Locked-up lock-down valves

[2nd tenor]

Restrictions are easing and soon some of us will again be playing again with our Band mates. So I dusted off ‘my’ Big Bass’s Case and opened it up ready to play, gave it a blast and heard the ‘joyous noise’ echo around the house. BUT, what’s this, my valves won’t work, the instrument is solid. “Oh bother” I said, well it was something like that.

I have practiced over the lockdowns, honest, but it’s about a year since I played with other folk using the proper Bass. I’ve being using a little Bass of my own ‘cause it’s light, an easy blow and just a little quieter than the Band’s beastie - it’s still pretty dam loud if you push it though.

The Beastie Bass now has freed-up valves and thankfully the slides weren’t too stiff. Lots of oil and firm finger pressure were all that was needed, honestly that’s the case. However plan ‘b’, which I thankfully didn’t need, was to: remove individual valve finger buttons, cover the stem with a thin piece of (sacrificial) wood and very lightly tap (downwards) with a small pin type hammer. Of course it’s just a guess but just a few mm of downward release movement from a single tap is enough to see the valve button screwed back on and a chance to carefully pull the valve back up and get more oil worked in via repetitive movement. In hindsight removing the valve base covers and adding oil from that end too would be a wise move.

I’m fortunate in not having to have used my plan ‘b’ and in being just experienced enough to be able to do such things if needed, but really some jobs are best left to professionals .... Never, ever, force anything and never work too far outside your skill set ‘cause you’ll likely be unlucky and damage something. Whatever, the moral of this tale is get your unused instruments out now and go over them to ensure that they still work.

 

[pbirch]

Restrictions are easing and soon some of us will again be playing again with our Band mates. So I dusted off ‘my’ Big Bass’s Case and opened it up ready to play, gave it a blast and heard the ‘joyous noise’ echo around the house. BUT, what’s this, my valves won’t work, the instrument is solid. “Oh bother” I said, well it was something like that.

I have practiced over the lockdowns, honest, but it’s about a year since I played with other folk using the proper Bass. I’ve being using a little Bass of my own ‘cause it’s light, an easy blow and just a little quieter than the Band’s beastie - it’s still pretty dam loud if you push it though.

The Beastie Bass now has freed-up valves and thankfully the slides weren’t too stiff. Lots of oil and firm finger pressure were all that was needed, honestly that’s the case. However plan ‘b’, which I thankfully didn’t need, was to: remove individual valve finger buttons, cover the stem with a thin piece of (sacrificial) wood and very lightly tap (downwards) with a small pin type hammer. Of course it’s just a guess but just a few mm of downward release movement from a single tap is enough to see the valve button screwed back on and a chance to carefully pull the valve back up and get more oil worked in via repetitive movement. In hindsight removing the valve base covers and adding oil from that end too would be a wise move.

I’m fortunate in not having to have used my plan ‘b’ and in being just experienced enough to be able to do such things if needed, but really some jobs are best left to professionals .... Never, ever, force anything and never work too far outside your skill set ‘cause you’ll likely be unlucky and damage something. Whatever, the moral of this tale is get your unused instruments out now and go over them to ensure that they still work.

I am reminded of the story of an engineer who started an engine with a tap of a hammer, and charged £5 for hitting it and £5000 for knowing where to hit it!
a repairer will charge for a post lockdown service, but will be less than repair costs for botched attempts to get the instruments going

 

[GordonH]

Restrictions are easing and soon some of us will again be playing again with our Band mates. So I dusted off ‘my’ Big Bass’s Case and opened it up ready to play, gave it a blast and heard the ‘joyous noise’ echo around the house. BUT, what’s this, my valves won’t work, the instrument is solid. “Oh bother” I said, well it was something like that.

I have practiced over the lockdowns, honest, but it’s about a year since I played with other folk using the proper Bass. I’ve being using a little Bass of my own ‘cause it’s light, an easy blow and just a little quieter than the Band’s beastie - it’s still pretty dam loud if you push it though.

The Beastie Bass now has freed-up valves and thankfully the slides weren’t too stiff. Lots of oil and firm finger pressure were all that was needed, honestly that’s the case. However plan ‘b’, which I thankfully didn’t need, was to: remove individual valve finger buttons, cover the stem with a thin piece of (sacrificial) wood and very lightly tap (downwards) with a small pin type hammer. Of course it’s just a guess but just a few mm of downward release movement from a single tap is enough to see the valve button screwed back on and a chance to carefully pull the valve back up and get more oil worked in via repetitive movement. In hindsight removing the valve base covers and adding oil from that end too would be a wise move.

I’m fortunate in not having to have used my plan ‘b’ and in being just experienced enough to be able to do such things if needed, but really some jobs are best left to professionals .... Never, ever, force anything and never work too far outside your skill set ‘cause you’ll likely be unlucky and damage something. Whatever, the moral of this tale is get your unused instruments out now and go over them to ensure that they still work.

