How to Clean Rotary Valves

Rotary valves found on brass instruments.

Brass musical instruments create wondrous sounds just from a bunch of metal tubing and a hole that you blow in. However, these instruments require a large amount of craftsmanship to create the perfect timbre. Many brass instruments use rotary valves to change the air pressure and thus the timbre and pitch of the sound. Cleaning the rotary valves is a part of regular brass instrument maintenance and can keep your sound harmonious, melodic and pure.

Things You'll Need

• Medium weight transmission oil
• Trumpet valve oil
• Cloth
• Spindle bearing oil
• Lever linkage oil

Instructions

1. Unscrew the valve caps from the rotary valves. You can do this by hand if you maintain a very sturdy grip on the valve cap.

2. Use a medium-weight machine oil to lubricate the valve. Drop a small amount, comparable to that from an eyedropper, into the rotary valve. Replace the valve caps.

3. Turn the rotary valve and the instrument upside down. Lubricate the spindle with spindle-bearing oil. The spindle is connected to the keys and the rotary valve. Only a small amount of spindle oil is required.

4. Rock the instrument and rotary valves back and forth to distribute the oil within the instrument evenly. The excess oil will remove any impurities in the instruments, and the excess will be secreted from the valves. Lubricate the linkage that connects the key to the spindle with a little bit of linkage oil. Apply a little bit of the oil to the small hinge that connects both parts.

5. Use a cloth to clean up any excess oil that leaks from the rotary valves on the instruments. Tighten and loosen fixtures and play the instrument a little bit. The rotary valves should be a little sticky but as you play they will loosen up.

References

• Osmun: Rotary Valve Maintenance
• Music Showcase: Brass Care and Maintenance