Trumpet Cleaning Question
George Bracewell
Thanks in advance.
David Miller
George,
I think the answer lies somewhere in between the two extremes you
mention.
I wonder what was suggested to use to clean your mouthpiece daily. For
myself, I can only stand to use silver polish on my mpc a few times a
year. Each time I polish it, I finish it up by spinning it on a bench
motor while buffing it with a wet chamois. After all this, it still has
that silver polish "sticky feel" which takes a while to get rid of.
As for the horn, it really depends on what is going through it. If you
are playing alot after eating and/or fail to remove the moisture out of
the horn after playing, cleaning will be needed more often. Monthly
seems a bit much to me. I play professionally and clean my horns about
3 times a year.
Sometimes with younger players, there is a danger involved with cleaning
a horn. The pistons and valve casings are very delicate. Every student
should be taught how to clean their horn the correct way. Valve brushes
and the like can cause damage if not used properly. Maybe your teacher
can show you how best to clean your horn.
The leadpipe swab someone mentioned earlier is a very good idea. I
occasionally use an oboe swab I trimmed down in size just for the lead
pipe.
Just over a week ago I replaced the 25 year old leadpipe on my main Bb
trumpet and I was surprised to see just how clean and shiny it was
inside. The only damage was on the outside where my thumb had almost
worn a hole. That was the reason for replacing it.
So back to your question. I feel doing the daily mpc cleaning and
monthly horn cleaning may be a bit too much. Go play your horn, wipe it
off as much as you can after you play it and at the end of each semester
give it a good cleaning. You can also do a periodic look down the
leadpipe (tuning slide removed) to see what kind of creatures, if any,
are growing there. Same thing for the mouthpiece.
Good luck.
Dave M
Richard Hurwitz
Actually, leaving it alone, if there's no problem with crud build-up, is best.
Cleaning it changes the way it blows and you have to re-accustom yourself to a "new" trumpet after that.
I guess it's a matter of preference.
RH
George Bracewell wrote:
I wonder if someone can give me the benefit of their experience regarding information on cleaning my trumpet.
-snip for space-
RHAAPANEN
I'd like to add my two cents re: cleaning my trumpet. I do this at least twice
a year. Run warm water through it with a couple of teaspoons of baking soda -
usually under the faucet in the bath tub. Blow the excess water out of it,
pull the valves, wipe them off and re-oil. Pull slides and re-grease (or oil -
I use a synthetic oil for this on the first and third slides). I boil the
mouthpieces for a while, then clean out with a Q-tip. Works for me.
RH
TrebleHorn
In article <34BC402C...@golden.org>, George Bracewell
<brow...@golden.org> writes:
> I
have been advised that I should clean the mouthpiece after each use,
>the
valves at least weekly and the horn itself at least monthly. Is
>this
correct or would this be overdoing it?
This is exactly as it should be IMHO. Condensation and acids from saliva will
build up and corrode the brass from inside out. Left long enough, and dark
tarnish and pits will begin to appear on the outside. A complete through hole
is only days behind this.
> I
was in my local music store the other day and one of the employees (who
plays trumpet) told me the less cleaning the better. he said the horn
plays better if it is left alone.<<
AGHHHHHH. I bet he uses SOS pads to clean the outside as well. Sheesh.
An instrument of any type that is cleaned and maintained properly and regularly
will provide years of enjoyment. Regular cleaning also provides a perfect time
for close visual inspection. Corrosion on slide tubes, buildup in the mouthpipe
etc, all can be caught and remedied early, saving the obvious costs that are
associated with full blown repair by a competant technician later.
Get yourself a new set of brushes ( mouthpiece and snake type) and make using
them a regular habit. Warm soapy water, followed by valve and slide
lubrication, a soft lint free buffrag , and a little of your time is a very
cheap investment indeed.
Congratulations on the new horn. Good Luck.
TrebleHorn
Alan Larsen
JFDonaldsn
This is from the Music-Chem (makers of Pro-Oil Valve oil). It is a good summary
I think. Hope it helps.
