new cleaning technique

camel lips · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 687

I got in a grungy BAch today and it needed cleaning inside real bad.

Normal cleaning routines where not getting out the green gunk that had built up in the lead pipe and slide areas so I thought of something I use to do when I shot bench rest rifles.

I got some 1x1 rifle cleaning patches out(about 30 cal) and coated them with liquid soap and put one on the end of the flexible cleaning brush/snake.

You would be surprised how much gunk came out with each pass of the brush/patch combo.Its just a bit tighter fit than the brush by itself and the texture of the cloth jsut gets down deep in the pours of the metal and gets all that stuff lose and out of there.

Then I pulled out the slide on my old horn that I cleaned just last week to see how dirty it was.Man let me tell you there is a huge difference this technique makes.

If your skeptical take out your tuning slide right now and clean it the best you can with your standard flexible brush and hot soapy water.After you think it is clean turn around and run a dry patch and flexible snake cleaner down it and see all of the residue that came off.It will make you a believer.

For the valves I just used 5 patches instead of 1.It seemed to fill the valve area up and swiped it clean.

I don't think my trumpets have ever had such a good cleaning as they got this afternoon.

Try it you might like it.

plp · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 5:48 pm Post subject:

A cheap version of this is a small fishing weight on a string with a cleaning patch on the other end. Drop the shot through and pull the patch behind it. You are right, it makes a ton of difference. I had to resort to Bore Blaster on a Holton cornet, the gunk was coming off in small flakes and in several layers. I let it sit in the leadpipe for about 2 minutes, flushed it with hot water, and swabbed it several times until it was clean. It played like an entirely different cornet after I was done, and have watched for pitting due to the caustic nature of Bore Blaster, and seen none.

_PhilPicc · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 6:41 pm Post subject:

Get the trombone (I know, don't kill me) snake. There are also brushes out that are supposed to be great but I can't remember the name.

Help me out, I want to get some also;
Phil
_________________
Philip Satterthwaite

We cannot expect you to be with us all the time, but perhaps you could be good enough to keep in touch now and again."
- Sir Thomas Beecham to a musician during a rehearsal

radiobob · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 4:34 pm Post subject:

Hi Camel Lips et al,

I'm a hunter and gun buff too, just wondering if anyone has tried gun bore cleaner yet (unless that's what Bore Blaster is, not familiar with it). Also, I wonder what carburetor cleaner would do? I have often used that on guns and it works great, the military does too, but you have to be careful, it's very flammable and will ruin some plastics and such. Might not be good for lacquer, but a patch soaked in it and being very careful to keep it off your finish would work great I think and shouldn't be corrosive to brass.

Bob

edtaylor · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 5:01 pm Post subject:

I use patches too. I whipped a loop in the end of a piece of venetian blind cord to hold the patch. The cord is stiff enough to push through the lead pipe, but I had to tie a small string to it and blow the string through the tuning slide crook to pull the cord through. I haven't tried anything beyond Dawn dish detergent as a cleaner. Maybe bore cleaners are a good idea but I want to be careful with my WT.
_________________
Ed Taylor . . . a Messianic gentile

radiobob · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 6:52 pm Post subject:

I wouldn't think your brand new Wild Thing would need this kind of treatment. I'm in to old horns that might have years of crud built up in them and since I don't like the idea of chem cleans I'm looking for alternatives. Seems to me if you have a new horn a monthly cleaning with dish detergent should be fine. I also think that Brasso on old horns is cool as long as you get it all out when your done. Wouldn't want to get it in the valves.

Bob

_Japle · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 7:01 pm Post subject:

I used to clean M-16s, M-60s and M-2s with brake cleaner in the spray can. It worked great, especially on the M-60 gas pistons.
For my horns, I'll stick to Simple Green, Nylon .45 brushes and cloth patches.
_________________
John
Cape Canaveral

radiobob · Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 7:15 pm Post subject:

If you used to clean M-2's that kind of dates you. Wish I had an M-2.