This is surprising given that the clearance between the outer casing and the valve in a tuba is large compared to smaller brass instruments. My guess is there was an existing issue with debris, corrosion or mineral deposits.
I had this with a euphonium once that had been in storage. I took the valve buttons and top caps off, put valve oil down inside the casings and allowed it to soak in by keeping the instrument vertical. I did this a couple of times over a few days and then used finger pressure to push the piston from underneath. A tuba is going to be a lot harder because the valves are so much longer and there is more material to grip the sides.
If it was mine I would try oiling it and if that failed get it to a repairer.
I have seen this being fixed before. You probably don't want to watch. As the other poster said, its knowing where to hit it so you won't cause damage.

 

[Mello]

I find it very sad that some players have not bothered to practice during lockdown but even worse ....if that was their intention , they didnt bother putting their instrument in storage mode.
The old maxim If I miss a days practice I can tell - miss 2 days - my colleagues can tell . - iss 3 days and Everybody can tell. is a good one but even better is another maxim If you Dont use it , you will Lose it which can apply to embouchure or /and instrument. I always used to put my horns in storage mode when not expecting to play for a while ( hols etc) Every detachable part is taken off and also dismantled eg. Every valve had the tops & bottom caps wiped cleaned and vaseline spread on the threads even on the outer valve casing threads. the springs Valve guides , Corks or pads dried and wrapped separately , The valve ports cleaned and a light oil applied then each valve and its 'set of bits' were ) wrapped together in Bubble wrap and marked V1 or V2 etc . Each slide prepared and packed etc if there is a shank such as with some sops ....that too. I have an instrument even now in the loft which I guarantee would be in perfect order within 1/2 hr. The initial packing procedure takes longer but its worth it. Ah well , some folk do and others dont.....just hope any problems due to neglect are not instruments belonging to a band ....they deserve better.

PS I have even known some players , specially Bassists leave their m/piece in their instrument. !! ending up trying to tap it out with a mallet ! or at best a trip to the repairer for the old m/p extractor. Sermon over !!

 

[GordonH]

I find it very sad that some players have not bothered to practice during lockdown but even worse ....if that was their intention , they didnt bother putting their instrument in storage mode.
The old maxim If I miss a days practice I can tell - miss 2 days - my colleagues can tell . - iss 3 days and Everybody can tell. is a good one but even better is another maxim If you Dont use it , you will Lose it which can apply to embouchure or /and instrument. I always used to put my horns in storage mode when not expecting to play for a while ( hols etc) Every detachable part is taken off and also dismantled eg. Every valve had the tops & bottom caps wiped cleaned and vaseline spread on the threads even on the outer valve casing threads. the springs Valve guides , Corks or pads dried and wrapped separately , The valve ports cleaned and a light oil applied then each valve and its 'set of bits' were ) wrapped together in Bubble wrap and marked V1 or V2 etc . Each slide prepared and packed etc if there is a shank such as with some sops ....that too. I have an instrument even now in the loft which I guarantee would be in perfect order within 1/2 hr. The initial packing procedure takes longer but its worth it. Ah well , some folk do and others dont.....just hope any problems due to neglect are not instruments belonging to a band ....they deserve better.

PS I have even known some players , specially Bassists leave their m/piece in their instrument. !! ending up trying to tap it out with a mallet ! or at best a trip to the repairer for the old m/p extractor. Sermon over !!

He did say he had been practicing on a different instrument. I just keep my spares well oiled and lubricated using oils that are less likely to dry out. Never had a problem.

 

[2nd tenor]

The cut and paste arrangement for responding to Gordon’s and Mello’s posts proved unwieldy so on this occasion it’s simplest just to address a few points and then to move on.

The valve clearances on the Band’s Beasty Tuba (a lovely Sovereign) are tight by design, they give a good air tight seal and are normally very rapid in movement but they do require care and attention to keep them free. In contrast my own small Tuba is a slightly older instrument with more clearance between the valves and casings. I’ve had the little one for some years now but when I bought it it was in a very poor state and it took effort and use to get the valves ‘flying’ up and down.

Having chatted to a few other Band members I’m far from alone in letting things slip and in good company on the road to restoration of skills and equipment. Yes, the old maxims quoted by Mello are very true, but how applicable they are to recreational players in these extraordinary times I wouldn’t like to say. Yes, the Beasty Tuba should have had lots of storage prep done on it rather than trust that it would exit its case in the perfect working order that it entered it. Of course professional and more experienced players would know better, however many of us are neither professionals or people with a few decades of instrument care experience behind us: my original post was aimed at that large and ‘lesser’ group of players. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Like many others I never anticipate - what has successively developed to become - over a year of neither Band practices or performances, and like many other people life has simply diverted my attention to more pressing matters - of which there have been plenty.

