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Sand in Valves



 
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christophac7
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Joined: 25 Mar 2012
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Location: Boca Raton, Florida

PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 3:37 pm    Post subject: Sand in Valves Reply with quote

So, I just got my Olds Ambassador back from a friend who owns a sand blaster, a process he has done to horns in the past, however this time, some sand managed to get inside the trumpet, specifically in the valve block. I've spent a good amount of time attempting to remove it, but there is still sand kicking around. Any ideas on how to remove it efficiently?

I've already used
-Baths
-Brushes
-Vaccum
-Cleaning Snakes
-Flushing through with water

Any and all advice is appreciated, thanks.
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trumpaholic
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ultrasonic cleaning and check for casing damage would be what I would do.
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cheiden
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Joined: 28 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Probably just need to repeatedly chase a snake with soapy water through the horn and keep doing it unit it clears up. Know that there are places grit can hide including the short tubes that connect the valves. Sometimes you have to be clever to really get at those with a brush.

All else fails, take it to a pro shop for a complete chem clean.
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etc-etc
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Joined: 19 Jan 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How is a chem clean going to help with sand? Sand is mostly SiO2 - it is not soluble in most acids (other than HF which is used for etching glass). Quartz (SiO2) and glass vessels are used for storage of acids.

What you would want instead is ultrasonic cleaning.
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yourbrass
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

At this point, (and of course without seeing the instrument...") I would assume that the casings and pistons need lapping. The sand has gotten in there, scored the surfaces, and that needs to be smoothed.

You tell me otherwise, it's a guess.
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Phantom309
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Joined: 01 Mar 2012
Posts: 35
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From sad experience, I can tell you the sand from blasting is really hard to get rid of 100% by hand. It can be done and has been done. You can bend Q tips, dip them in valve oil and go into all the "around the corner" ares that you can't get with the snake. You have to do it about 5000% more than you reasonably think should be sufficient. Combine with lots more soap, lots more snaking, lots more swearing. Use a hose to flush things out with a bit of pressure.

Your valves will probably still feel scratchy because the pistons and casings have been scored by the sand. You don't have to lap them though. That would just make them looser and leakier and fill your horn with lapping compound which is also very hard to completely remove. They can be burnished, which doesn't remove any metal, just lays down the sharp edges of the score marks. Use a burnishing tool for the pistons and a Ferree's valve mandrel for the casings without any compound, just a bit of oil.

It's painstaking, but it works well without degrading the playing qualities of the horn as other methods would.
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