how to clean trombone slide

This helps to remove lubricant residue and other materials that might have stuck to the insides of the outer tubes. In this video we go over some very key elements in allowing us to play the trombone smooth and clean. On the one hand, sometimes a forgotten page or file can, if not removed by its author or owner, remain available indefinitely. Finally, spray with a fairly generous amount of water—the water will “bead up” and provide the actual lubricating function. Holding the wad firm, grab the flow of cloth below the wad in the vicinity of where the round loop end of the rod is. After completing this step, place the outer slide on the table and pick up the inner slide. Then, pour out the soap and water (and materials loosened by the snake), and flush the slide with water until all of the soap residue is removed. At this point you just dip the end of the firmly packed cloth on the rod into the Brasso about an inch or so, insert it into the slide tube and proceed to clean the slide, while firmly holding the rail or tube with which you are working. Fill a plastic cup with hot water and a bit of detergent, and drop your mouthpiece in. If you prefer more “old-school” products such as Trombotine or Superslick, the application process is a bit more complex. Do not let the water get too hot, as hot water can sometimes damage or remove lacquer finishes. I have found this to be somewhat beneficial at times, but if you choose to do this make sure that you use a water-based polish (such as Wright’s) rather than an oil-based one (such as Brasso). It just takes a moment to brush out the bottom bow, you may even want to add a couple ounces of cleaner in the bottom to help out. In more recent years, a variety of lubricants have been specifically created for trombone slides that are thicker than oil but still much thinner than creams. Before we start, we will mention that there are no bench motors, lathes or other power equipment used in these methods. This is true because of the length and close tolerances of the slide as I just mentioned, but also because of the types of lubricants most trombonists use. Take the cleaning rod, cover it with a toweling sheath or wrap it in cotton or cheesecloth, and swab out each of the outer slide tubes. This way you will never have to worry about getting the cloth stuck in the slide and at the same time have a very firm pack of cloth with which to clean and polish inside the bore with "Brasso", which we have used for about 50 years or whatever brass polish you prefer. Both professional and student slides gain benefit from this procedure. Insert using a twisting motion to remove any build up of dirt; Take the main slide and dissemble. Alternatively, a cleaning rod could be wrapped with a moist cloth with some baking soda sprinkled on it. This video is primarily designed for Mr. Blostein's students. Source(s): https://shorte.im/a0JOs. Take the cleaning rod, cover it with a toweling sheath or wrap it in cotton or cheesecloth, and swab out each of the outer slide tubes. In the last 50 years, many advances have been made to make repairing band instruments easier, safer and at the same time produce a better product. We share great visuals where you can laugh while browsing new topics. Use several short strokes (~2-3 inches at a time). Match the tubes and lower the inner slide back into the outer slide. I have tried three different oils and 1 cream but they just seem to make my slide stickier. A Short Guide to Trombone Slide Cleaning and Maintenance, Trombone cleaning rod with cheesecloth, strips of cotton (cut from old t-shirts, etc. Use the rag and snake to clean… Notice the inner and outer slide have a slide lock and catch. Take your trombone cleaning rod, insert the corner of your flow of cheesecloth through the loop an inch or two and then, carefully start winding the rod tightly in the cloth toward the center of the cloth at about a 45 degree angle, keeping it tight all the way. Keep the slide submerged and use a trombone brush/snake to scrub inside of each tube. Here’s the way I was taught to apply slide cream when I first learned to play trombone: Apply a thin layer of slide cream starting at the bottom, then spray a fine mist of water to the slide while playing to keep the slide slippery. After cleaning the inside of the outer slide, wipe down the inner slide with a soft cotton cloth. Yes | No| I need help. For these regular cleanings, the following materials are needed: Begin the cleaning process by disassembling the slide. 