Valve oil for new pistons.

[Gus_Pratt]

I just finished my Frankentuba with a Kanstul valve section/Conn body with 22" bell. However I am finding since the valves are brand new, my normal valve oil only lasts one day. Any suggestions on a brand of valve oil that is good for brand new piston valves?

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipO ... PkUeO_FmDh" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Ace]

When Roger Lewis was at Woodwind and Brasswind, I purchased a new Mirafone 1291 CC tuba. Along with it, he sent me some Hetman's Lite Piston Oil. It worked very well and it didn't need to be refreshed everyday.

Ace

[Radar]

I've always oiled my piston valves before every use, on my Euphoniums, and my Tubas. They don't seem to need it every time but it doesn't hurt them at all. It only takes a minute of time to do, and valve oil is relatively cheap. I use Al Cass Fast Oil, although when I run low on my supply I'm thinking about trying the Ultra Pure Lamp oil. I've tried some of the synthetic oils, and personally didn't think they were worth the extra money. With some of them I actually was getting Green slime in the valves.

[WC8KCY]

I've always oiled my piston-valve brasswinds before each day's playing. All of the instruments that I've owned since new have like-new valves.

Oil, oil, oil--even if you don't think you need to.

If only the previous owners of my vintage instruments had done the same.

WC8KCY "I soaked in it"

[Patrase]

I suggest following Bloke’s advice from other posts. Drill holes in the top caps, get a needle Oiler, fill with lamp oil and squirt some oil down each time you play. I did it on the last piston valve tuba I owned and made it a painless task. Took 10 seconds to oil the valves.

[timothy42b]

I like that idea and I haven't seen it anywhere before.

I tried google to see if anyone else recommended it and found nothing. So it seems the inventor is right here?

How about selling aftermarket top caps, predrilled? You might capture the high school band market, especially if you did euph and trumpet too.

[doublebuzzing]

Yep! New supply came in today.

My lamp oil says "Class III-A combustible liquid". Is this something to worry about or are they all that way?

[NCSUSousa]

Yep! New supply came in today.

My lamp oil says "Class III-A combustible liquid". Is this something to worry about or are they all that way?

Welcome to my world (electrical/fire codes). Class III-A tells me what code sections apply for storage and/or use.
In this case, don't put that bottle on anything that has a surface temp over 329F (165C). Don't set that open bottle next to an electrical receptacle.

If you didn't already know, lamp oil is made for burning in kerosene lamps with cotton wicks. It's usually a petroleum product formulated so that the oil burns bright yellow, but doesn't get hot enough to create smoke from the cotton wick. Ideally it doesn't evaporate quickly either at room temperature. Cotton typically starts to smoke above 450F. 'Paraffin lamp oil' is just another name for purified kerosene extracted from crude oil. It gets other names if it's extracted from something else - whale oil was popular over 100 years ago, before we started getting so much crude and natural gas out of the ground.

[Donn]

Some users report a strong fuel aroma, where the lamp oil I get is not only unscented but odorless (as long as I don't light it up.) Apparently it's a loose term - the kerosene may not be all that purified.

Once the valves have been drilled to accept oil without disassembly, let me suggest that an automatic drip oiling system could be installed.

[NCSUSousa]

Some users report a strong fuel aroma, where the lamp oil I get is not only unscented but odorless (as long as I don't light it up.) Apparently it's a loose term - the kerosene may not be all that purified.

Once the valves have been drilled to accept oil without disassembly, let me suggest that an automatic drip oiling system could be installed.

History of petro-chem production - Read up or watch history specials on how Rockefeller used better chemistry to make a better kerosene product that didn't contain as much gasoline in the mix. Gasoline was a waste byproduct of refining for Kerosene and Diesel until the modern gasoline engine was invented.

[Jerryleejr]

I’ve had great success with blue juice on all my piston horns. I buy the large bottle off amazon and just refill the small bottles I have.

JJ

[LibraryMark]

I suggest following Bloke’s advice from other posts. Drill holes in the top caps, get a needle Oiler, fill with lamp oil and squirt some oil down each time you play. I did it on the last piston valve tuba I owned and made it a painless task. Took 10 seconds to oil the valves.

I am curious if this is any better than using the holes in the bottom caps.

[Jerryleejr]

I’ve had great success with blue juice on all my piston horns. I buy the large bottle off amazon and just refill the small bottles I have.

JJ

We sell that to other people.
I like the way it smells...same odor/color as 1960's Leblanc valve oil...' brings back junior high band memories...

Well I’ve been told I’m different so maybe there’s an “other people” support group...

JJ

[Jerryleejr]

I've been known to enjoy Blue Juice...
I never refer to it, though, by it's initials.

That would probably get you strange looks nowadays, or some extra cash depending...

JJ

[Will Jones]

I don't know if any of you realize this. There's already a hole in the top cap of your valve. Bottom cap too.

[LibraryMark]

I don't know if any of you realize this. There's already a hole in the top cap of your valve. Bottom cap too.

I'd prefer to not oil the valve felts.

So - what drill size, and where did you get that cool oiler?

[Jerryleejr]

I don't know if any of you realize this. There's already a hole in the top cap of your valve. Bottom cap too.

I'd prefer to not oil the valve felts.

I never like to assume but can this be done to rotor caps as well?

JJ

[Jerryleejr]

Rotor BODIES can be oiled through vent holes (if drilled).
The TOP rotor BEARING is reachable already (just under the stop arm).
The BACK rotor BEARING could be reachable were the dome on the cap carefully drilled off-center (off-center: thus avoiding ruining the caps' support dome).



bloke "I've posted all of these pictures before..."

Thanks
JJ “who’s propably seen these pictures before”

[timothy42b]

My rotor has two screws that hold the plate for the bumpers. These are drilled through and you can oil through them.

Do trumpet or euph players ever drill top caps on piston valves?

I had not seen those photos, and I did a search when you first mentioned this.