My Yamaha 621 YBH and steel wool?

[LittleJimmy]

Hello

I am scheduled to get my horn cleaned in 2 weeks but, until then, I have 2 concerts and have to keep pulling slides because I can't get all the condensation out using the water keys. Also, it's a little hard to put the slides back in. And also, when I oil my valves, I have trouble putting the valves back in without some resistance. Until I see the instrument guy, might I want to use some steel wool? Might I do some damage?

Thanks.

Little Jimmy

[davewerden]

NO STEEL WOOL!

You could use Flitz polish on the slide surfaces in you want. However...

Do you have a cleaning "snake"? I would swab the inside of the slides that have water keys. If you can't empty them effectively, you probably have a gunk build-up that is keeping water from flowing through the holes.

[bbocaner]

my repair guy uses scotch brite green scouring pads to clean corrosion off tuning slide legs--never pistons though and not trombone slides either. I wouldn't do steel wool on any instrument part which can leave little bits of steel on there.

[tbonesullivan]

I would at most use the scotch brite pads. Maybe try the blue ones first, as they won't scratch the metal.

What kind of grease are you using on your slides? Also, have you tried cleaning your valve casings with a conventional casing brush?

There are some nice "low brass care" kits out there, which will have a rubber coated snake. That can really help get the gunk out of the inside of the slides.

Do you have conventional water keys, or something more "advanced" like amado keys?

After your next cleaning, I would consider getting some BRASS SAVER plastic snakes, and using those to clean out the valve slides once a month at least.

You can also simply take off the slide, put some water inside, cover the end with your hand, and SHAKE. That can help dislodge any crud/goo/etc that may be in there.