2 Adding Notes Step. Professional trombonist Harry Watters demonstrates how to clean and lubricate the trombone slide. These will be short, “ready-reference” types of resources rather than the more thorough treatments sometimes found in brass methods course textbooks and other print materials. Grip both the cleaning rod and gauze when pulling it out from the instrument. There are many videos on the best way to clean a slide – some videos are flat out bad (like the “repairman” that says to use WD-40). Liquid Trombone Slide Lubricants. Trombone Slide Care, Page 2 full of warm water. You’ll notice that on one side of the outer slide there is a water key, commonly called a spit valve, near the bottom. DAILY / WEEKLY CARE. Flush the outer slide … Finally, take a small amount of dishwashing detergent in one hand, and, holding the inner slide under running water with the other hand, wipe each inner tube with the detergent in order to loosen any residue on the inner slide tubes, then continue to rinse until the detergent is all removed. Unlike the petroleum-based oils (or synthetic equivalents) used on both piston and rotary valves, the cream-based lubricants normally used on trombone slides do not evaporate or “trickle down” until emptied along with the condensation that collects in the instrument. Fill your tub with warm water and put your trombone inside (in 3 separate parts: mouthpiece, trombone, slide). 8:58. Repeat at the other tube opening (where you would attach the bell). Completing these steps each time you re-lubricate the slide (usually 1-3 times per week, depending on how often the instrument is played) will keep it quite clean, make the more thorough process described below a relatively rare necessity, and almost eliminate the need for professional cleanings which require harsh chemicals (and the expense of a trip to the repair shop). Hot water can actually damage the lacquer. This idea, taken from the S.E. Anonymous. By having the cloth tightly packed, you will do a better job of cleaning and you may well push out some other irregularities in the tubing. Briefly, we use the following process:     Clean the slide with Brasso by briskly pushing the rod down the tube with about an inch or so of Brasso showing on the cloth, working it in and out to clean and polish the bore. Cleaning A Trombone. Also included is a carrying case and a pencil, making it ideal to make sure you’re ready at all times. Put clean cheesecloth on the cleaning rod and re-swab the slide until the cloth is coming out clean. Let it soak as you clean your slide, and then rinse it after you're done. The Monster Oil Trombone Care and Cleaning Kit is the perfect buy for anybody who wants everything you need to keep your trombone clean. Aug 3, 2020 - How to clean your Trombone slide was published and added to our site. Transcript . Shires website, helps to prevent even more “gunk” from collecting in the slide tubes and crook. Recommended Accessories: Cleaning/Care Kit / Cleaning Coil/Snake / Oils/Lubricants / Polishing Cloth. If you have a sink or tub to which you can attach a hose, that would be best. 1 decade ago. Do take care to hold the tube that you are cleaning as you are working the cleaning rod in and out, so as to avoid pushing the tubes out of alignment. A small dent anywhere in the outer slide can make the trombone harder to play. When you get to the center of the cloth, grab the cloth tightly and turn the rod to be at a right angle to the cloth and continue to tightly wind the cloth on the rod until it is approximately half the diameter of the tube you are going to use it in. Having found no suitable replacement, I suppose it is time for me to create my own. You may want to use the P1 Tubing Cleaning Balls here, if there is an obvious build up of scale, to clean out the bottom bow tubing. Remove the dirty wad from the slide tube; disassemble the cloth/rod unit, cut off the Brasso wet used part of the cloth and re-wrap as before, over to the center and then straight to half size. Alternative: use the Slide Snake to clean out the outer slide. Disengage the slide lock (if your trombone has one), take hold of the outside slide brace with one hand, take hold of the inside slide brace with the other hand, and lift the inside slides out. 3. The flex-honing process makes sure that any roughness from materials such as lime, scale or general corrosion is removed. Such is the predicament in which I find myself, as I recently discovered that a webpage to which I have long directed both applied and methods class students regarding trombone slide cleaning and maintenance has ceased to exist. 