Cleanin' the black...

[hald]

Cleanin' the green made me think about the threads on slide lubes and valve oils. I recently bought a brand new tuba. It arrived via FedEx. The slides were stuck and one valve was\is sticky. I freed the slides by heating them with a hairdryer. I've cleaned the sticky valve but it is still sticky...When I removed the slides there were streaks of black corrosion - what would cause this? Moisture? I cleaned the sticky valve (stainless steel) with Bar Keeper's Friend and a white fine scrub pad, but it's still sticky. I cleaned the slides with Brasso and the white fine pad and then applied synthetic Superlube (I think it's a fantastic product; my thanks to the poster who suggested it) and they are fine now and the black has not returned.

I've tried 2 brands of synthetic valve oil and can't really tell any difference from regular valve oil. Are there alternatives I might try, along the lines of the Superlube? Would I be better off pursuing warranty service? (I really like this tuba, a Jupiter 482; it's got excellent intonation and the size is just right). I wonder what other people's warranty experiences have been. I made some calls and it seemed a little "run aroundy" though I haven't pursued getting service. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance - hald

[Tom]

The "turn black and stick" issue is a known problem with Jupiter.

I've heard that the issue was nickel plated valves and that Jupiter's solution to this problem is to manufacture their pistons out of Monel and/or stainless. If it is really brand new (not just "new to you"), talk to your dealer and see if you can get replacement (retrofit) stainless pistons for it.

Perhaps some of the repair folks on this board have more insight.

Good luck!

[hald]

To clarify, the slides are no longer an issue, and the black on them has not returned. I was wondering what would cause the black corrosion to begin with.

The 4th valve is sticky. The valve is made of stainless steel. I have cleaned it and tried regular and synthetic valve oils on it and it is still sticky. Suggestions?

[hald]

I forgot to clarify - it is a brand new tuba as in never owned by anyone other than me.