TubeNet

The plastic valve guides on my 45SLP are getting worn out and will need to be replaced soon. I've never changed them myself, and I was just wondering if this is a job that would be ok to do at home or if it's better to take it somewhere. I don't really know what it takes to remove or install them. It's not that I mind paying someone to do it; it's just that I don't feel like driving all the way to Baltimore and back to get it done. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.

You can get, from any repair technician, new delrin valve guides that will last longer than the nylon ones currently used on MW piston valves. They do have to be fit to the horn, so I'd strongly recommend you take it to a repair shop for that. There has to be someone closer than Baltimore that can help you with this. Surely, seeing as how you are a student at PSU that Dillon Music would be closer than Baltimore.

Hope this helps.

What I get when I enter "define: delrin" in my browser's search box:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delrin wrote:Delrin is the brand name for an acetal resin engineering plastic discovered and sold by DuPont. Often marketed and used as a metal substitute, Delrin is a lightweight, low-friction, and wear-resistant plastic capable of operating in temperatures in excess of 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Delrin for use in the food industry.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delrin wrote:The Food and Drug Administration has approved Delrin for use in the food industry.

For valves so clean you could eat off 'em!

Delrin also makes a good harpsichord jack plectrum when you can't get real boar's bristle.

iiipopes wrote:Delrin also makes a good harpsichord jack plectrum when you can't get real boar's bristle.

And humidity doesn't bother it either. Delin ifor plectra is best after it's had a chance to age in a bit. I've got a box of 30 year old delrin plectra that I've been keeping for spares.