herco maneuver. I am still amazed each and every time I do this that the spitballs don't end up in some unreachable nook or cranny of my horn.

[Pat]

Saw the video, got some... I'm a believer!

[JoeMin]

Hi all,
just got some....tried it last week , and it never came out??? If I remember right I believe I had all 4 valves pressed down? I don't know where it went , but assume it's caught in there somewhere. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Joe

[davewerden]

Hi all,
just got some....tried it last week , and it never came out??? If I remember right I believe I had all 4 valves pressed down? I don't know where it went , but assume it's caught in there somewhere. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Joe

Did you pull the main tuning slide out before doing this?

[John Morgan]

If it doesn't come out, get a long snake (trombone slide cleaning tool, see picture). You should be able to run that through all of the slides, which is probably where it is. Take all your valves out and watch as you use the snake. I haven't tried this, but it seems like it would work.

[davewerden]

In addition to my question above, does the horn play at all? And do the valves work now? That would narrow down where the foam is stuck.

I once forgot to remove my tuning slide (which is why I asked my first question!) and the spitball ended up in the large tubing after the tuning slide. I was able to shake it out through the bell.

[mbrooke]

Hi all,
just got some....tried it last week , and it never came out??? If I remember right I believe I had all 4 valves pressed down? I don't know where it went , but assume it's caught in there somewhere. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Joe

Try pouring water down the bell and the emptying it out. It may just be in the main wrap of tubing below the bell.

Mike