Clean Trumpets

[TopGun]

For those of you who clean you own I would love to hear how you do it.

Regards,
TopGun

[romey1]

TG,

Once a month, I soak the horns in in the bath tub with warm water and Dawn Ultra liquid.

Every week I snake the leadpipe and brush out the mouthpiece.

Since I bought my horns new, and I've careful about this I haven't had to do a chem clean yet.

However, my Bb was purchased used and I can see there are a couple things in the leadpipe that never come out.

Maybe I'll get it chem cleaned.

romey

[TheGeneral]

For regular cleaning, "Simple Green" works great, especially for the valve section. I spray it on my valve brush (for each valve) , and give it a thorough going over from the top and bottom of the casing, while I soak the pistons in a diluted mixture of "Simple Green" and water. I have a woodwind mouthpiece brush that works great to clean the ports in the pistons. Otherwise, the snake does the trick. I also have some great "brass bristle" brushes for the receiver, and leadpipe. They're on the order of a small bottle brush.

Romey1... try spraying some Electronic Contact Spray inside your leadpipe. Let it sit for a bit, and try the "brass bristle" brush to remove those solder blobs. Most of them can be removed using that method. If not, let a qualified repair tech handle it.

If the valve casings are really grungy, try some Ultra-Brite toothpaste, on your valve brush, to clean them up. RINSE like crazy. Leaves your horn smelling minty-fresh. ;D

A little slide grease on the threads of your top and bottom caps works wonders, in order to keep them from freezing up. It also helps to "lock" them down, so that your valves are a little more quiet.

Ohhhh... if you switch valve oils... CLEAN YOUR VALVES AND CASINGS first. Many of the newer oils, with additives, do NOT mix well.

Don't forget your mouthpiece brush!

Bruce

[bnbtrpt]

I couple of guys I know chem cleaned my horn a while ago. Let me tell you that I would swear by anybody getting their horns chem cleaned when needed. It played SO much better after that.

I use a bob reeves lead pipe swab every other day or so to minimize the junk that gets in the rest of the horn from time to time. It works great.

jd

[Tootsall]

I tried to answer the poll question "Who cleans your trumpets?" but there was no category for "ME"! ;D

Every three months. Dismantle, soak and "snake" in hot water loaded with dish detergent. Brush thoroughly. (EDIT: Ooops....forgot "rinse and dry") Soak valves. "Silvo" any gunk that has formed on the slides (since Binak, none!). Reassemble using very thin film of Schilke slide grease (lanolin) and a drop of Binak Pro. Binak Pro on valves... see next para.

Weekly, remove valves, wipe pistons, swab cylinders. 2 drops of Binak Pro (one drop on middle of valve, insert into casing, invert horn, one drop into bottom of each casing to get "bottom half" oiled). Valves have stayed perfectly clean since horn was purchased new (unlike with Al Cass which varnished up valves every week or two). Apply a drop to slides if they start to feel "dry". If they start to feel gummy, remove slides and wipe clean and reoil with Binak.

Add a TarniShield treatment twice per year.

[jsou]

I have a leadpipe swab which I use a few times/week. I probably "clean" my horn every 3-4 weeks or so. Washing it out, brushing it out etc. I just use dishwashing soap for this and then rinse it out really good. I reassemble and lube the 1st & 3rd slides with Zaja slide lube and also use Zaja valve oil. I use lanolin on the tuning slide.

I have a friend here in southeastern Mass who is a instrument repairman and (unknown to most folks), he has an ultrasonic unit. He's had it for a year or two and Wayne Tanabe installed and gave him training on it. These things go for around $10k! I had him clean my horn with this unit a couple of weeks ago and the charge...$50! He may have cut me a deal. But his prices are very reasonable to all customers as I understand.

-Johnny

[benge]

Dear Friends;
for those things inside the leadpipe thatnnever come out use Simple Green lime Scale remover. My 2 Benge Trumpets Have this things, I imagine thatare sooldeing residues, the using a brush and ths Simple Green my two trumpets are totaly cleaned without any type of residues. Thanks

Ahh remenber Something very important God is the way

[nowherenearadouble]

I always oil my valves with way too much Blue Juice every day. My horns seem to stay pretty clean. I do snake the leadpipe often.
Blue Juice does seem to help tho.
Alan

[TopGun]

I used to play with a guy why would put some valve oil down his leadpipe every morning. He said it really helped keep the horn clean.

[PhilPicc]

I throughly clean my horns once a month use spitballs in between. I also squirt oil down the leadpipe and the blow it through the horn.

Phil