Thanks guys.
I've never done it, but I was curious. Currently out of slide grease

Talking about putting oil on tuning slides, the tuba player in one of my orchestras had the male part of his 1st valve's tuning slide buffed in order to have it move as quickly as possible. Last concert we gave he asked me for my bottle of Slide'O'Mix trombone lube....

Yes, tuba players and trumpet players typically have some slides they need to move quickly. The tolerance between the outside diameter of the slide and the inside diameter of the slide casing is just slightly larger to allow for this.

There is one French Horn I know of that has a lever system that does move the set of slide casings to accomdate tuning when switching from one standing key to another standing key. But it is a prototype. And will probably not take hold because it is a little outside the box of normalcy.

<<And will probably not take hold because it is a little outside the box of normalcy.>>

That's probably true. Sadly, horn players are often so traditional they reject innovations that could really make big improvements in horn playing.

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

I agree with Val.
But I have another question...?

Considering I use Herco Valve Oil (For trumpet and cornet)
on my valves, what would be the best slide grease/lubricant to use?

Thanks

since I don't know what Herco is made of, perhaps Herco makes a compatible slide grease?

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

Thanks Val, I did find some... eventually.
But I have yet another question :D

What's the difference between slide grease and cork grease?
Can you use cork grease on slides and vice versa?

(I only ask because my local SMALL music store only stocks cork grease and not slide grease. And international postage is rather expensive...)

You can get away with cork grease probably. Try putting alittle on and see what happens. You should wipe your slides clean before applying new grease. The grease should allow the slide to move easily when YOU want it to and move on it's own.

If the cork grease works you're set. You just don't want it coming off and getting into the valve rotors.

<Added>

Herco has been around for along time. HErco has made some very insteresting developments to the instrument maintenance world.

If your local store carries Herco products, ask them if they can add 'Herco slide grease on their next order" for you. And see if HErco makes a rotory valve oil. If so, ask them to stock it, guaranteeing you will be buying it. Then you don't have to pay international shipping.

Herco, is out of Billings Montana, I believe, and has lots of good products. Since they're shipping piston oil and cork grease; it won't cost anymore to ship your specific needs.

Thanks John. I'll try the cork grease, and when I buy it I'll ask them to order the rotary valve oil and slide grease.

Thanks everyone for your advice!

Funny that you ask what the difference is between cork grease and slide grease. Selmer makes a product called cork and slide grease. It the thick liquid pink stuff that comes in a squeeze bottle, much like automotive oil treatments STP & Bardolh or the Hyper-Lube I use.

So to me a slide grease AND a cork grease is just a thick oil product. They can probably be used interchangebly w/o problems.

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