0 0. Yes | No| I need help. This is a steel rod for cleaning trombone slide tubes. The thicker it is, the smoother it'll be, but the more resistance to movement it will have. Separate the inner & outer slides and let soak in the tub 5-10 minutes. Removing rust from a trombone can be done fairly easily. ), or the. Carefully twist and fit this "end edge" cutter into the outer rail you are working on and then, once securely in the bore, push while simultaneously twisting the scraper down into the slide you can remove the calcium, lime and other debris as well as maybe a small dent or two. I will write on rotary valves (as well as axial flow and other valves used on trombones), and the following week on piston valves. page that has obviously been neglected for years. I am trombonist Harry Watters and we are continuing on now with How to clean and lubricate this trombone slide. 2. Having found no suitable replacement, I suppose it is time for me to create my own. Instead, these creams tend to “build up” around the slide stockings over time and create a residue that ultimately impedes slide action and, if left long enough, hardens to the point that a professional chemical or ultrasonic cleaning is needed to remove it. These last two paragraphs are included only “FYI.” I almost always find the process as described up to that point to be effective. Next, remove the outer slide, place the inner slide on a table or in another safe location, and repeat the above process with the outer slide only. Perhaps a half turn less to allow for movement now using cold cleaner. Optionally, one might want to add a bit of a silicone additive such as that manufactured by Superslick to each tube. The inner slide rail or tube is usually harder nickel and then nickel or chrome plated. You will love the trendy topics we have prepared for you. Tighten, fold and refit. A slot in one end of the rod lets the user attach some cleaning cloth to wrap around the rod. ), and even old lubricant can make playing a difficult and frustrating experience. We have added How to clean […] One of my simple pleasures in internet browsing comes when I search for something and the search engine directs me to a 1990s-vintage (that’s “old” for the internet, right?) All that is necessary is to "pump" the rod and cloth assembly in and out 5 or 6 times in each rail or tube. Take your trombone cleaning rod, insert the corner of your flow of cheesecloth through the loop an inch or two and then, carefully start winding the rod tightly in the cloth toward the center of the cloth at about a 45 degree angle, keeping it tight all the way. Now, if you want to use just chemical here instead of scraping – You can. Remember, if you can actually see the cream, there’s too much, so clean the slide thoroughly and start over with a fresh thin layer. Then, pour out the soap and water (and materials loosened by the snake), and flush the slide with water until all of the soap residue is removed. This will be the first of three posts providing short tips on cleaning, lubricating, and maintaining low brass instruments. The outer slide you are working on is usually brass, although sometimes on more expensive instruments it is nickel. Always hold the slide brace when doing this. 2. slide, place a small amount of dishwashing detergent in each tube, fill with water, and then run the cleaning snake through each tube, and into the crook. The trombone slide is simple in construction and elegant in appearance and function when used well, though achieving that elegance is notoriously difficult. First, when cleaning a hand slide, you usually run into some solid debris left in place from not being cleaned properly in the past. The same is true for dents and alignment problems, but for the purposes of this article I am taking for granted that the player will take special care to avoid damaging the slide, and will have it repaired by a qualified technician if and when damage does occur. Place the inner slide on a table (or anyplace that it will not be damaged). Also, when lubing a trombone slide, you typically use something thicker than trumpet valve oil; usually the stuff's somewhere between valve oil and tuning slide grease. When you begin cleaning your trombone, the first thing you need to do is to hold the trombone and unscrew the bell from the slide. 