Jim Donaldson
Denver, Colorado
JFDon...@aol.com
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Care of Piston Valve Brass Instruments
Introduction
Brass musical instruments are continually subjected to the aerosols in the
musician's breath. Over time this debris will build up inside the instrument
until its performance is degraded. Valve action in particular is drastically
effected when those aerosols attach themselves to the piston and valve
casing. Human saliva is also damaging to these instruments. The salts and
enzymes present in saliva promote Monel valve staining, attack internal
solder joints, and cause dezinicification (red rot) in the crooks of the
slides. On the outside of the instruments, sweat from the hands also causes
dezinicification. Therefore, to ensure that the instrument performs properly
and to retard corrosion, it is necessary to not only clean it regularly, but
in an effective way. The following method of maintenance will ensure that
the instrument can perform at its utmost. Although there are many techniques
in use, this method is based on soapy water, a little effort, and a lot of
common sense.
Cleaning Equipment
To clean inside the instrument you should use a quality snake which has a
protective coating covering its length. The snakes' bristles should be
moderately stiff, but the ends should not have exposed metal tips. Wire
brushes may get the task done quickly, but the added risk of scratching the
instrument does not justify their use. The concern is that their routine use
might scratch the instrument's interior enough to provide a better surface
for mold to anchor between washings. Moreover, a weakened wall on an old
instrument can be easily perforated. We therefore prefer to rely on the
proven power of soapy water to loosen the debris followed by a thorough, but
gentle, brushing to remove the debris. To clean the valve casings you should
use a valve casing brush that is soft enough to avoid marring the casing
wall. Do not use scouring pads, metal brushes or any abrasives. The
mouthpiece is cleaned with a mouthpiece brush, but a cotton or foam swab
works well inside the cup.
As for the soap, Lemon Joy and Palmolive liquid dish soap work well. DO NOT
use toothpaste, abrasive soaps, Brasso, Tarnex, chemicals or any soaps that
make the water turn milky. Do not use soaps that leave behind an odor, or
claim to contain a skin softening lotion. Cleaners such as Fantastic,
Pinesol, and Mr. Clean are powerful cleaners, but they have solvents that
might soften and blush some lacquer finishes. Some are also alkaline enough
to increase any red rot already forming on the instrument.
Procedure
Begin by removing all of the slides. Use soft paper toweling to remove all
traces of tuning slide grease from the slides and the instrument. A little
grease goes a long way in slowing down your valves, and this step will keep
grease from transferring to the valves and casing during cleaning. Silicone
based slide grease is uniquely tough to remove. If you have a silicone based
slide grease on your slides, remove it with a paper towel saturated in
mineral spirits. Place the slides somewhere safe for until the soapy water
is ready.
The valves are also best cleaned separately. First, soak them in individual
plastic cups containing enough lukewarm soapy water to just cover the top of
the piston, but not the felts. Use your snake to gently clean the ports of
each piston, and a soft soapy wash cloth to clean the outside of each
piston. Again, let the soaking do most of the cleaning.
The most effective technique for cleaning the rest of the instrument is to
work in a bathtub or large basin. Obviously do not use an automatic
dishwasher; it will not clean the instrument interior and it will
permanently damage your instrument. Fill the tub with lukewarm water (not
hot) and mix in a healthy amount (about 10 mL) of the liquid dish soap.
Place a large cloth towel in the bottom of your tub or basin to help prevent
scratching the instrument during cleaning. Put the disassembled instrument,
slides and mouthpiece (but not the valves) onto the towel in the bathtub and
let the parts soak for about 30 minutes to loosen any debris. For larger
instruments which may not fit completely under the water, pour soapy water
down the bell. Use a soft cloth to wash the external parts of the
instrument. Dip the snake's brush in some dish soap and gently run the snake
inside every tube and slide. Do not try to force the snake all the way
around the curves of the small slides.
Remove the valve caps on the bottom of the valve casing. Use your soft valve
casing brush to GENTLY brush out the valve casing. Remember, this is a
delicate part of your instrument, so be gentle. Use the same technique with
the mouthpiece, but use a mouthpiece brush. If the instrument is
exceptionally dirty, let it soak longer. Again, do not use abrasives,
scouring pads or metal brushes; the soapy water will work if you are
patient. Although in extreme cases some dilute acid will remove dried layers
of debris, it is far better to let an experienced repair shop perform any
acid treatment.