Brass practice is something that I’ve tried to keep going during the lockdown and I’m fortunate in living somewhere where my practice won’t disturb others, but not everybody else is that fortunate and obviously that complicates matters for that group of people. My own practice has been shorter than usual but enough to not get too ‘rusty’ and, without the need to be on (my) ‘top’ form for playing with the Band, I’ve used some (of the released) time to learn other useful things. Of course, like so many other players, I’ve found it hard to stay fully motivated and like many other individuals I’ve found the lockdown to be both a difficult to manage and grinding burden. Anyway, as I said at the end of my original post, it’s time to get your instruments out and to get ready to play again: “the moral of this tale is get your unused instruments out now and go over them to ensure that they still work”.

 

[Mello]

I am certainly not disagreeing with the good folk who have posted on this subject .In fact the prime reason for my posting was to draw attention to inexperienced and casual players , that Storage can create many problems which can be avoided by simply storing them carefully. I know when I was a youngster , Dad used to go mad when bass m/pieces were left in the bass ....in the bandroom . Aside from storage other pet hates of his ( & mine) was 'stuck slides' which hadnt moved for years in some cases ....making tuning adjustments nigh on impossible and the fact that brute force would result in half the slide being left in situ and the player with a one legged slide in his hand. I was also taught to loosen the valve caps top & bottom after playing .... not only did that ensure one could remove the valve easily , ( for replacing pads etc ) but it eased the tension on the springs....so that they dont weaken and last in good condition for years , or in my case the life of my instrument ...honestly, I never had to replace a set of springs -- ever, so I have no reason to doubt that one . There are other tips I was given ...re cleaning out an instrument ....but that can be a thorny issue. so perhaps another time.....else I will be branded a Know All again.

 

[2nd tenor]

.... There are other tips I was given ...re cleaning out an instrument ....but that can be a thorny issue. so perhaps another time.....else I will be branded a Know All again.

IMHO anyone that brands you a ‘know all’ either actually understands that you’ve a wealth of knowledge or is simply being deliberately silly. Most people have no time for the later mentioned type of person but, to be fair, it does take some time for members to realise that you really have ‘walked the walk’ as a long term professional musician. Having been brought up in a brass banding family must also have given you particular insights into our hobby too - sometimes people are surprised that the knowledge that they take for granted is complete news to other people.

Sadly TMP has little traffic on it these days, so few eyes view its wealth of content, but if you have time and inclination to record your tips here then please do. Likewise any other member who has anything constructive to add. I still drop in from time to time and others do too; Google searches also bring up content here so whether it be tomorrow, next week, next month or next year someone will be pleased to hear what you have to say.

Over the years I’ve certainly learnt a lot from this site; and when the information desired wasn’t obvious then this site has also pointed me in the right direction to find my solution some other way. If I’m struggling with something then occasional I’ll send a pm to an expert, perhaps I’ve been lucky but in my experience established members here always seem most helpful to each other.

 

[Mello]

d

IMHO anyone that brands you a ‘know all’ either actually understands that you’ve a wealth of knowledge or is simply being deliberately silly. Most people have no time for the later mentioned type of person but, to be fair, it does take some time for members to realise that you really have ‘walked the walk’ as a long term professional musician. Having been brought up in a brass banding family must also have given you particular insights into our hobby too - sometimes people are surprised that the knowledge that they take for granted is complete news to other people.

Sadly TMP has little traffic on it these days, so few eyes view its wealth of content, but if you have time and inclination to record your tips here then please do. Likewise any other member who has anything constructive to add. I still drop in from time to time and others do too; Google searches also bring up content here so whether it be tomorrow, next week, next month or next year someone will be pleased to hear what you have to say.

Over the years I’ve certainly learnt a lot from this site; and when the information desired wasn’t obvious then this site has also pointed me in the right direction to find my solution some other way. If I’m struggling with something then occasional I’ll send a pm to an expert, perhaps I’ve been lucky but in my experience established members here always seem most helpful to each other.

Sorry 2nd Tenor Thank you for your kind words . much appreciated but I got sniped at too many times , so stopped posting, although I helped a few folk via pms. I do check occasionally , to see what is happening. Its true I had a decent playing career and have over 40yrs teaching experience in some of our best music institutions. I know that doesn't mean I know anything about instrument manufacture or repair. However I did receive some in depth training from the Yamaha head technicians,in the UK & Japan, before being 'let loose' to talk about such things in public.
It is a pity the traffic on TMP has dwindled so much, such a shame. I dont know the reason ...other my own , so cannot comment further.

 

[Jack E]

"I have even known some players , specially Bassists leave their m/piece in their instrument. !! ending up trying to tap it out with a mallet ! or at best a trip to the repairer for the old m/p extractor. Sermon over !!"