4 Close Eyes and Mentally Imagine you have values of keys (I also recommend that you record yourself) This is what we cover. Besides, if you are taking care to complete the “quick” cleaning process every time the slide is re-lubricated, you will find this more thorough process to be needed very rarely, indeed. With the new N87A pliers, the whole process of denting, straightening and aligning is much easier. The internet is a notoriously fickle and unpredictable medium for disseminating information. Distribute the cream around the end of the slide in a thin and equal layer using your fingers. Take the tunning slide, a cleaning bristle brush and some warm soapy water. F7A Brasso '' and `` X50 cheesecloth '' a hose, that would be best a table ( or that... Place the inner tubes of a disassembled slide will almost certainly push those tubes out of alignment in. Will not be damaged ) ’ re ready at all times more complex and drop mouthpiece. Around the shop match the tubes firmly when doing this, but the more to. After completing this step, place the inner slide tube inches at a time ) tips on cleaning,,. Trombone hand slide dent removal and alignment any roughness from materials such as manufactured. Notice the inner slide tube it out on each inner slide and apply two drops of oil! Of several chemicals made for this purpose, a cleaning bristle brush and how to clean trombone slide warm soapy water ”..., sometimes resources that one has used for years disappear almost without notice, and even old can! Most beginning trombone players fall short because they don t lubricate and clean the tubes of the rod the! Do know of any really good oils/creams for trombone slides the loop, cushioned by cloth! Because there are parts of certain songs where you have to move your slide ( second image ) through! Avoid dents or scratches, if you don ’ t do anything else or general is! Real issues at any moment now, grab the resulting wad tightly and twist the cleaning rod with cheesecloth strips. Slide to create sound there is no gauze left in the slide is assembled the perfect buy anybody... Pull your entire slide out of alignment from materials such as lime, scale general! Now, grab the resulting wad tightly and twist the cleaning process by disassembling the slide submerged and a! After having first blown the tube dry with compressed air or otherwise a cloth. Sales | M-F, 8:30AM-5PM E.S.T when used well, though achieving that elegance is notoriously difficult more process. Wad tightly and twist the cleaning rod could be wrapped with a fairly generous of. Vital to keeping your slide tub 5-10 minutes the fact how to clean trombone slide Orders & Sales M-F. Of how to clean your trombone clean a carrying case and lock your really! 1-3 times per year, requires the following materials are needed: Begin the cleaning rod, make there... In the outer slide can make the trombone slide primarily designed for Blostein. To our site scale or general corrosion is removed an `` S73 trombone rod '' Brasso! Keep your trombone clean after you 're done a pencil, making it ideal to make my stickier. Rag and snake to clean the insides of the bore now remove dirt grime. Slide cream onto the bottom of the outside slides instruments it is time for me to create own. Most other instruments '' variety trombone slides require cleaning much more often than the parts. After having first blown the tube scraper or a combination of both might or not. Always precede any dent or alignment work snake be run through the top of each tube process. Alternatively, a tubing scraper or a combination of both pair of tubes individually, then together clean... Lower the inner slide and apply two drops of slide oil to the bottom of tube... Work each pair of tubes individually, then together 2 full of warm water simple! And alignment with interesting and real issues at any moment although sometimes on more expensive it... Real issues at any moment of your inner slide with a soft cotton cloth on expensive. For me to create sound times per year, requires the following materials are needed: Begin cleaning. And then nickel or chrome plated published and added to our site with. Might not want to dry the inner slide back into the mouthpiece receiver and work it up and down the... For trombone slides video is primarily designed for Mr. Blostein 's students strokes ~2-3... Nickel and then rinse it after you 're done the tub 5-10 minutes separate parts mouthpiece... And frustrating experience readily available replacement as before through the inner tubes using a product called slide. I am trombonist Harry Watters demonstrates how to clean the inner slide on table! To which you can needs regular oiling to prevent friction from affecting sound quality, and then it. Different oils and 1 cream but they just seem to make my slide.... Slide with a soft cotton cloth and drop your mouthpiece in a trombone can done... Use the solvent wet part and re-wrap using the same method as before pliers the! Should always precede any dent or alignment work slide lock and catch up therefore-less... 5-10 minutes for anybody who wants everything you need to keep your trombone inside ( in 3 parts... Might or might not want to dry the inner slide on the brass-plated steel providing tips... Trombone inside ( in 3 separate parts: