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Thread: Hetman lubes

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853

    Hetman lubes

    I just read a post by Lee Stofer over on TubeNet who spoke to Joe Hetman recently about the shortage of Hetman valve oil and slide grease. I know I waited three months for my order of Hetman-7 slide grease. There were some rumors going around that Joe Hetman had retired, but he did not. Here's what Lee Stofer wrote:

    "I had a conversation with Joe Hetman last week - he certainly is not retired, but busier than ever!
    There has been a problem sourcing bottles, so he is switching to new bottles, and it will take some time to get them in and fill orders. He thanked me for my patience, and said he will fill my most recent order as soon as he can."
    Lee Stofer also addressed concerns about white or green build up when using Hetman valve oils. He wrote:
    "Concerning serious green or white buildup within the valves, I have seen that happen for roughly 2% of my customers, and is likely associated with body chemistry, diet, or both. None of us want nasty-looking gunk in our horns, and if you have a better experience with some other lubrication, so be it. In my shop, I clean instruments to a very high standard, thoroughly dry them, then use the appropriate Hetman lubricants so that they leave the shop in top playing condition.
    When an instrument comes back to the shop with buildup in it, most often it has been played a lot, for a year or more, and hasn't been cleaned once in that time. That said, the green or white buildup in that case easily washes off, and is not eating into the brass, telling me that the instrument has been well-protected by the Hetman, and only needs to be
    cleaned more often. When a tuba or euphonium has been cleaned and serviced with Hetman lubricants, regular cleaning with brushes, Dawn dishwashing detergent, and a thorough rinsing is all that is necessary to keep it clean and fresh for a
    long time.

    I was at the dentist's office this morning, and saw a sign in the bathroom - "Only floss the teeth that you want to keep." Apply that thought about maintenance to your horn. Only clean your instrument regularly if you want to keep playing it."
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  2. #2
    Ooooo, that is a great share! Thanks, Rick.

    Let me add some recent experience. I had the horn professionally cleaned in early January. Since then I started using Blue Juice exclusively. To try to keep build up to a minimum, at the start of each day I squirt some oil into the leadpipe and blow it through while wiggling the valves. Then I push everything down and blow just as hard as I can (trying to drive anything picked in the oil into the tuning slide). I take the valves out to clean and oil every few days. I also use Spitballs about once a week.

    From previous experience I know that SB don't really scrub a horn this large. They do help, but they won't scrape the slime out.

    I use my swabs in the lower valve caucades now and then, and when they pick up any slime I know it is close to more serous cleaning. Since the pro cleaning, I have HAD to swab out the valve casings 3 or 4 times, because gunk was building up in the bottom. A couple of those times it was still liquid gunk collected in the bottom cap; two times it had solidified somewhat and was sticking to the bottom of the casing when I had the pistons out.

    This is not much different from my Hetmann experience. I have totally concluded it is my own chemistry showing up here. In Minnesota the opportunity to take it outside for a rinse-out is limited to about half the year, and I don't have a good place in the house. So I am reduced to using swabs and paper towels etc.

    FWIW.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,870
    I use spitballs. I take the valves out occasionally and clean them and swab out the valve casings. I give my horn a complete disassembly and bath at least twice a year. And run as many things as I can through the horn, liquid, soap, brushes, etc. Never have had it professionally cleaned, although maybe I should.

    I was using my Wessex for a while when I had some upgrades done on the Adams, and I put on some thick Hetman's grease on the slides. I really didn't like the result as it got to a funny consistency and very messy. I almost think some of that stuff worked its way into the valve section. And I have tried Hetman's valve oil but it really gunked up the valves for me. I think I must also have some weird chemistry. So I am back with Blue Juice.

    I share the weather challenge that Dave has as I live in South Dakota with somewhat similar weather. But, I have solved that part of the problem, as Linda and I are moving to Florida at the end of April.
    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)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    I still use Blue Juice valve oil along with Hetman-7 slide grease on all but my 2nd slide (Hetman-8 on 2nd slide as it’s thicker). I’m not a big fan of the bottle Blue Juice comes in so use an empty Yamaha Synthetic oil container I have (less bulge in my pocket). I also blow a spitball through the horn every few weeks. I see very little slime in the bottom of my valve caps and no buildup in slides.

    Last month when I took my old Yamaha 641 down to All County Music in Broward County to have it cleaned for selling, I brought Hetman-7 slide grease with me. The tech said he’d never used it before but really liked it and planned to order some for the shop.
    Last edited by RickF; 04-01-2022 at 09:22 PM.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

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