Valve Oil Preferences?

[Schlitzz]

(a tuba is not a horn; it is a tuba. A horn is a horn.)

It's even worse when people call Woodwinds Horns. Even worse than that is when people think Saxophones are Brass instruments.

I tend to prefer taking a viola, versus a violin, when I go camping. It burns longer. And bad sax, is bad sax.

[hrender]

Resilience has been my go-to of late.

https://www.resilienceoils.com/

[sdloveless]

I just used some Al Cass oil to silence a noisy door hinge. Does that count?

[tubatodd]

I decided to give @bloke "valve-oil-by-the-gallon" approach a try. I picked up some lamp oil, found some 3.4oz bottles that seemed like a good fit and picked up some ultra cheap funnels at Harbor Freight (thanks @bloke for the advice on the dirt cheap funnels).

I went with these...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6YTLX1B
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4DRXY4S - These bottles seem really sturdy. I probably should have gotten smaller bottles
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-f ... t-744.html

I've filled up 1 bottle, busted out the label maker. Tada! Valve oil. I probably should have made sure the labels were put on straight. Oh well. I have 3 more bottles and the rest of the gallon.



I'll report back my findings after a few days.

Next purchase.....a tub of anhydrous lanolin for the slides. Do any of you have a preferred brand?

EDIT:

I probably should have bought these 1oz bottles.
https://www.amazon.com/Bekith-Dispensin ... B07KZK6JRW

[bloke]

If your slides are lined up really well, you might consider using mineral oil on them - unless they are slides which are really close to the valves. In that case I'd probably just use the same lamp oil on those particular slides.

Walmart equate mineral oil is only a couple of dollars for 16 oz.

[Big Francis]

Lanolin - get a full pound of it. https://a.co/d/1LRCq17

These bottles have worked out fantastic for me. https://www.ebay.com/itm/264757963695?i ... Sw08Fe3wkE

[bloke]

I'm not starting any arguments...just (possibly) offering some cautionary info...

AI only "knows" what it's told, but/and Google's AI came up with this answer to my question instantly:

lanolin is soluble in petroleum products, especially mineral and vegetable oils

When lubricating my instruments, I try to avoid migration between thicker and thinner lubricants.

This is why I try to use the same lubricant on slides as on valves and - if I use something thicker on two or three slides - those are "because I believe I must do so" and on slides which are not immediately adjacent to valves. I also try to use (if not what I use on valves) a slide lubricant which is only SLIGHTLY more viscous than what I use on valves...which is why I (reluctantly) use mineral oil on two or three slides (vs. the thinner lamp oil I use on valves), as mineral oil is only a bit more viscous than lamp oil...and - if some mineral oil DOES manage to migrate to the valve block - I can easily RE-THIN the valves' oil by adding a couple of generous squirts of (thin) lamp oil to the valves.

btw...We have an unlimited supply of lanolin...right outside my window and right over that fence, over there...I'm probably not putting anything that thick on any of the slides on my own tubas.

[The Brute Squad]

EDIT:

I probably should have bought these 1oz bottles.
https://www.amazon.com/Bekith-Dispensin ... B07KZK6JRW

I wish I had found these when I was converting to lamp oil a few years ago. I got a similar size but the ones with the red cap. Haven't had any issues with spillage but it's inviting trouble.

[Mary Ann]

I found lanolin (nipple cream) way too sticky for slides. Especially when cold -- needed gorilla strength to move them.

[tubatodd]

I found lanolin (nipple cream) way too sticky for slides. Especially when cold -- needed gorilla strength to move them.

Good to know. It sounds like it is as bad as that Hetman slide cream that raged about in another thread. I was hoping the lanolin would be smooth. I wonder if it depends on the brand.

[gocsick]

I just thin the lanolin out with valve oil until it is my desired consistency. Just apply sparingly to the slide then a few drops of valve oil and work slide until everything moves nice and easy. It stays that way for a long time too.

[bloke]

I just thin the lanolin out with valve oil until it is my desired consistency. Just apply sparingly to the slide then a few drops of valve oil and work slide until everything moves nice and easy. It stays that way for a long time too.

