Trumpet valve oil household substitute (will 3-in-1 household oil work)?

School starts Monday after a long recess and my kid's trumpet valves are stuck in place. We can't find the valve oil.

It's not a life-or-death 'emergency' - but it got me thinking (not being a musician) what I could use that I had around the house to lubricate the valves.

Unfortunately, I don't have 'sewing machine oil' at home (which googling says works ok). But I do have '3-in-1 household oil'.

The MSDS says 3-in-1 is "Severely Hydrotreated Heavy Naphthenic Oil" (> 97% with 2% Naptha). PDF =

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That sounds horrid. The music store will be closed until the kid goes to school

Googling some more, I see some people say that 'mineral oil' works (which I can probably get at a drug store, right?) but before I go farther, I wonder if anyone here has advice for an easily found substitute for trumpet oil on a Sunday (i.e., hardware or drug store chemical)?

BTW, this ehow article says to use "lamp oil" and "essential oil" in addition to "scent oil" and "sewing machine oil". Is it just me or are most of these oils (with the exception of sewing machine oil) exotic or what?

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Reply to
sam bruno
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Don't use 3-in-1 oil for the trumpet valves, its to thick and they will rise slowly. You need a very light oil, very thin. Have any hair clipper oil? If the child dosen't need to practice b4 going back to school, it's probably easiest to wait untill band class and borrow from another.

Reply to
wcs94

I am a bass player al y life. Use WD-40 to loosen up the pistons(;et WD40 sip down) And I use Blue Juice for lube. When I don't play for long term. I pull all the pistons out. Good luck.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Palmolive.

Reply to
clare

If they are stuck, use a penetrating oil like WD-40. Then pull them out and clean them.

Then I'd probably use baby oil for lube. But 3-in-1 oil is fine too.

-Bob

Reply to
zxcvbob

Lamp oils is nothing more than kerosene with a scent. Use kerosene or probably even diesel fuel, which is basically the same as kero just not as pure.

WD40 should work too, but it evaporates in a short time, but that should give you time to buy the right stuff.

Or, go to Walmart and buy some silicone lube in a spray can. It's made for auto and home use, and it stays on the item and is thin.

Dont they have a can of this stuff in school for the kids? What if a trumpet gets stuck in the middle of the school concert? I'd think they would have some....

I've never played a trumpet though. I didnt even know they need to be lubed.

Reply to
jw

I would stick to the mineral oil. Kerosene based products smell and I doubt they are harmless. WD40 is good for cleaning things up, but dries out quickly. Sewing machine oil would also be a good substitute.

Reply to
Michael Dobony

Also try posting to alt.audio.pro.live-sound. They are mostly sound techs, but many are also musicians and can give a better answer.

Reply to
Michael Dobony

Anything can be fixed with duct tape or WD-40.

Reply to
Joe keane

Some years ago, I lubed a boy's bicycle chain with the cheap silicone lube from Walmart. Popular Mechancis brand, in the black can. Shortly after that, the boy and his family went home out of state. A couple days later, I heard from his Aunt Agnes (who lives near me), the bike chain locked up. From what I can guess, the walmart house brand is all solvent, and not much lube. By that time, the bike was 200 miles away, and I couldn't do anything for him. We were all very sad.

Snap brand silicone from Advance Auto is more pricey, but works well for me.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Or, go to Walmart and buy some silicone lube in a spray can. It's made for auto and home use, and it stays on the item and is thin.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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Absolutely NO . The closest thing to trumpet oil is probably kerosene. But I wouldnt reccomend that either. I have used a little diswashing detergent and water in a pinch. Unless he absolutely needs it before school I wouldnt do anything . Wait till he gets to school and borrow some.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

Since the valves are sticking, probably better to take it in, let the teacher deal with it. The teacher will have better chance of fixing, and not breaking some thing.

I remember being in 4th grade, and my teacher Mr. Orgar, telling horror stories of fixes at home. 

Absolutely NO . The closest thing to trumpet oil is probably kerosene. But I wouldnt reccomend that either. I have used a little diswashing detergent and water in a pinch. Unless he absolutely needs it before school I wouldnt do anything . Wait till he gets to school and borrow some.

Jimmie

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

To give an update on Monday morning, after dropping the kid off at school on my way to work (they haven't invented buses yet in California), I ended up running an unexpected experiment using your advice.

First, I went to the store to get the glycerin. It was immediately clear on the first (of three) valves that it was just too thick and gooey. It worked (the valve is now free) but my kid said it rises too slowly to play properly.

For the middle valve, I put the all-in-one oil. It penetrated well enough to free the valve without a big tussle, but, it too was way too thick in the end for the valve rises slowly.

On the first valve, I simply took your suggestions to heart, and used the gree dish detergent. It worked to free up the valve (with warm water) but it wouldn't rise without force.

So, I brought it in to the school with a note to the music teacher describing what I've done and where we were. I guess I'll find out when the wife picks up the kids this afternoon (did I say California hasn't invented the yellow school bus yet?)

Hopefully the teacher's note back won't be too scathingly hot! :)

Reply to
sam bruno

Don't have anything to add, but I played French Horn as a kid in the 50's. I still have half a bottle of valve oil sitting on the shelf. (I hate to throw stuff out.) For those who don't know about this stuff, it's amazingly thin; I think it makes water look viscous.

Art

Reply to
Arthur Shapiro

Both the Glycerine and the dish soap need to be EXTENSIVELY diluted with clean water......

Reply to
clare

Yes, but you forgot to mention the fact yer a moron.

Hopefully, the music teacher will not confiscate yer kid's horn cuz his dad trashed it and kick him outta the band cuz his dad's a moron.

nb

Reply to
notbob

Use anything that's handy (nose lube, chicken fat, axle grease, etc.). When you can get the right stuff, clean out the replacement. Trumpet players know how to clean their instrument.

Reply to
HeyBub

Probably cause busses pollute the air, but each parent delivering kids in the SUV does not.

I'm curious to hear what the teacher uses. My guess is to gently pull the valves out, clean them in hot water and detergent. The next morning, the teacher will use 2 drops per piston of trumpet oil, and reassemble. What do I get if I win?

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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To give an update on Monday morning, after dropping the kid off at school on my way to work (they haven't invented buses yet in California), I ended up running an unexpected experiment using your advice.

First, I went to the store to get the glycerin. It was immediately clear on the first (of three) valves that it was just too thick and gooey. It worked (the valve is now free) but my kid said it rises too slowly to play properly.

For the middle valve, I put the all-in-one oil. It penetrated well enough to free the valve without a big tussle, but, it too was way too thick in the end for the valve rises slowly.

On the first valve, I simply took your suggestions to heart, and used the gree dish detergent. It worked to free up the valve (with warm water) but it wouldn't rise without force.

So, I brought it in to the school with a note to the music teacher describing what I've done and where we were. I guess I'll find out when the wife picks up the kids this afternoon (did I say California hasn't invented the yellow school bus yet?)

Hopefully the teacher's note back won't be too scathingly hot! :)

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I never even thought of wax. Makes sense.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Don't put oil on a chain. Use wax, there is a special wax from the bike stores that is much better. Airgun shooters put it on their pellets.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Maybe not, you left out cleaning the valve cylinders. Usually best accomplish in a sink full of soapy water. There is a good change the teacher doesn't have the facilities to clean it properly.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

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