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Sometimes when you go to play a slightly awkward fingering (2-4) or switch fingering quickly, your hand position moves so that the valve is being pushed down diagonally. This makes it want to stick for a split second, which can throw off anyone's timing.

If your valves are so sensitive that a slight change in hand position makes them stick there is a mechanical problem.

You should take the valves out and clean them with warm soapy water and do the same with the casings. Use a soft bottle brush to clean the casings, running water through them won't do the job.

Look at the plating on the valves too, just to be sure there isn't a problem with flakes of metal coming off and causing the problem.

As long as you are cleaning the casings, you may as well use a flexible wire brush (get a good one, not the cheap versions which has plastic over solid wire) and clean the rest of the horn too. This is a good idea anyway and should be done at least every six months.

Last, the valve tubes can cause binding if the are pushed or pulled out of alignment; that causes the casing to warp slightly and is a major cause of valves sticking. As an example, you can usually make the first valve stick by pulling the first valve slide toward you while moving the valve up and down, you'll see it stick. Alignment can be a contributing factor which a good repairman can fix if you don't let him lap the valves.

Good luck fixing it.

I had a similar problem on my latest horn, which has an old 2341 valve section. The second valve would stick at times. A local repairman carefully lapped the valve. You don't want to be too aggressive with this procedure and take too much off. It works fine now.

Alex C wrote:If your valves are so sensitive that a slight change in hand position makes them stick there is a mechanical problem.

You should take the valves out and clean them with warm soapy water and do the same with the casings. Use a soft bottle brush to clean the casings, running water through them won't do the job.

Look at the plating on the valves too, just to be sure there isn't a problem with flakes of metal coming off and causing the problem.

As long as you are cleaning the casings, you may as well use a flexible wire brush (get a good one, not the cheap versions which has plastic over solid wire) and clean the rest of the horn too. This is a good idea anyway and should be done at least every six months.

Last, the valve tubes can cause binding if the are pushed or pulled out of alignment; that causes the casing to warp slightly and is a major cause of valves sticking. As an example, you can usually make the first valve stick by pulling the first valve slide toward you while moving the valve up and down, you'll see it stick. Alignment can be a contributing factor which a good repairman can fix if you don't let him lap the valves.

Good luck fixing it.

This would be my first attempt at correcting the problem, too: A good cleaning. Do the valves with a good valve brush and leadpipe with a snake and warm, soapy water. If that doesn't solve the problem, then look at other issues.

Two things:

1) Have a tech give it an acid/ultrasonic bath and check it over.
2) Use Blue Juice valve oil. By far the best stuff I've found on nickel-plated valves.

FWIW

J.c.S.