north bay trumpet
studio
maintenance
instructions
effective
11/6/10
Piston Oiling
(every week)
- take the pistons out of the casings by
unscrewing the top valve cap first.
- Take the pistons out carefully without
forcing them (avoid scratching the surfaces).
- Unscrew and remove bottom valve caps.
- Hold the horn over a cloth and squirt
enough oil into the casings (from the top) to rinse off
any grime.
- Squirt oil over the surface of piston
to remove any visible grime (allowing it to drain down
off the piston).
- Gently shake any excess oil off the
piston and reinsert it into its casing.
- When putting the piston back in its
casing, do not rotate it since this can cause excessive
wear.
- Wipe any grime out of the bottom valve
caps and screw them back onto the horn.
- (Cleaning with a rod is not
recommended since it can scratch the metal casings.)
- (Using a cloth inside the casing may
leave lint or other contamination.)
Monette video on properly oiling pistons
Complete Horn Cleaning
(every month)
- Disassemble the horn carefully and
place all the parts (pistons, top and bottom valve caps
and slides) on a soft towel.
- When removing the pistons, be sure to
check the direction the number faces (so the ports line
up when you replace them at the end of the cleaning
process).
- Place the body of the horn, bottom
valve caps, and slides in a large sink or bathtub filled
with soapy lukewarm water.
- Use lemon dish soap (ajax brand is
suggested) to break down build up and neutralize acid.
- Allow the body of the horn and slides
to soak in soapy lukewarm water for 5-10 min. (this
loosens any debris.)
- Put some soap on the tip of the snake
and insert it into the bell.
- Push it through until you see the
brush come out the bell crook into the 1st valve casing.
- Gently brush back and forth around the
crook of the bell.
- Repeat the process as above for each
slide and port (where the slides enter the horn).
- Repeat the process as described above
for the leadpipe (this is a crucial area: most saliva
acid and food particles reside here).
- After cleaning, if debris is still
clinging to the inner surface of the leadpipe-repeat the
process.
- (After several repetitions, if there
is still visible debris, a professional acid wash of the
leadpipe or entire horn may be required at the local
repair shop.)
- Debris that does not come off may be a
sign of "pitting": a horn being eaten from the
inside out by rust.
- Repeat the process as described above
for each slide.
- Clean the bottom valve caps using soap
and a toothbrush (gently).
- Do not use the cleaning snake in the
valve casing (it is not wide enough to make contact with
the valve casing and the brush may scratch the inside of
the casing).
- Use a valve brush (designed for this
purpose) with soap to clean the inside of the valve
casing.
- Scrub out grime by holding the valve
casing under running water while gently scrubbing out old
oils and grime.
- Thoroughly rinse the soap and debris
from all surfaces and parts internal and external.
- Allow the horn and all parts to
completely air dry for 2-3 hours before replacing the
slides (or valves).
- Follow the instructions for valve
disassembly and cleaning (below).
- Follow the instructions for oiling the
valves (above).
Monette video on greasing slides
Monette Video on cleaning valve casings
Complete Piston Disassembly and
Cleaning
(every two months-as a part of a complete horn cleaning)
- Disassemble the piston(s) as follows:
- Remove the finger button.
- Remove the top valve cap.
- Remove the stem and pad.
- Remove the spring.
- Remove the valve guide (notice which
direction the thick part of the guide faces so you can
replace it the same way).
- Take care to keep each set of parts
(button, cap, spring, guide, and pads) with its piston
(do not mix parts).
- Clean the underside of the top valve
cap with a q-tip (if necessary use soap and a
toothbrush).
- Clean the underside of the stem in the
same fashion.
- Clean valve guide area and valve guide
in the same fashion.
- Clean the piston ports (holes) using
the cleaning snake.
- Reverse the process of piston
disassembly to re-assemble the pistons and their
respective parts (do not mix parts).
- Follow the instructions for oiling the
pistons (above).
- When re-inserting the pistons into
their casings check: (1) that all debris has been removed
from the piston surface (blow on them or use your bare
hand to wipe them) (2) that the numbers on the pistons
are for the correct casing (do not replace a piston into
a different casing) (3) that the numbers are facing the
proper direction (as verified at the beginning of the
process).
- Gently toggle the piston a few cm.
right and left, once it is inserted into the casing,
until you hear a click (this means the valve guide has
gone into its slot)
- Test to make sure all the pistons are
in their correct position by blowing a note.
- If no note comes out, check the
direction the pistons are facing in the casing and
correct the direction if necessary.