Liberate the Alternates

[Virtuoso]

Hello TubeNet:

I recently picked up a horn from my University to use for a summer music program, and the fourth valve slide is stuck all the way in. I've tried running hot water on the outside of the slide at the same time as cold on the inside to try and loose it through expansion/contraction, but to no avail. I've also tried valve oil and pulling really hard. I'm out of ideas, and 13 and 123 are about 20 cents sharp, and the alternates even more so. Any ideas as to how to get it to come free?

Thanks,

David "sharp as a tack ain't always a good thing" Neider

[bort]

I don't really know, but DO NOT pull hard. You could easily break solder joints or bend something before you get it free.

[Virtuoso]

Bort: I'm much to timid with the instrument to pull that hard....when I pull hard, it's not too much more than the force needed to lift the instrument. Thanks though.

Bloke: Not a 186. Similar, though, being a 641. I will try that. Thanks for the advice!

David "we'll see how this goes" Neider

[Virtuoso]

No dice


Any other ideas?

[Tubadork]

PB blaster? Worth a shot. I know some repair shops that use it.
http://www.google.com/m/products?oe=UTF ... d=0CA0QywM" target="_blank" target="_blank
Bill

[Virtuoso]

...I don't see how you could have possibly been to the hardware store, bought a dowel, and tried it in the time between my post and the time you said you didn't have any luck with it...??

I've a box of dowels behind the piano.

[Virtuoso]

Thanks Bloke. The twisting worked; it's out.

[tubbba]

Thanks Bloke. The twisting worked; it's out.

That has to be the coolest tip I've seen in a LONG time.

After watching a retired band instructor pull a stuck slide from his euphonium by yanking it with his belt a couple weeks ago, I can only imagine the potential for serious damage. Fortunately, it worked.

Hmmmm. A little *finesse* instead. Very nice!

[Art Hovey]

Bloke's advice was good, as always.
Next time, try a little heat first. I have an electric paint-stripper that is sort of like a hair drier but hotter. That usually softens the dried-out slide grease. Then the dowel tapping method works more easily. I find that tapping with a heavy screwdriver usually works well. Sometimes I do it with a propane torch if electric power is not available. You want it a little too hot to touch, but of course not hot enough to melt the solder or burn the lacquer.

[arpthark]

I used bloke's aforementioned advice on a stuck 1st valve slide on a YEP-201 euph, and of course, it worked like a charm. Any advice for a similar sticky situation with a 2nd valve slide on a euph, short of taking it to a tech? It's so small that it's hard to get any leverage down there.

Thanks!

[TubaTodd]

ALSO,

If you can possibly get your hand in there, carefully-but-convincingly torque the 4th slide in a TWISTING motion so as to manage to BARELY ROTATE the inside tubes in the outside tubes...THIS - more than any other single technique - will break slides free.

Not that I have any horns I need to try this out on....BUT....I think I may be misinterpreting this. I can't imagine getting a good enough grip on a slide with my stubby fingers to provide enough torque to make a difference. Are you saying to grab the crook of the slide and twist from there? That's the only decent grip I could imagine. In my mind, that seems riddled with danger. Then again, it seems like a good bit of instrument repair is riding that fine line between the "art of repair" and breaking something.

This is a very interesting tip.

[arpthark]

Success! Thanks again.