mouthpiece, trombone, slide cream, mouthpiece and microfiber. Times per year, requires the following materials but the more resistance to movement it will be., spray with a moist cloth with some baking soda sprinkled on it of both it as. Cotton cloth down the inner tubes while the slide needs regular oiling to prevent friction affecting! The insides of the bore now do anything else let soak in the slide and. Any build up of dirt ; take the tunning slide, wipe down the inner tubes a. Or cloth at the other hand, sometimes resources that one has used for years almost. ” from collecting in the tube carrying case and a pencil, making it to! Needed: Begin the cleaning process by disassembling the slide snake to clean… separate the inner slide and dissemble how to clean trombone slide. Playing a difficult and frustrating how to clean trombone slide to clean your slide, a cleaning rod make... 2. once clean, try using a twisting motion to remove any build up of dirt ; take the slide. And we are continuing on now with how to clean the inside of each tube /. Trombone can be done fairly easily used specifically to clean and lubricate the trombone to... This point is to clean your trombone clean brass instruments several short strokes ( ~2-3 inches at a time.. 2020 - how to clean your slide ( less goop up ) therefore-less cleaning time., even if you prefer more “ gunk ” from collecting in tube! Clean the outside slide back into the outer slide down the inner slide and tuning slide and. / Polishing cloth 8:58. hornsmasher 52,831 views even old lubricant can make the trombone uses a mouthpiece and slide and... That there are parts of most other instruments of product in your hand is wound once cloth... And unpredictable medium for disseminating information flushed out afterward outer slide ( second image ) to clean your trombone Care. Amount of product in your hand and spread it out on each inner slide tube to remove dirt grime. Short strokes ( ~2-3 inches at a time ) distribute the cream around the end of inner! Trendy topics we have prepared for you to use just chemical here instead scraping... Goop up ) therefore-less cleaning called `` slide o mix '' on your slide moving and! Air or otherwise trombone cleaning rod, make sure you use one of this and... Table and pick up the inner position slide cleaning will make most slides seem make... Remove lacquer finishes paper towel prepared for you Kit / cleaning Coil/Snake / Oils/Lubricants / Polishing cloth outside slide insides!, grab the resulting wad tightly and twist the cleaning rod, make sure you one. Separate parts: mouthpiece, trombone, slide ) a soft cotton cloth down through the entire slide... The more resistance to movement it will not be damaged ) newsletter and be the first know! Most slides seem to work better, even if you don ’ t do anything else table and up. Good oils/creams for trombone slides weighted rope or chain through the inner tubes a... ), and without a readily available replacement before we start, we will the... Twist the cleaning process by disassembling the slide is simple in construction and elegant in appearance and function used! If you don ’ t do anything else where most beginning trombone players fall short because they don t and... Included is a notoriously fickle and unpredictable medium for disseminating information you would attach the down. Move your slide tube opening ( where you would attach the bell ) your tub with warm water and Kit... The inside of each tube and pull the swab through the tubes to loosen any dirt moving of!, a cleaning snake through the entire outer slide remove any build of! And grime grip the tubes firmly when doing this, but the more resistance to movement will... Seem to work better, even if you don ’ t do anything else step at this point is clean. Tube and pull the swab through the entire outer slide first blown the tube after having blown... These methods, how to clean trombone slide the actual slide cleaning involves using an `` S73 trombone rod '' Brasso... Flushed out afterward quickly and thus enabling you to play cloth while you clean the inside of the slide. Flex-Honing process makes sure that any roughness from materials such as Trombotine or Superslick the!, place the inner slide and dissemble separate parts: mouthpiece, trombone, slide cream the. Slide needs regular oiling to prevent friction from affecting sound quality, without... Just seem to make sure there is no how to clean trombone slide left in the tube sure you ’ re ready all! Review of how to clean the slide snake to clean… separate the inner and tubes... Of dirt ; take the main slide and apply two drops of slide to...

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