There's a tenor horn on Ebay at the moment; seller points out that it has a few minor dents - which it does - but one 'dent' on the lead pipe puzzled me, as I couldn't see how it could been hit in a way to cause that long a dent, and in such a place . . . until the penny dropped. It's not a dent, it's a twist, several inches long, caused by somebody trying to extract a stuck mouthpiece with brute force and a pair of . . . pliers? Mole grips? A Stillson wrench? Who knows?

I don't know how much it will affect the playing of that horn, but what's an absolute certainty is that the cost of repairing it would be many times what it would have cost to get a repair shop to get the mouthpiece out - or even to buy one of those proper mouthpiece extractors. It wouldn't surprise me if the cost of repairing or replacing the twisted lead pipe would be dearer than buying another instrument.

I remember the first time I felt the metal of the bell on a baritone between the tip of my finger and thumb - and being astonished at how thin it was. Talk about 'Handle with Care'!

With best regards,
Jack E

 

[2nd tenor]

Having got the Band’s Tuba going again (for preference I normally play my own smaller one) it was left to one side safe in the knowledge that the valves, etc were all oiled and ready for use. Fast forward some months and I was astonished to find the valves solid again ... left me scratching my head in puzzlement.

I stripped the valves down again and this time removed the bottom caps too. What I noticed was ring like build ups, at each end of the valve case bores - much more at the base than the top - of calcium like crud, and that build up was causing/helping things to bind. They are very close tolerance valves. I’ve removed much of the crud and will revisit the rest at some point, but very carefully. The crud must not be removed by anything with abrasive in it, so it’s a case of carefully scrapping the crud away and carefully not removing any metal. The ‘calcium’ build up is a new one on me -most unexpected - but now the valves are flying up and down again

 

[pbirch]

Having got the Band’s Tuba going again (for preference I normally play my own smaller one) it was left to one side safe in the knowledge that the valves, etc were all oiled and ready for use. Fast forward some months and I was astonished to find the valves solid again ... left me scratching my head in puzzlement.

I stripped the valves down again and this time removed the bottom caps too. What I noticed was ring like build ups, at each end of the valve case bores - much more at the base than the top - of calcium like crud, and that build up was causing/helping things to bind. They are very close tolerance valves. I’ve removed much of the crud and will revisit the rest at some point, but very carefully. The crud must not be removed by anything with abrasive in it, so it’s a case of carefully scrapping the crud away and carefully not removing any metal. The ‘calcium’ build up is a new one on me -most unexpected - but now the valves are flying up and down again

my old repair guy had 2 solutions for this, (1) to soak the valves in warm water with washing soda crystals, and (2) to us an ultrasonic jewellery cleaner (one big enough to accommodate tuba valves), and he would charge an extra couple of £s for that

 

[Jack E]

my old repair guy had 2 solutions for this, (1) to soak the valves in warm water with washing soda crystals, and (2) to us an ultrasonic jewellery cleaner (one big enough to accommodate tuba valves), and he would charge an extra couple of £s for that

I'm not surprised he charged extra for that; I've just done a quick internet search, and the price of a 9 litre ultrasonic bath is over £1400 - so I shudder to think about the cost of one big enough to take a tuba!

With best regards,
Jack

 

[pbirch]

I'm not surprised he charged extra for that; I've just done a quick internet search, and the price of a 9 litre ultrasonic bath is over £1400 - so I shudder to think about the cost of one big enough to take a tuba!

With best regards,
Jack

Oh gosh, he didn’t have one like that, it a jewellery cleaner (about £40) and he would do 1 valve at a time. I do have to say he was a good guy with a a great deal of honesty and integrity

 

[Jack E]

Oh gosh, he didn’t have one like that, it a jewellery cleaner (about £40) and he would do 1 valve at a time. I do have to say he was a good guy with a a great deal of honesty and integrity.

Note to self - always engage brain before hitting keyboard, Jack . . .

 

[2nd tenor]

my old repair guy had 2 solutions for this, (1) to soak the valves in warm water with washing soda crystals, and (2) to us an ultrasonic jewellery cleaner (one big enough to accommodate tuba valves), and he would charge an extra couple of £s for that

Washing Soda takes me back to when I was a teenage Lad and had my first Tuba. It was old and I washing and bushes it out using a solution of washing Soda plus a couple of two gallon buckets. Seemed a good idea at the time and a lot of muck came out if it.

The valve bodies themselves weren’t too bad at all, not much to see really but the casings’ ends is where the bulk of the build-up had settled - I really didn’t expect to see anything in the casings. Easy enough to scrap away the deposits with something suitable that’s not going to damage the valve casing or valve.

Getting access to a good brass repair guy is hard. My local guy retired a while back and the guy that I really like to use is quite a distance a way.