Poll: Piston Valve Oil
- bisontuba
- 6 valves

- Posts: 4320
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 8:55 am
- Location: Bottom of Lake Erie
Poll: Piston Valve Oil
With Summer upon us, what valve oil do you use on your tuba piston valves?
Mark
Mark
Last edited by bisontuba on Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- TheHatTuba
- 5 valves

- Posts: 1150
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 6:00 pm
- Location: Desert
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
Ultra pure lamp oil with one drop of 5w 30 per piston
- Dan Schultz
- TubaTinker

- Posts: 10427
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:46 pm
- Location: Newburgh, Indiana
- Contact:
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
With as many horns as I service or play in a week.... I'd be flat broke if I sprung for commercial valve oil!
If you don't bring your own valve oils and greases along with you when you drop off your horn.... it's gonna leave here sporting Ultra-Pure lamp oil and Super-Lube synthetic grease.
If you don't bring your own valve oils and greases along with you when you drop off your horn.... it's gonna leave here sporting Ultra-Pure lamp oil and Super-Lube synthetic grease.
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
-
Levaix
- bugler

- Posts: 215
- Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 4:22 pm
- Location: Lombard or Champaign/Urbana
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
La Tromba T2. There are only about 2 people that sell it in the US, but it works better than anything else I've ever tried.
-
tubacorbin
- bugler

- Posts: 241
- Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:11 pm
- Location: Bay Area, California
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
Gonna make a plug for the Berp Bio Oil. Great stuff that has worked better than anything I've tried before.
- Wyvern
- Wessex Tubas

- Posts: 5033
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Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
I am mostly using Denis Wick Advanced Formula with PTFE which seems to me much better than most oils I have used in the past (Al Cass, Blue Juice, etc). I now supply complimentary bottle of this oil with every Wessex Tubas piston valve instrument sold.
Also am trialling Yamaha Synthetic Oil 'Light' which seems to work well on JinBao made tubas for smooth, fast valves.
Both the above oils seem to stop the valves sticking if the tuba if left unused for a while.
Also am trialling Yamaha Synthetic Oil 'Light' which seems to work well on JinBao made tubas for smooth, fast valves.
Both the above oils seem to stop the valves sticking if the tuba if left unused for a while.
Last edited by Wyvern on Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
- b.williams
- 4 valves

- Posts: 618
- Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 9:32 am
-
fenne1ca
- 3 valves

- Posts: 254
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:39 pm
- Location: Fayetteville, NC
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
I currently use Al Cass (because I can always find it), but I had an opportunity to try out "Super C" scented valve oil once, and remember liking it a great deal. Anybody have experience with this brand?
Chris Fenner
1918 Keefer Eb
191? Keefer BBb Helicon
1918 Keefer Eb
191? Keefer BBb Helicon
- Dan Schultz
- TubaTinker

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Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
A friend of mine uses Lemon Pledge exclusively on his trombone slides. He also uses his shirt-tail to clean the outside of the inner tubes!b.williams wrote:Lemon Pledge .
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
- Paul Scott
- pro musician

- Posts: 480
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 8:11 am
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
I still prefer Al Cass after trying many other brands. I add a drop or two of rotor oil to the guides on the pistons just to quiet them down a bit (mine are metal on most of my horns).
Adjunct Tuba Professor
William Paterson University
Wayne, NJ
William Paterson University
Wayne, NJ
- Jay Bertolet
- pro musician

- Posts: 470
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:04 am
- Location: South Florida
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
The repairman that does work on my horns recently suggested I try Yamaha's Synthetic Oil. I bought several bottles after the first. It's even offered on Amazon with free shipping. Very good stuff for my Nirschl especially.
My opinion for what it's worth...
Principal Tuba - Miami Symphony, Kravis Pops
Tuba/Euphonium Instructor - Florida International University,
Broward College, Miami Summer Music Festival
Principal Tuba - Miami Symphony, Kravis Pops
Tuba/Euphonium Instructor - Florida International University,
Broward College, Miami Summer Music Festival
- b.williams
- 4 valves

