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Thread: Adams players: What oil do you use?

  1. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by spkissane View Post
    I just had my horn cleaned at the shop, and I pretty much oil before every gig and rehearsal.... I switched to Al Cass the last couple times and, thought it may be psychosomatic, it SEEMS to make an improvement? I have always kind of lumped most "basic" oils into the same category (Al Cass, Blue Juice, Five Starr, Accent, any generic store branded oil etc.), and figured they were all pretty much interchangeable. Perhaps I'm wrong about that?

    John, is his "polishing" procedure different from a regular lapping?
    Lee did the same polishing on my valves. He is not using an abrasive like a lapping compound, just something akin to the Flitz that I use. There can be deposits that build up over time and are the very dickens to clean off! Even my little ultrasonic cleaner won't get rid of such deposits, probably because to clean those I would have to use a fluid in the ultrasonic's tub that could harm the brass caucades in the pistons.

    A typical cleaning at a shop won't get at the tough stuff. It is good for cleaning out the passages, so it is not money wasted. The Spitballs only help a bit, but at some point one has to get serious about cleaning the passages. Then the entire valve casing has to be cleaned separately, because the flush from a shop won't really touch that. Be sure to use a wooden or plastic tool to scrape out the slot that the valve guide travels in. Then clean bottom and top caps.

    Even with all that, it can be very hard to get all the little curvy passages clean, especially the short runs between valves. That's were the shop's flush might do the most good, assuming the allow ample time for the build-up to soften and flush out.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
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  2. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
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    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
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    Quote Originally Posted by spkissane View Post
    I just had my horn cleaned at the shop, and I pretty much oil before every gig and rehearsal.... I switched to Al Cass the last couple times and, thought it may be psychosomatic, it SEEMS to make an improvement? I have always kind of lumped most "basic" oils into the same category (Al Cass, Blue Juice, Five Starr, Accent, any generic store branded oil etc.), and figured they were all pretty much interchangeable. Perhaps I'm wrong about that?



    John, is his "polishing" procedure different from a regular lapping?
    Ditto what Dave said. They looked really clean and shinny when Lee did it.

    One way I have to see if the valves need cleaning, particularly when they stick, is to pull the valve out and look in the holes of the valves. If there is any buildup of gunk right at the opening to any valve hole, that tells me to clean it. I should probably clean even before I see this. I suspect this gunk gets into the space between the valve and valve chamber/housing and causes the sticking.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
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    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
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