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Just getting back into playing the tuba, and I still have a bottle of 30 year old Selmer oil. What is the preferred oil nowadays?
Horn: Yamaha YBB-631.
Thanks!!

Congrats on getting back into playing!

I use Blue Juice valve oil and have been very happy with it. I think you'll get a lot of different opinions on this. Best wishes to you in your return to playing.

Thanks for the welcome. Yes, it's fun to be playing again. I did a "gig" last week at a LIVE nativity where I live and got into the newspaper. This past weekend I did another "gig" and made the paper again playing at a candlelight church service. I never seemed to receive as much recognition as a bass guitar player, but I guess they KNOW tubas are just special!! Thanks for the info on the Valve oil!!
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I went through an "oil snob" period, looking for something that would last forever, make the valves work faster that light, and never gum up. Well, for me, the verdict came in when I found several things in common with all of them, whether synth or petrol. They are all wet and slippery and for the amount of time between oiling to maintain maximum compression, sometimes twice daily, it makes really little or no difference. At this time, as in a previous poster, I'm just mixing them as I have dozens of mix-matched oils and everything is just fine. NOW, if there was an oil that adjusted intonation and filtered out clams, THEN... but everyone could have it so how would that help me competitively. If we can just get the price down to say $.50/per bottle.... THEN... we would have "such a deal." Lamp oil with a dash of glycerin and (maybe some floral essence) could be done VERY economically.

Vegetable oils will polymerize, i.e. harden. Like linseed oil, but the salad oil type won't polymerize as quickly or thoroughly, so good for neither valve lubricant nor furniture finish.

I'm with bloke. My Yamaha euph has super-tight valves and works fine with any light valve oil. Blue Juice and Al Cass are my favorites. I oil 'em before every play session and, when actively gigging, wipe the pistons down once a week, AND at the first hint of something sticking.

Your nose knows. If the valve oil doesn't smell as-new, toss it. I recently had a nearly-full bottle of Holton oil undergo some kind of reaction just from sitting around It was really vile-smelling, and totally gunked up the cornet that I foolishly applied it to. When in doubt, throw it out.

I use trombone slide oil. The pistons seem to like the heavier stuff. As was mentioned by others, I have to occasionally clean the first piston. It seems to stick because that's where any gunk entering the horn stops first.

Yes, I floss.

bloke wrote:Piston ports and casing ports tend to collect hard lime around their rims.
Wiping off surfaces, soaking an instrument a bathtub of soapy water, or plastic bristle brushes won't touch lime.

I've seen this happen; what do you suggest doing about it?

Will drinking Culligan water prevent lime buildup in a tuba?

Thanks for the replies!! I ordered some Blue Juice, and will see how it goes. I just bought the horn, and it was professionally ultrasonic cleaned, so I know it was clean when I got it. I had my old 30 year old Selmer oil, and found the more I used the Selmer, the more sticky the valves have become. I am very much aware of not eating sweets, drinking beer, or other things while playing... so I can't attribute the stickiness to my "diet". I guess I will know more once the oil arrives and I give it a shot.

I make my own valve oil:

80% 'lamp oil'- this is really fast oil also called mineral oil, used for odourless lamps and such

20% sewing machine oil- too slow to use on its own. Cheap as chips!

I mix approximately 6 parts of ultra pure lamp oil (unscented) with 1 part 3-in-1 household oil. You can't get much cheaper than that and it works fine. It does tend to migrate to the slides so I seldom have to grease them and they move easily so I guess that's a plus. I either put the mix in an old 3-in-1 squeeze can or a small perfume sprayer ($1 at the dollar store) to apply.

Just as there is a lid for every pot and a spouse for every crackpot, there is an oil for every tuba. If you don't like the $4 bottle of oil you just bought, give it to a beginner trumpeter and try another until you find one that works for your tuba and the crackpot sitting behind it.

Oiled valves almost always (There will always be an exception to everything.) move faster and easier than dry valves. Just try different oils until you settle on one that works best with your current tuba and body chemistry. No science here folks.

Oiled valves work better, experience less wear, and if you oil every day helps keep the valves cleaner by washing down any contaminants to the bottom valve caps (Also, one reason why I never set my euphonium down on its bell).

Blue Juice works very well for me and helps keep my valves cleaner between normal cleaning. It's the only oil I've tried that DOES NOT clog up the little hole of my vented valves.

Well, there are some legitimate questions here.

I've seen valves with wads of white wax. Well, greenish but I suppose that's from the brass. From valve oil? Maybe. Some say lamp oil has a problem like that - I haven't noticed it myself.

I've read that synthetic oil may curdle or something when mixed with regular oil. Don't do that, they say.

And then there's whether your formula should include Marvel Mystery Oil. I say no, but it has its fans. I just use a little motor oil that's left in the bottom of the jug when I put oil in the car. I guess that's mostly 20W50 lately, but I'd have to look to be sure. I reckon I don't have to worry about phosphorus content etc., even though my tubas were made a long time ago.

I used to make my own formula which worked wonderfully, but was probably toxic. I mixed lamp oil, Marvel Mystery Oil, and Z-Max (mostly lamp oil), and my valves kept clean, fast, and working well for years. Now that I have small children around, I went looking for a change and am very happy with UltraPure oil products. Seems to do the job just fine.

I enjoy oiling my instruments. It's a kind of meditation for me. I agree with everyone who says that a well-oiled instrument will have less problems than one that gets neglected. I tend to oil all of my instruments both before and after I play them.

DonShirer wrote:I mix approximately 6 parts of ultra pure lamp oil (unscented) with 1 part 3-in-1 household oil. You can't get much cheaper than that and it works fine. It does tend to migrate to the slides so I seldom have to grease them and they move easily so I guess that's a plus. I either put the mix in an old 3-in-1 squeeze can or a small perfume sprayer ($1 at the dollar store) to apply.

Gee, since my valve arrangement is 3+1, maybe I SHOULD be using 3 in 1 oil!!

I have a new (to me) tuba in the house, and am really enjoying the ability to adjust oil thickness to whatever I want. Just add more motor oil to make it thicker, or more lamp oil to make it thinner, as required.

I received the Blue Juice and have been very pleased with it. A big step up over the 30 year old Selmer oil I still had. Thanks everyone for the tips!!

Curmudgeon wrote:

Rebel wrote:I received the Blue Juice and have been very pleased with it. A big step up over the 30 year old Selmer oil I still had. Thanks everyone for the tips!!

The nice thing about Blue Juice is that it will clean as it lubes. I sometimes use it in a needle oiler at work as a solvent/first step when people complain of sticky/stuck valves.

it does have an "aroma."