After you are satisfied that everything is clean, rinse all the parts well
with lukewarm water until every trace of soap is gone. To prevent spotting,
the outside of the instrument can be wiped dry. The external finish will
scratch easily, so use the softest cloth you can find. A very worn, but
clean, cotton Tee-shirt or old cotton pajamas work well for this. Blow out
any water hanging up in the tubing, and lay the instrument out to dry
overnight. It is very important that the pistons, the valve casings, and the
ends of the slides be bone-dry before you begin to reassemble the
instrument. Oil and grease work far better and last longer if applied to
perfectly dry surfaces. Remember oil and water do not mix.
Begin reassembling your instrument by rubbing a thin bead of slide grease on
the tips of the male ends of each tuning slide. By applying grease in this
way any excess grease will be pushed out of the instrument instead of into
the instrument where it can eventually effect valve action. Use a very light
grease on the trigger slides, and a very heavy grease on the main tuning
slide. Be sure to wipe any excess grease off the exterior surfaces of the
instrument.
After all of the slides have been assembled, the valves need to be properly
prepared. It is absolutely necessary to liberally coat BOTH the valve and
the valve casing surfaces with valve oil (ten drops on each valve and ten
drops on each casing) so that excess oil will transfer to the internal
solder joints. In doing so it will protect them against dezinicification
(red discoloration) and corrosion (blue-green discoloration) which are
caused by exposing the naked metal to saliva. Use your fingers to forcefully
rub the oil onto the entire piston surface. This rubbing action guarantees
complete coverage of the valve, and helps protect Monel valves against
spotting. Some musicians blow oil through the instrument. This is a good
idea to protect the instrument interior, but does not replace proper oiling
of the piston and valve casing as we described.
Finally, let us say that we know that this process might sound long and
arduous, but after the first time, it will be fast and easy. The rewards,
however, will last a long time.
[Image]
Copyright © 1996 MusiChem, Incorporated
David Miller
JIM
YES, YES, YES!!! This is a very good article, and I think everyone
should read it. I read it carefully several times over, and the advice
they give is very good!
I think everyone here could benifit by seeing it.
Since I do this kind of work daily, I see only a few points the article
overlooked that may be worth mentioning, if I may.
One, their advice on cleaning the pistons is very good. Doing it this
way will keep the player from having to keep up with valve springs,
guides, and felts. It is important to not get the felts wet. What they
overlooked was what you do after you have cleaned the pistons with the
soapy water. They didn't mention the rinsing process, and I only bring
this up to point out that there will be water inside each piston. This
water has to come out. You won't want to accumulate ANY kind of soap or
chemical inside the piston. It can and will eat through a piston
Therefore, it is very important to rinse the inside of the piston. This
will cause some water to shoot up into the spring barrel, so be careful
to avoid the felts getting wet. To dry (after blowing off), I always
lay my pistons out on a sheet of heavy card stock paper. It's cheap,
and when I'm done, I just throw the sheet of parer away. Be sure to
position the pistons in a way to keep them from rolling away.
Another point overlooked was waterkeys. Fortunately, most waterkeys
have stainless steel or rust free parts. However, on occasion, you will
come across screws that can and will rust if not handled correctly.
Either way, you will want to use an oil on both the spring and screw of
the waterkeys while doing the re-assembly work. Use a cloth to pat dry
the cork. A wet cork can swell. The above also applies to triggers.
Amado (push button) waterkeys also pose a similar problem. They won't
rust (they use stainless springs) but oiling them is necessary after
cleaning a horn. Remember, all an Amado is is a little valve anyway,
just like the ones you push to play.
Finally, I find it very important to apply a few drops of heavy key oil
to the threads of both the top and bottom of the valve casings. This
will prevent valve caps from becoming stuck.
Again, the article was a super one! I do hope all get a chance to see
this one!
Best wishes,
Dave M
PS- One last trivial tid bit. Make sure to add a drop of key oil to
the stop rod retaining allen screw on the Bach trumpet. They can be
heck to remove when they get rusty.
Yellow5000
>This is from the Music-Chem (makers of Pro-Oil Valve oil). It is a good
>summary
>I think. Hope it helps.
>
> Jim
Wow, that's exactly how I clean my trumpet, and I learned from an old book that
deals with all brass instruments. I never heard of dipping the valves
themselves, though.