thourogh slide cleaning
Angel14204
I want to get off the layers of old stuff. I have heard of people using brass
polish. Should i use that? Thanks!
cdmmcnamara
Don't use brass polish, it will strip the lacquer from your horn. Here's
what I do:
1) soak your entire disassembled horn in cool to luke-warm water - never use
hot water
2) using a cleaning snake loosen the junk in both the inner and outer slide
tubes - make sure that your snake has NO protruding metal parts it can
scratch the brass leading to pitting
3) rinse out the various tubes with cool water
4) use a clean, lint free cloth and cleaning rod to swab out all tubes; you
may need to replace the cloth as it will get dirty.
5) gently dry and re-lube the horn.
6) if slides and airstream still are not right go to your repair man.
D. McNamara
EDM5970
>may need to replace the cloth as it will get dirty.
I have to warn you to only swab out the outer slide tubes; while it may be
possible to swab the inner tubes safely, I did some fairly serious to an inner
slide by trying to clean it out with a rag back when I was in High school. The
rag jammed, and bent the slide tube out of round and also damaged the lead
pipe. A repairman then told me to only use the snake on the inner slide.
Also be careful when swabbing the outer slide tubes - make sure the cloth is
snug but not too tight, and I find that it helps to lubricate it with a little
lemon pledge. If it seems to get stuck down at the bottom, gently "twist" the
rod to get it out - don't force it.
Slides that have been sitting for a long time, or have not been kept clean,
may need to have the inside of the outer slide polished. This can be done with
almost any brass polish, but I prefer the cheaper, more watery brands. The
inside is raw brass, so it can tarnish or oxidize. Rinse the polish out
thoroughly with warm water, dish detergent, and a snake.
Sue
Dan Cloutier
>How can I thougholly clean my trombone slide before i put on new slide cream?
>I want to get off the layers of old stuff. I have heard of people using brass
>polish. Should i use that? Thanks!
Angel, there are several things you can do to thoroughly clean your slide.
Using brass polish is NOT one of them.
I suggest you take just your outer slide, fill it completely with white
vinegar, and hang it on a doorknob (that won't be disturbed) for a few hours.
Rinse it thoroughly after that.
Then, put warm, soapy water in the outer slide, and run a snake through it,
concentrating especially on the lower 6"-10" of the outer slide (gently
brushing the inside of the outer slide up and down with the snake).
Finally, take a ramrod with cheesecloth wrapped the entire length of the rod,
and insert it into the outer slide. The cheesecloth should be wrapped thick
enough to require a *little* pressure to fit it into the outer slide. Then,
work the ramrod back and forth--again concentrating on the lower 6-10" of the
slide. You should feel the slide heat up a bit where the cheesecloth is
moving back and forth. Note: NEVER do this with your inner slide.
Then suck some cool air through it to cool it off, and you are all set!
----------------------
The crow is a hardy creature, fire-proof in every feature.
Beware, beware the crow! --Ted hughes
act...@my-deja.com
polish, comet cleanser, Goof-Off, or anything abrasive. It is not
necessary. Don't put anything in or on your horn that would require
having your stomach pumped if you swalllwed it.
Here are a few more items, for what they are worth.
Try to find a snake with a nylon-wrapped spring. I don't like the
sound of metal to metal that you get when using a snake with an exposed
metal spring. And be careful. Don't jam it in. If it doesn'tmove
freely through the slide, don't use it.
Be very careful if you are using a snake or any other device on the
inside of the inner slides. Most new players aren't aware tha the
fisrt part of the upper slide contains a "leadpipe" which is a section
of tubing with a slight restriction to create a venturi effect. This
is essential to produce the sound the manufacturer intended. In fact
on some pro horns, you can buy multiple interchangeable leadpipes to
vary the sound quality on the fly. Don't push anything into the upper
slie that might alter or dislodge the leadpipe.
If you are concerned that there is a lot of juck inside the outer
slide, let it soak overnight in a bathtub full of water with a mild
dish detergent like Joy, then carefully run the snake through it in the
morning. If that isn't good enough, you should take it to a good
repair shop. Most of then have a spindle that can polish the inner
slide safely and it won't cost much.
If you have an outer slide that is particularly oxidized, you may have
to clean it quite frequently for awhile. I have one horn that I had to
clean about 5 times (once weekly for 5 weeks) before it was really
clean.
I've heard of some people using a rifle cleaning brush to clean their
outer slides. I don't know about this.
Cleaning the chrome side of the inner slide should be a piece of cake.
If you can't wipe things right off, try using a rag with some light oil
(valve oil or something).
Good luck.
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