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Gronitz PCK first valve slide problems

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 1:22 pm
by RobSol87
Good Afternoon Tubenetters!

I'm located in Jacksonville, FL and I'm having trouble with a first valve slide on my PCK not pulling freely. I've tried a myriad of slide lubricants, valve oils, and trombone slide lubricants to try and help and it would seem that I need to get the slide lathed. Does anyone know of someone within a few hours drive that would be able to help me with this issue? I've heard that there's someone in Orlando that would be able to help, I'm just not comfortable with anyone in Jacksonville or the immediate surrounding areas with this.

Thanks in advance,
Rob Solomon

Re: Gronitz PCK first valve slide problems

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:18 pm
by DouglasJB
How is the alignment?

Re: Gronitz PCK first valve slide problems

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 6:21 pm
by PaulMaybery
Usually this is a combination of allignment and getting the slides lapped so they are a bit reduced in diameter and in the process polished smooth.
Then most slippery things can do their job.
The lapping is relatively simple but the alignment can be anything from reheating some joints and letting them snap back into place (if you're lucky) to having to actually move or readjust some of the braces. Often times, the crook does not match the width of the two slides. Even a couple of MM can cause it to bind. I had this on a brand new horn. The crook was removed, filled with pitch, slightly re-bent to the proper shape and then refitted. It now works perfect. A caveat about lapping. If too much is removed the slide will leak. Yes you might get it to move smoother, but at a serious loss to compression. Best bet is to find an experienced and highly skilled technician. They are like doctors, that is, some are much more skilled than others.

Re: Gronitz PCK first valve slide problems

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:35 am
by RobSol87
Thanks for the input everyone! I purchased the horn from Gronitz and not through a private seller so I'm comfortable saying the slide is almost certainly aligned properly. It's just not pulling as easily as I would like. The one person down in Orlando I've spoken with mentioned sand paper so I'm back to square one.

Re: Gronitz PCK first valve slide problems

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:56 am
by bort
Who's top dog in tuba repair up in Atlanta?