Posted by Lee Stofer on October 13, 2003 at 06:54:06:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Vegetable oil is not my friend... posted by Yeah, but... on October 12, 2003 at 14:57:20:
Diesel fuel is not a good alternative, either. In my opinion, the cheapest way to go is to have the instrument thoroughly chemically-cleaned, then lubed with Hetman lubricants. They are non-toxic, synthetic, with viscosity enhancers so they work for a long time without breaking down, and have corrosion inhibitors so your clean horn tends to stay that way. I have given this treatment to school band instruments that were then returned a year later, only needing minor dent removal because the rotors and slides were still fine (yes, a year later) and did not need cleaning or lubrication.
I am in the midst of a 3-week-long gig that is quite demanding, and I prepared the 4-rotary Amati helicon I'm using this way, with the chemical-cleaning and Hetman lubrication. I'm hammering those valves for hours on a daily basis, and they are working perfectly. Plus, I do not expect to need to re-oil before the end of the gig. I think that any process that saves this much time, money and trouble is quite cost-effective. When I'm gigging, I don't have time to mess with my horn. Finally, a sytem that keeps your horn very clean and protected will make it last much longer and preserve its value, so doing it the right way is an insurance policy for your instrument.
Lee Stofer