- Posts: 618
- Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 9:32 am
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
It also works on valves 2!!TubaTinker wrote:A friend of mine uses Lemon Pledge exclusively on his trombone slides. He also uses his shirt-tail to clean the outside of the inner tubes!b.williams wrote:Lemon Pledge .
Miraphone 191
Yamaha YBL-613HS Bass Trombone
Yamaha YBL-613HS Bass Trombone
- Donn
- 6 valves

- Posts: 5977
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:58 pm
- Location: Seattle, ☯
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
What kind of shirt? Cotton? Polyester blend? Wool?TubaTinker wrote: A friend of mine uses Lemon Pledge exclusively on his trombone slides. He also uses his shirt-tail to clean the outside of the inner tubes!
- MartyNeilan
- 6 valves

- Posts: 4878
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:06 am
- Location: Practicing counting rests.
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
Hetmans Classic for the older looser valves, La Tromba T2 for newer tighter pistons
http://www.bikyle.com/T2.asp
http://www.bikyle.com/T2.asp
- Dan Schultz
- TubaTinker

- Posts: 10427
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Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
Cotton (I think) with traces of spaghetti sauce and pizza toppings!Donn wrote:What kind of shirt? Cotton? Polyester blend? Wool?TubaTinker wrote: A friend of mine uses Lemon Pledge exclusively on his trombone slides. He also uses his shirt-tail to clean the outside of the inner tubes!
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
-
Elbee
- bugler

- Posts: 79
- Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:34 am
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
Blue juice on my new horn, Hetman #3 on the old Pan Am.
Loren (4X Rose Parade survivor w a Wurlitzer Sousaphone yet...)
1989 Conn 5J MP changes daily...
Weril H980 Euph Bach 5G clone
1930 Pan American Euph Bach 11C
1989 Conn 5J MP changes daily...
Weril H980 Euph Bach 5G clone
1930 Pan American Euph Bach 11C
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SousaSaver
- 5 valves

- Posts: 1133
- Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 5:19 pm
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
To the guy who had a question about Super C scented oil; I have 2 bottles that I got out of a box of junk. One cinnamon one peppermint. It works fine, but I don't understand the point.
La Tromba T2 is great. If anyone wants some, I know where you can find it. I like it for pistons with very tight tolerances. The Yamaha Synthetic is good too.
For more loose valves I like Hetman Classic. If that isn't doing it for me I add a few drops of Hetman medium rotor.
On my own stuff I tend toward synthetics because (at least from my experience) I don't have to apply the synthetics as frequently as I do conventional denatured kerosene valve oils.
La Tromba T2 is great. If anyone wants some, I know where you can find it. I like it for pistons with very tight tolerances. The Yamaha Synthetic is good too.
For more loose valves I like Hetman Classic. If that isn't doing it for me I add a few drops of Hetman medium rotor.
On my own stuff I tend toward synthetics because (at least from my experience) I don't have to apply the synthetics as frequently as I do conventional denatured kerosene valve oils.
- TubaTodd
- 4 valves

- Posts: 674
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 7:57 am
- Location: Birmingham, Alabama
-
Highpitch
- bugler

- Posts: 112
- Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 6:39 pm
- Location: Hidden Valley, AZ
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
Years back I played on a Boosey Solborn Euph so worn out the thing took a mix of Al Cass & STP to get a decent tone.
It wound up in Dan Oberloh's scrap pile.
But that goop did make it play OK for at least 20 minutes...
Dennis
It wound up in Dan Oberloh's scrap pile.
But that goop did make it play OK for at least 20 minutes...
Dennis
There's a reason it wasn't Werewolves of Lubbock....
- J.c. Sherman
- 6 valves

- Posts: 2116
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:11 pm
- Location: Cleveland
- Contact:
Re: Poll: Piston Valve Oil
Completely depends on the instruments:
- Yamaha's like Yamaha Valve Oil, I've found. I'm pretty sure they did that on purpose.
- I've found Nickel Plated Valves like Blue Juice.
- I use Al Cass for everything else.
J.c.S.
- Yamaha's like Yamaha Valve Oil, I've found. I'm pretty sure they did that on purpose.
- I've found Nickel Plated Valves like Blue Juice.
- I use Al Cass for everything else.
J.c.S.
Instructor of Tuba & Euphonium, Cleveland State University
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net