Bob

plp · Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 8:08 am Post subject:

Thanks for the suggestion on brake cleaner, hadn't thought of that as it is non residual, have a couple of really stained valves I might try that on today.

Bore Blaster is made specifically for black powder guns, and is highly caustic, but with limited exposure don't think it would be a problem. I have noticed the higher the quality intrument, the less this type of drastic measure is required. The student line horns are a study in abuse, can't imagine I would've ever let my pawnshop Bundy get in the condition some of these are in, ol'Yeller got a bath every Sunday, right between morning service and youth choir.

_Japle · Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 9:30 am Post subject:

Used to shoot M-2s a lot. Never on a date, though.
I love that gun. Every part is made for endurance and reliability. Easy to work on, easy to maintain, hard to carry. Never saw one jam.
FWIW, the longest sniper shot on record was made by Carlos Hathcock with an M-2 and 10X scope at 2500 yds.
RIP, Carlos.
_________________
John
Cape Canaveral

radiobob · Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 5:38 pm Post subject:

Read a book on Carlos Hathcock a long time ago, can't remember the name offhand, it told the story of that shot. Have to wonder if any of his exploits were exaggerated over time, a hell of a shot though. Seems like a lot of trumpet players are into guns and shooting, maybe we should start a new forum?

Bob

drunkiq · Posted: Sun Feb 29, 2004 5:41 pm Post subject:

Reynold Schilke assisted in the development the M-1 rifle... I just thought that that would be a fun factoid to add...

-marc

_ConnMan · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 9:10 am Post subject:

Guns, did someone say GUNS!

Carlos Hathcock .... White Feather - cool book. I heard he died a few years back, cancer or something like that?

Alright, I use to shoot more than I do now, but one thing I use to do after hunting season on my Sako Finnbear .25-06 was after cleaning it real good, I'd take a dry patch and squirt some bore oil on it and run throught 2-3 times to give it a good coat to prevent bore rust/corrosion. SO ...... I'm thinking maybe after giving your horn a good cleaning it would be good to run an oil (valve oil) soaked patch through you Leadpipe and slides. I've heard of people just squirting some down there Leadpipe after cleaning and blowing it through. I idea of running an oil soaked patch through would give you a more "thorough and even" application of oil to help prevent the 'ol red rot and green scale.

Any thoughts or theories?
_________________
Playing For Him,

Kanstul 1600 "WB" w/ Kanstul two-piece B3C & S72 BB
Connstellation 38B
Kanstul 925 Flugelhorn (copper bell) w/ Kanstul two-piece BFL3C w/ 119S BB
Jupiter 416BL Pocket Trpt.
www.measureofgrace.com

L&D · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 11:55 am Post subject:

MPro-7 cleaner works well, also, and should be safe for lacquer - the packaging states it is safe for wood, plastics, and metal finishes. I still keep it off the finish as much as possible.

I have also used Brasso on on a wool swab to polish the insides of my 'bone slide, and on valve casings that needed a polish. Various shotgun and blackpowder swabs can be found in the necessary sizes.

I'll second brake cleaner to get the worst gunk off; I use the non-chlorinated type, though. Can remove nasty stuff from clothing in the laundry, too.

______________________
Deen - Courtois 400BVH/SIG P220, P228
Lori - Yamaha 8335RGS/SIG P228/Walther PP

radiobob · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:01 pm Post subject:

I'm planning on picking up a small plastic spray bottle with one of those long plastic attachments that come on cans of WD-40 and spraying the inside of my horns real good. Using a patch is just as good I think and maybe better, but more time consuming.

Bob

wardsd · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Mar 2003 Posts: 504

I believe Carlos Hathcock's record was just broken by a British sniper in Iraq. It was over 2600 yards. Hatchcock's was 2500 yds. Just read that about a month ago.

Steve

camel lips · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 687

No doubt that is possible with todays 50 cal sniper rifles and bullets.

edtaylor · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 2:41 pm Post subject:

There's info on Carlos at : http://www.bobtuley.com/carloshathcock.htm

_________________
Ed Taylor . . . a Messianic gentile