Alternative slide lubricant?

[sirisobhakya]

I think I have seen this topic being discussed before, but as I far as I remember nothing much came out of it. Also, my circumstance might differ.

In my former school band, there is a pool of oils and lubricants for everyone to use. In this CoViD-19 lockdown situation, many students have their horn at home, thanks to the band director who traveled all over Bangkok and suburbs to deliver the horns. But the students don’t have the needed oils and lubricants, and it is already 1 month since they got the instrument, so things are starting to get sticky.

The best solution is, of course, that each student buy his/her own maintenance kit. Well some can, but some not quite. The oils are quite expensive for Thai salary, and parents are not quite willing to spend. Also, there are not many brass instrument shops that do delivery.

Therefore, I am wondering if there is any possible alternate slide lubricant (and other lubricants like for valves or rotors) that can be found in-house or at least can be made with in-house chemicals. I know the chance is slim, but I will try to take it...

(A mother asked me whether she can use WD-40 with the slide... Insert surprise Pikachu face here.)

[BGuttman]

Tell the mother (and all the other trombone players) to try using cold cream and water. You have to use very little, and new Pond's (don't know if you have Pond's in Thailand) is not like old Pond's that we used back in the Pre-Cambrian Era. But cold cream for makeup removal is common. I haven't found any other face creams that work as a slide lube, though. They will also need to have the ability to spray some water on the slide. Maybe an old spray bottle is hanging around. Back in my youth I used a spray bottle from glass cleaner.

[AuntieAmanda]

Just to add additional information that could be useful: cold cream is also known as aqueous cream - basically an emulsion of white paraffin in water. It forms the base of many skin creams (anti-wrinkle treatments etc). Here in the UK, it’s so cheap that pharmacists and supermarkets don’t like to sell it - they’d rather you bought branded products for ten times the price, but they usually have it tucked away in a dark corner, or you have to ask for it.

I’m quite allergic to soap, which is how I come to know. It’s quite a good replacement for ‘Superslick’-type slide creams, although it washes off more quickly and so has to be kept topped up a bit more.

Vaseline is good for tuning slides.

[ssking2b]

Yamaha trombone slide lube - AKA Yamasnot! best stuff going for my 2 cents. I also would agree with the cold cream suggestion. What ever they use you must impress on them KEEP THE HAND SLIDES CLEAN!!!!!

A clean slide will hallways out perform a funky dirty one!

[CharlieB]

sirisobhakya:

Are you're still here? I'm a bit late seeing your request.
These are somewhat desperate times, and I am sympathetic that you don't have access to the ideal lubricants.
In past hard times, I have used kerosene successfully on piston valves. It will work on trombone slides, too; use a very, very thin coating smeared on with fingers and mist with water. For rotary valves, the kerosene is too thin, but you can mix it with motor oil to get the right viscosity. Not ideal solutions, and it takes a few minutes for the kerosene odor to fade, but this will get you by.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

A great lubricant for trombone slides that is found in many households is Lemon/Orange Pledge furniture polish. Both the aerosol can and the spray-bottle types do very well. Just spray a SMALL AMOUNT on the inner slide and then use your water sprayer with it. You will need to occasionally clean your inner slide and swab the outer slide just like any other lubricant, but the Lemon/Orange Pledge does very well as long as you only apply a small amount.

A note of caution! Avoid spraying the Lemon/Orange Pledge in an area that has any of the following floor surfaces: hardword, ceramic tile, laminate or linoleum. The accumulation of the furniture polish on the floor can create an extremely slippery surface!

[Kbiggs]

A great lubricant for trombone slides that is found in many households is Lemon/Orange Pledge furniture polish. Both the aerosol can and the spray-bottle types do very well. Just spray a SMALL AMOUNT on the inner slide and then use your water sprayer with it. You will need to occasionally clean your inner slide and swab the outer slide just like any other lubricant, but the Lemon/Orange Pledge does very well as long as you only apply a small amount.

A note of caution! Avoid spraying the Lemon/Orange Pledge in an area that has any of the following floor surfaces: hardword, ceramic tile, laminate or linoleum. The accumulation of the furniture polish on the floor can create an extremely slippery surface!

Personally, I would avoid anything not intended for the instrument other than cold cream, as noted above. Pledge is meant for furniture, not instruments. Pledge also contains some things (aerosol and hand pumped packages) that aren’t healthy for human beings. Look up the MSDS.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

I thought the entire purpose of this post and thread was to find alternative solutions. The OP stated that he and many trombonists in Thailand are in a situation in which they cannot presently get instrument lubricants and accessories. Thus, I presented an alternative lubricant that might be present in households in many nations.

Do I think Pledge Furniture Polish the best and safest lubricant available?.....absolutely no. However, it is a great alternative if used in modest quantities for those who are in a bind. It works so well that a very talented technician in my area used the hand-pump type on trombone slides for about 20 years. He stopped using Pledge when he was only able to buy the aerosol cans.....he didn't like the viscosity of the aerosol formula.

[Kbiggs]

Can Pledge be used? Yes.
Have other people used it before? Yes.
Will it work? Probably.
Is it okay for the instrument? Probably.
Is it okay for people? Not in close proximity.
Can other people use it? Of course, go right ahead.
Will I use it? No.

[BGuttman]

Just to add additional information that could be useful: cold cream is also known as aqueous cream - basically an emulsion of white paraffin in water. It forms the base of many skin creams (anti-wrinkle treatments etc). Here in the UK, it’s so cheap that pharmacists and supermarkets don’t like to sell it - they’d rather you bought branded products for ten times the price, but they usually have it tucked away in a dark corner, or you have to ask for it.

I’m quite allergic to soap, which is how I come to know. It’s quite a good replacement for ‘Superslick’-type slide creams, although it washes off more quickly and so has to be kept topped up a bit more.

Vaseline is good for tuning slides.

Pond's has more than beeswax and water. There are a few surfactants and emulsifiers. Even though it costs a lot more than Aqueous Cream as you describe it, you are still below the cost of many commercial slide lubes.

In high school I knew one kid who used soap and water, although I never found out how he did it.

Note that Vaseline is a trade name for petroleum jelly.

[lauriet]

I found Ponds Cold Cream in the local chemist (drug store) here in Oz.
Seems to work fine and for 7 bucks I will die before its empty.

[Posaunus]

Yamaha Slide Cream works great if you are willing to use it the old-fashioned way.
• Apply a small amount to the stocking;
• Remove outer slide; spread cream over both inner slides with your hand, while warming it up to thin it out;
• Wipe off excess cream so there is only a very thin film;
• Assemble slide; Mist with distilled water spray;
• Play music.

I think it works better than similar cream lubes like Super Slick Cream, Trombotine, Monster Slide Lube, or the original Pond's Cold Cream that I started with decades ago. [Full disclosure: I still prefer Yamaha liquid slide lube or Slide-O-Mix Rapid Comfort for speedy, easy application, but the Yamaha cream probably survives heat better. And it works really well on older, worn slides!]

And it's available on a killer deal from a very reputable store that I've dealt with:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-YAC1020 ... SwAhxe7O3O

Great store, great people, fine product, good price!