Any thoughts on how to safely free up a stuck valve? It is a newish horn, but the first valve is stuck tight.
I tried pushing the valve down, then used a light rawhide mallet on the valve cap (with some leather to protect the pearl button). I got the valve to move down a bit, but it is still stuck tight.
I would suggest what to do if it was a public school owned instrument, and you were the director needing to fix a half an hour before the concert because there was no other instrument to replace it within 15 miles and you 'needed' it fixed...
However, if this is not the case I would take it into the repair shop. You have an expensive toy there and would hate to see you mess up your valve casing. A little patience and a little $$$ go a long way.
jon112780 wrote:I would suggest what to do if it was a public school owned instrument, and you were the director needing to fix a half an hour before the concert because there was no other instrument to replace it within 15 miles and you 'needed' it fixed...
However, if this is not the case I would take it into the repair shop. You have an expensive toy there and would hate to see you mess up your valve casing. A little patience and a little $$$ go a long way.
+ a mutitudinously prolific number of times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not sure if it will help but what I did on a 100 year old trumpet that had been sitting for 30 or so years was to put a good amount of oil into the tubes then let it sit for a day or so then slowly wiggle it free. That might not work on that horn and could probably cause damage if you are not gentle in the wiggling of the valve. One thing I did on a sousaphone with a completely stuck valve was to take an old t shirt and push it up through the bottom (might not have enough space for that on your horn) then I took a the rounded end of a metal punch and pushed on the t-shirt and was able to push the valve through (don't forget to unscrew the casing at the top). Now that could potentially cause damage much like the other method if not done properly. As long as the metal punch doesn't come in contact with the sides of the casing or the bottom of the valve you should be fine (the purpose of using a shirt, to act as padding). Now if the guide has slipped out of the channel for the valve, you will definitely need to take it to a repair shop (had that happen once).
BTW I am not a brass technician or instrument repairman so realize these methods may not be and probably are not the best ways to do it.
Any thoughts on how to safely free up a stuck valve? It is a newish horn, but the first valve is stuck tight.
I tried pushing the valve down, then used a light rawhide mallet on the valve cap (with some leather to protect the pearl button). I got the valve to move down a bit, but it is still stuck tight.
Any secrets out there? TECH GUYS...???
Thanks for reading!
Have you tried rinsing the horn with lukewarm soapy water. Just squirt some dishsoap down the leadpipe, put in a hose, and let the water flow. It will make it easier if you remove the tuning slide....
Otherwise, can you get oil on the valve (through a slide?, the top of the cap?, the leadpipe?, etc...)...
If you do get it unstuck...clean the valve and casing thoroughly.
Yamaha YEP-642s
Boosey & Hawkes 19" Bell Imperial EEb
For the luv of.............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nobody here can see what the H is wrong with the BL&*()@!!Y thing so everybody suggesting a 'method" is taking a total shot in the dark about how to fix it. I AM an experienced "tech" and my strongest possible advice is : take it to somebody who knows what they are doing and have them fix it!!!!!
It might be something really simple, in which case it won't cost much. Then again, there might be some real damage - or potential for serious damage - which will cost more. Using the wrong approach to fixing the thing COULD end up costing hundreds of $$$$$$$$$$$.
The number one culprit in sticky piston valves is that the valves/casings aren't clean. Before you do anything else, I'd suggest taking the tuba and giving it a bath in lukewarm soapy water, and brushing out the casings. No, this isn't the same type of cleaning that you'd pay a repair technician to do, but maybe it isn't at that point yet. If this doesn't fix this issue, go take it into the shop. Most good repair technicians will chemically or ultrasonically clean the tuba first before they do anything else to the valve (lap, dent work, etc.). Hope this helps!
