From: "Steve Freides" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> OK, you think, to try Blue Juice, which is what my trumpet-playing son uses for valve oil, on the valves of my French Horn? Not for slide grease, just for the valves.
Yes. Almost anything derived from petroleum will be better than nothing, but you can also use silicone caulk or peanut butter. Your question isn't a stupid question, but it is a little thoughtless. In effect you are asking hundreds of people to type up maintenence regimens for horn valves. Many list members are experienced and expert, and may provide good information if they take the time, but you will also encounter crazy fringe advice (e.g. silicone caulk or peanut butter) and well-meaning zealots. (I switched to Screaming Green Monkey Oil and not only did it repair the dents in my bell, my car also gets 20% better gas mileage whenever the horn is in the trunk!) If you think a little, there are numerous sites around the web, findable with Google, that give professional advice about rotor care. Osmun has this good one: http://www.osmun.com/reference/Rot_Maint.htm but there are any number of others. Some high school kid may give you good advice based on his experience, but best to stick to the advice from the serious professional horn shops. After finding and reading several such sites, composed by respected and reliable professionals, you should realize that optimal maintenance of a rotary valve requires at least two and perhaps three different kinds of oils. (None of these are slide grease.) But in a pinch, almost any light petroleum-derived hydrocarbon is better than nothing. So if you're marooned on a desert island with your horn and only one kind of oil, such as Blue Juice, that is no reason to miss the opportunity for concentrated practice. But otherwise you will want multiple oils in your kit. _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
