Whenever I play my horn for anything over an hour, the keys seem to go really stiff. I wash my horn regularly and I clean the slides and I oil it and I don't see what the problem is. When I oil the keys I have to use excessive amounts of oil to get them moving smoothly again, and the oil often pours out the other side of the horn. Also, I just bought some new oil today and it really doesn't make much of a difference. I was just wondering if anyone else had this problem, and if anyone had an idea of what was going on.
Does anyone have any names of a good brand of oil I could get as well?
I'm currently using one labelled Vincent Bach Rotor Oil.
I put it into the slides and wiggle the keys, or I unscrew those little circular cover things and put a drop or two there. It's not where I put the oil - because when I put in the oil the keys work, but it's just that they never seem to work for long.
It is a good idea to put a drop of oil between the capston (or rotor arm) and the rotor casing on the opposite side to the valve cap. Some horns have valves with finer tolerances than others - the tolerances on my Holton are too small and the valves are irrating compared to my 1970s Hans Hoyer which is beautifully engineered...
If your horn is in a warm room (more than 20 C) then you should expect to need to oil it more or less daily regardless of how much it is played. It is best to oil it after playing.
It is possible that your horn needs a service by a qualified technician who can take the valves apart and clean any buildup of oxide or other deposit.
