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LJV wrote:So, I picked up a horn that could use some thicker valve oil (@100 year old Buescher Eb helicon, I wanna be just like Tom Holtz when/if I grow up...), but I don't like Hetmann's etc. I want to add something to a standard petroleum based valve oil such a Blue Juice. Other than my fall back of rancid bear grease, what do the home valve oil mixologists recommend...?

I like Lucas Oil Power Steering Stop Leak "magic" fluid, diluted with Odorless/Smokeless Lamp Oil.

Magic Mystery Oil diluted with Odorless/Smokeless Lamp Oil, is also very nice. The smell of Mystery Oil is heavenly!

The Lucas Oil Power Steering "magic" fluid is kind of power steering-ish in smell. Some cheap essential oil from Whole Foods does the trick for cleaning up the smell. Eucalyptus, Orange, Cinnamon, Mint, etc work well. I'd dilute the "scent" with the lamp oil first, before diluting with lucas oil. It doesn't take much Lucas Oil, so tread lightly, maybe adding just a little more to your brew each day until you get the consistency you want.

LJV wrote: rancid bear grease,

Wow, that's gutsy.

I think Mr. Schultz uses bottles like these and mixes ultrapure lamp oil with a few drops 30w motor oil.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plastic-Dropper ... 500wt_1413

I guess I should come back and explain why I like Power Steering Stop leak so much...

Because all those stop leak additives have chemicals that soften hard rubber/felt/cork, BUT do not break them down, actually reinforce them and make them expand.

goodgigs wrote:

ShoelessWes wrote:Magic Mystery Oil diluted with Odorless/Smokeless Lamp Oil, is also very nice. The smell of Mystery Oil is heavenly!

Ah I believe that stuff is called "Marval Mystery oil" (although it works like magic).

Yeah, I messed up because I wrote Magic the line before. Silly, Wes.

LJV wrote:I'm thinking I'm going to try some Ultra Pure brand valve oil and add some regular mineral oil to thicken it up.

That's what I was going to suggest, but you beat me to it. Tubenet user iiipopes recommended this to me and I quite like it.

LJV wrote:Reading the Marvel MSDS makes me hesitant. (oh, yes, I'm hesitant---name the modified reference...)

Layoff the valve oil bottle, man!

I try not to drink the stuff, it used to turn my teeth red.

Break-free gun oil.

LJV wrote:Reading the Marvel MSDS makes me hesitant.

Smart man! I caution you, sometimes it reads scary over nothing, sometimes it is scarier than it reads. For example water and ethanol have some funny bits...

Perhaps you should read up on dihydrogen monoxide, or "DHM".
Sometimes important stuff gets omitted from the MSDS sheets.

Art Hovey wrote:Perhaps you should read up on dihydrogen monoxide, or "DHM".
Sometimes important stuff gets omitted from the MSDS sheets.

http://www.dhmo.org/msdsdhmo.html" target="_blank

bloke wrote:If something doesn't taste very good (or is toxic) if you add enough chocolate, cheese, alcohol, bacon, or all-of-the-above it will eventually become palatable.

This is why I love reading this fabulous discussion forum: It answers all the questions the parent of a beginning tuba player has! Note to self: Use bacon fat for the rotary valves, lubricate the slides with brie cheese, apply a drop of Merlot to the valve linkages, and share the rest of the bottle with my son's teacher. Got it. Thanks for the advice!

I use 3-in-one oil on my slides. I also have a friend who mixed valve oil with the 3-in-one for her valves on her PT-6P.

2:1 - Roché Thomas : 3 in 1 oil. BEST stuff I've ever used.

SEROUSLY: this is what I use on worn piston valves with excellent results: I purchase the large bottle of Roche-Thomas, and dispense an ounce into a separate dripper bottle, like an Al Cass bottle, as needed. Into this one ounce of Roche-Thomas I put a drop or two of pharmaceutical grade mineral oil. I put in a drop, shake, let settle, and try it. If I'm still getting blowby, I add another drop of mineral oil, repeat the process, and test until I feel secure with the intonation, or on really bad valves, start to feel the slightest bit of resistance in the valves. In that case, just as I'm feeling it in the valves, I add about 1/2 ounce more of the Roche-Thomas. Perfect.

And on rotor valves, I use sewing machine oil on the top spindle bearings and in the little wells in the rotor caps, and 3-N-1 oil on the linkage. If it's been awhile or humidity has been really low, drying out the rotor casings, rarely will I pull the 1st valve slide, hold the horn vertical, and put a couple of drops of conventional valve oil down the upper tube to drip down as directly on the rotor as possible without getting it on the sides of the tubes, which would dilute the slide grease and wash it into the rotor. Then you have some real gunk to deal with, as well as sticky rotors.