That seems reasonable, but how cheap is lanolin?

...ten bucks/tube? https://g.co/kgs/s7YwvT1

This appears to have crept up (a very small amount of money, though significant percentage) since I bought it for my slides...but - well... - I use such small amounts of it, that it may last me until I croak.

https://tinyurl.com/WalmartMineralOil

[gocsick]

I paid $5 for a pound jar of pharmaceutical grade anhydrous lanolin, basically a lifetime supply, years ago. Still beats the heck out of $9 for a tiny tub of Schilke Slide Grease at the Music and Arts.

[tubatodd]

That seems reasonable, but how cheap is lanolin?

...ten bucks/tube? https://g.co/kgs/s7YwvT1

This appears to have crept up (a very small amount of money, though significant percentage) since I bought it for my slides...but - well... - I use such small amounts of it, that it may last me until I croak.

https://tinyurl.com/WalmartMineralOil

I think I'm going to try the Mineral oil. That seems like a reasonable and easily accessible (like 7 minutes down the road from my house).

[kingrob76]

I used Hetman’s for a long time but found it could leave behind a yellowish funk over time. I liked Resilience Oils just fine but am now using Ultra Pure and am quite happy.

Every time I oil a piston I wipe it off with a microfiber cloth and also give the valve casing a quick wipe as well. This approach seems to address migration issues and such.

[tubatodd]

I decided to give @bloke "valve-oil-by-the-gallon" approach a try. I picked up some lamp oil, found some 3.4oz bottles that seemed like a good fit and picked up some ultra cheap funnels at Harbor Freight (thanks @bloke for the advice on the dirt cheap funnels).

....

I'll report back my findings after a few days.

Ok so it is the next morning. I took the pistons out of my horn, wiped them down, snaked a clean cloth down in the casings then oiled the pistons with "Todd's Miracle Oil*." My findings? It's wet. It's slick. It makes my valves move smoothly. It's valve oil. It's bit less stinky than most valve oils. It gets the job done.



* Slight nod to the British TV show "The Mighty Boosh."

[the elephant]

If I oil my valves I usually choose oily oil.

[bloke]

If I oil my valves I usually choose oily oil.

...which - once again - triggers the Bard AND activates the Tuba Goddhh

What annoys an oyster?
A noise annoys an oyster.
What kind of a noise annoys an oyster?
A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

[tofu]

a thread in which men discuss how they use nipple cream...

Many health insurance plans give participants $30 - $50 per quarter to spend on medical stuff although my insurer is now allowing participants to roll it over for up to 12 months which correlates with them offering more expensive stuff up to a couple hundred bucks. We never seem to need much in the way of bandages etc and rather than letting it disappear at the end of the quarter I’ve instead gotten a fair amount of stuff that can be useful for tuba use and other places around the house. Mineral Oil &. Lanolin / nipple cream or vaseline are offered in most plans.

I’ve also gotten some nice knee braces to use as bottom bow protectors as well as wrist guards for the area around the bell by the thumb ring. They are easy on and off with velcro and made of neoprene or spandex in black and are actually pretty nice. Stuff like qtips are useful for cleaning crevices for instance. My plan even had an ultrasonic cleaner - useful for small parts and even stuff like alka selzer can be useful as a cleaner as well. Measuring cups and food scales have a use out in the shop as well. My plan even had cleaning snakes - although I can’t remember what part of the body they were intended for.

I doubt we use much of our allowance on stuff for actual medical use here. Just an idea if your plan offers you an allowance why let it disappear unused at the end of the quarter. Some plans don’t go out of their way to let you know this exists nor do they make it easy to find the catalog of stuff. The nice thing withmy insurer is I can order it online and they ship it out immediately via FedX next day delivery. I’ve ordered stuff at 11 pm and it arrived the next afternoon. Hard to beat free, easy and quick.

[bloke]

You've got me thinking.
I wonder if 20-in by 26-in cuspidors are included.