frozen valveS?

[josh161]

I remember seeing a thread here a long time ago about about how to deal with frozen valves if playing in the winter? but cant find it. Any one got good ideas to avoid and help with frozen valves?

[G-horns]

I remember seeing a thread here a long time ago about about how to deal with frozen valves if playing in the winter? but cant find it. Any one got good ideas to avoid and help with frozen valves?

Uh..... stay at home.

[nukeme70]

I remember seeing a thread here a long time ago about about how to deal with frozen valves if playing in the winter? but cant find it. Any one got good ideas to avoid and help with frozen valves?

I think a lot of the replies to that thread had recommendations for different valve oils, or other things, including some pretty volatile and not necessarily safe liquids. There is also the inevitable reply of using vodka or something similar.

I think the general consensus of what really works (and I have used this successfully) is to get a set of "Hot-Hands" and attach them to the valve cluster.

http://www.heatmax.com/HotHands/hothands2.htm

[Martybucs]

You have to remember that it is never the valve oil that freezes. It is the spit or condensation in the valve casings that freezes. There probably is no reliable combination of fluids to prevent freezing in really cold climes other than trying to keep the horn warm somehow, i.e. hot hands type of things.

I haven't done a parade in below freezing temps in a long time, probably Pottsville Winter Carnival back in the early nineties. Hamburg, PA King Frost Parade gets pretty chilly sometimes, but rarely freezing.

What do you have coming up that may be that cold?

[josh161]

Im going the university of maine, outside football games in november. I wanted to find ways now to be ahead of the game and be prepared. The problem with attaching the hot hands things is they are not warm enough to warm through the thicker metal of a tuba

[Dave]

All you can really do is make sure your horn is clean beforehand and oil the valves well; the oil will at least shunt most of the moisture out. I'm trying out a new synthetic variant, if I like it I'll post my thoughts. Right now my concern is extremes on the high end, but I'll have to try it in extreme cold as well.

[CookieMonster]

Im going the university of maine, outside football games in november. I wanted to find ways now to be ahead of the game and be prepared. The problem with attaching the hot hands things is they are not warm enough to warm through the thicker metal of a tuba

For what it's worth, I've always found the hot hands solution a little dubious to the long-term upkeep of your horn. The fact of the matter is that it results in very uneven heating of the horn in the area where it is most likely to become unusable if it warps. I've also heard that it does some pretty nasty stuff to some lacquers.

[korsakovisjesus3]

get Remington gun oil...is completely safe because its made exactly of the same stuff as instrument oil, its just cheaper and its also made with teflon so it wouldnt dry out as fast as instrument oil. its like $1.50 at walmart haha. Good stuff...I mean if the military uses it to keep their guns lubed when it comes down to life and death...its obviously the ####.

[ImperialSound_Director]

I remember seeing a thread here a long time ago about about how to deal with frozen valves if playing in the winter? but cant find it. Any one got good ideas to avoid and help with frozen valves?

If you're storing the horns in a place where it is cold or keeping them out a while, without playing, then I recommend you pull out all the tuning slides (make sure the valves are compressed while doing so) to prevent expansion and damage to the tubing. Also, pull out the valves, and put them back in on their side or remove them altogether if storing them overnight in frigid temperatures, to prevent sticking to the casing.

I recommend Al Cass, but the Remington sounds interesting. I would want to confirm that before use, as it may be corrosive.

Of course, be sure to clean the valves and casing thoroughly if you mix oils, in order to ensure that the valves do not stick like glue. It is never a good idea to mix synthetic oils (Blue Juice, for example) with "organics"(?) like Al Cass.

[jdostie]

If you're storing the horns in a place where it is cold or keeping them out a while, without playing, then I recommend you pull out all the tuning slides (make sure the valves are compressed while doing so) to prevent expansion and damage to the tubing. Also, pull out the valves, and put them back in on their side or remove them altogether if storing them overnight in frigid temperatures, to prevent sticking to the casing.

I recommend Al Cass, but the Remington sounds interesting. I would want to confirm that before use, as it may be corrosive.

Of course, be sure to clean the valves and casing thoroughly if you mix oils, in order to ensure that the valves do not stick like glue. It is never a good idea to mix synthetic oils (Blue Juice, for example) with "organics"(?) like Al Cass.

There is a thread on trumpetmaster.com about this and some people recommend using alcohol instead of valve oil in the cold weather. Oil becomes more viscous in lower temps. I have no personal experience, but you might want to hop over there and do a search, see what you find.