I've taken to oiling my horn more frequently, but the oil cuts right through the grease I have on the tuning slides. What can I change so that this will no longer happen?

I use C.G. Conn Rotary Oil (RO41035) and Selmer Tuning Slide and Cork Grease (2942).

Dump them both.
For oil try using Aja Pro Oil, or Al Cass oil.

For grease try using Hetman #8 slide grease.

I use an automotive oil treatment similar to STP. No kidding. I put it in an empty eye dropper bottle (like Murine or such). It's easy to use, a tiny bit goes a long way and lasts a long time. I like the automotive lube better than Selmer's tuning slide grease (the pink stuff) or Hetman's, both of which I've used in the past. (Maybe I like it becuase it's cheaper. I think it's about the same thing as the pink stuff.)

I got the idea from a pro horn playing friend who uses STP. For $10 I get a life time supply and I share it with my students and anyone else who brings me an empty eye dropper bottle to fill. The specific product I use is called Hyper-Lube Oil Supplement. It looks like honey. The reason I bought this product instead of STP is the Hyper-Lube comes in a 32 oz. sqeeze bottle with a narrow tip that makes it easy to transfer into the tiny eye dropper bottle.

For valve oil, I use Ultra Pure Lamp oil (the blue stuff) I buy at Walmart. I've used it for over two years and love it. My slides and valves work great.

Valerie Wells
http://bebabe.wordpress.com/


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One more thing . . . I have a friend who used some thick black grease he buys at the hardware store. It's like axle grease or something. It's really, really thick. I've seen him use various oils for his valves, sometimes Al Cass, other times a cheap trumplet valve oil he bought on clearance at Walmart (they used to sell trumpets at Walmart.) His valves and slides work great.

Another One more thing . . . Both he and I wash our horns out frequently with warm water and dishwashing liquid. Maybe that's why we've both had good luck with our valves. We're both clean freaks.

I was talking to a guy the other day who has played horn for quite a while, and he suggested that I try anhydrous lanolin. Would this also be a good alternative?

3-If you get the lanolin on the end of your slides and it gets into your valves they will become sluggish like a choo-choo train with no fuel. And then you need to somehow clean it out (yes keroscene works and I bet Valeries lamp oil will work also).

This must be one of the reasons my valves always work so well. It's the cheap lamp oil! $5.00 for about a quart.

Thanks, John. Great information.

Valerie Wells
http://bebabe.wordpress.com/

An Euphonium-player I know uses ordinary vaseline
for his tuning-slides. I don't know if
this has a disadvantage on a brass instrument but he seems to be quite content with it !

Vaseline should NOT be used.
Vaseline is a corrosive to brass. Don't use vaseline.
If you want the best bang for your buck Valerie's suggestion is the best. She is a trustworthy individual who has proven herself over the years.

If you want the easiet to get for the cheapest price get pure lamp oil for your valves, and STP or whatever she suggested above for your slides.

You should wash your instrument out every 6 months or so.

It is not my intention to put any doubts ih Valery's solution !!
I just posted something that I've noticed in my surrounding !

There's an instrument repair shop in the Seattle area that uses Vasoline for slide grease. I didn't know it was corrosive. Interesting.

Valerie Wells
http://bebabe.wordpress.com/

I'm amazed that, considering the cost of a quality horn, folks are trying to save pennies.

I think it's more in the ease of availability and not in the
costs.

<<I think it's more in the ease of availability and not in the
costs.>>

That's more the issue than anything else. When you buy it in volume, it's always there for you, and it's fun to share it with your students. Saves trips to the music store.
Valerie Wells
http://bebabe.wordpress.com/

Um, I have a question, that may seem a little daft

Can you use valve oil to grease your slides?

No.
I s'pose in an emergency you can use whatever you can find. BUT, oil is designed and intended to act as a lubricant and allow for free movement and speed. Grease is designed to be a lubricant (yes) and be more protective, and hold slides in place. Both are lubricants and both are protective, but speed and holding in place are opposites.

There are valve slide oils out there. I have found they work for only a short period of time (like up to movement II of a symphony).

I would say you probably shouldn't if you have access to slide grease, especially on a horn. There's not much reason you would need to anyway. For instance, I oiled the first valve tuning slide on my dad's old trumpet to get it to move as fast as it needed to, but on a horn you don't have to quickly move any tuning slides to tune as you play. It would really depend on how the slides fit together for whether or not you even could oil them.