PBone Slide Maintenance

[HBack]

Hello:

I apologize in advance if this topic has been covered elsewhere - I did some searching, but didn't come up with much.

I am wondering if anyone has any tips for getting a pBone slide to work better. I have a pBone with a slide that seems to be getting worse. I have cleaned up the brass inner stockings, but it still will not even drop a bit. It will play, but there is absolutely no help from gravity - you must push/pull for each movement.

Are others experiencing the same thing? Is there such a thing as a reasonably good pBone slide? I realize they are cheap instruments and expectations should be much lower, but I'm thinking they MUST be better than this one!

I have one from the first year they were sold - are the more recent ones any better/improved? Is it worth it to try a new one?

Thanks!!!

[Posaunus]

If it's this bad, there's probably not too much you can do. These slides can be MUCH better than what you describe.

For mine, I carefully polished the brass stockings with fine steel wool. (You may need to precede this with very fine emery paper.) Then I sprayed the slide with liquid Nanowax (contains very fine particles of carnauba wax), and wiped it dry, per instructions.
https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-One-836609 ... 83&sr=8-19

The slide is still a little noisy, but otherwise works well.

The Nanowax is also a great furniture and cabinet polish!

[HBack]

Thanks very much for your reply, Posaunus! I appreciate your taking the time! I have heard of people using wax as you describe. I am a bit unsure/unsettled about the health risks from breathing in the other chemicals with it - anyone have thoughts on that?

[BGuttman]

Thanks very much for your reply, Posaunus! I appreciate your taking the time! I have heard of people using wax as you describe. I am a bit unsure/unsettled about the health risks from breathing in the other chemicals with it - anyone have thoughts on that?

It's important that you let the wax dry. Most of the obnoxious components (I don't think they rise to the level of hazardous) are volatile and will dissipate in the air. You shouldn't need to constantly spray wax on the slide; one application should last a while. I'll test it out on my Cool Winds horn and report back.

[mfturner]

The ends of the brass stockinged on mine had burrs that I sanded down with 600 grit sand paper. Then I use 1200 grit paper lightly on the rest of the brass stocking very occasionally to keep the oxidation at bay. A quick wipe to dry the brass after every usage helps a lot too, I leave the slide separated to ensure it's dry.

[SlideBye]

I suggest using a cleaning rod inside the tubes of the outer slide.

[timothy42b]

The ends of the brass stockinged on mine had burrs that I sanded down with 600 grit sand paper. Then I use 1200 grit paper lightly on the rest of the brass stocking very occasionally to keep the oxidation at bay. A quick wipe to dry the brass after every usage helps a lot too, I leave the slide separated to ensure it's dry.

Mine too. And one stocking was longer than the plastic it covered with a sharp edge, causing a scraping and catching. (I didn't spot that myself but boneagain and ssking helped.) I used a stone to get that smooth and flush and several grades of wetdry sandpaper to clean corrosion off the stockings and polish them, then car wax on top of that to slow it down.

It is usable but sticking, and moisture makes it drag like it had suction. So, I keep a paper towel and frequently yank the slide off and dry the inner slide. One weird thing, I have to play it upside down - spit valve on top, for some reason spit valve on the bottom is unusable.

When I'm done playing I swab the outer slide and hang it up separately. Moisture seems to be the enemy of the pBone so I let both slides dry. I wish I'd waxed the stockings before playing to keep the corrosion from getting started.

[Fairweather]

What about silicon spray, stockings and shafts both?

[whitbey]

I am a realtor. I take a horn to play while I do open houses. Plenty of time to practice between visitors. Some houses set you up that you might not be near the horn and that is when the pbone goes with me.
So far maintenance has been to epoxy the plastic back together after someone broke the horn.

[rizzo67]

The problem is that the stockings corrode, so normal cleaning and using slideomix only works for a short time.
I also polished the stockings and applied car wax, unfortunately I only had a red one.
Since then I play the slide dry and it works fine - for a pBone.
It scratches always, but I can play louder than that.
Beside that I use the pBone while travelling and mostly with the silent brass and ear phones, so only my wife hears the scratching.

[Fairweather]

nobody tried silicon spray instead of car wax?

[Posaunus]

nobody tried silicon spray instead of car wax?

Be wary of silicone spray. It gets everywhere, and, like a virus, is hard to make disappear!