Posted by Joe S. on October 15, 2000 at 00:07:07:
As some of you bbs veterans know, I don't buy into THE REMEDY
of the old Hirbrunner rotary valve tubas with the plastic rotors sticking "solution to the problem" as outlined by Peter Hirsbrunner (' pretty presumptious of me, huh?)...
...You've seen his recommendation before: You heat up the rotors as hot as you can stand to, and then lap them into the casings. (yeah right, like I'm going to soften up some irreplacable delicate bronze-clad plastic rotors with boiling water and then torque the crap out of them with lapping compound on them --- AND be "responsible" for this).
Anyway, yet another owner of one of these tubas came into my store with one of these tubas. I was in a jam, because he is a local band director (you know, the kind who can mention the name of your store [or not] to kids), and I didn't want to appear to "blow him off".
Most of the principal brass players in the Memphis Symphony have been taking my advice and buying BLUE JUICE valve oil for their "troublesome" close-tolerance valves on their custom instruments (McCracken French horn, Blackburn trumpet, etc.). Every time they get a tiny bit of dirt in their valves, they stick. I suggested the "old fashioned" stinky-but-slippery BLUE JUICE to them, and they have been back again and again to buy it.
Well, I suggested that this band director try BLUE JUICE on there old plastic Hirsbrunner rotors...NO STICKING. He has been back in the store again and again, and I ask him about it every time he comes in. The problem WAS chronic, and NOW it is non-existant.
Please try BLUE JUICE on old Hirbrunner plastic rotors before letting someone heat your rotors up and lap a bunch of material off of their exteriors (which actually simply makes them leakier at best, if no "accidents" occur).