Flugelhorn covered in oil when in case.

[saurus]

I have a brand new Yamaha YFH8310ZG Flugelhorn. It's workmanship and finish looks flawless and it plays amazing, no problem whatsoever.

When I stop playing I clean it up with a cloth and I'm sure it is perfectly dry (externally) before storing it in it's case and empty the water keys. The next day, when I take it out of the case I always find the entire valve block, 1,2,3 tuning slides and part of the underneath of the bell covered in a fine layer of oil (at least I guess it is oil). I tried storing the case in different orientations and it doesn't seem to make any difference.

I've checked thoroughly and can't find any leaks, also when I play it, it doesn't seem to be leaking any oil or air from anywhere, in fact if I wipe it dry before I start playing, it stays perfectly dry even if I play for a couple of hours. It only seems to 'leak' when stored in the case.

I oil it with a couple drops in each valve once a day before I start playing. So far I've only used the Yamaha oil that came with it.

I have other trumpets and I treat them all in the same way, this flugelhorn is the only one that does this.

Anyone has this issue?

[JayKosta]

Try placing a glass bottle in the case instead of the horn - to see if the oil is from the case lining - not coming out of the horn.

If that's the situation, then maybe stuff the case full of paper towels to try absorbing whatever is in the lining fabric.
You might even try dry uncooked rice (?) Supposedly that works for absorbing water from wet cellphones.
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[saurus]

hmm, I never thought of checking the case rather than the horn, definitively something to check!

As I said the horn is brand new and I don't remember ever spilling any oil in the case. There is also the factory silica gel bag in the case, although of course that's for water not oil. I'll definitely check this though, thanks.

[callee]

It will be interesting to see this mystery unfold.

One thing that caught my eye though, you said you oil this thing every single day? Did I read that right?

Maybe I'm the one who's off, let's see what the others say, but that strikes me as more than a little excessive. I only oil mine as needed, and that's rare - maybe once or twice a month. If a horn has sat for a while then it will need some fresh oil, of course, but playing every day seems to keep them good in my experience.

If I'm right, then that could be the explanation right there - you simply have way too much oil circulating in that horn and when it sits it has a chance to collect and seep out all over everything.

[geseco]

I would leave that case open.

[LittleRusty]

There is nothing wrong with oiling daily. In fact oiling once or twice a month is risking early valve wear.

If the oil is coming from the oil on the valves, it would leak from the bottom or top caps, or from loose slides. Loose slides is unlikely due to it being new and yamaha’s reputation for quality.

I too suspect oil was spilled, or is spilling, in the case.

[saurus]

[saurus]

[callee]

Interesting, just for kicks I checked out yamaha's website to see what they recommended, and to my surprise they do say to oil the valves after every time you play the horn, right before you put it away:

https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/trumpet/maintenance/maintenance003.html

One other question though, you said you oil "from the top" , what exactly do you mean by that? Do you mean you unscrew the top valve cap and oil the top of the valve? Or do you mean you squirt a few drops in at the base of the valve stem while the valves are still screwed in?

[saurus]

[Crazy Finn]

[saurus]

[cheiden]

Another suggestion would be to place a piece of cellophane or something similar between the horn and the case and see which side gets oily. If you put a layer of paper on either side of the cellophane you might be able to more easily determine where the oil/wetness is coming from.
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Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
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[saurus]

[trompette229]

This might be obvious so apologies. Oiling everyday is great but I sometimes see colleagues and students who really over oil (amount per oiling). A few drops per valve is plenty. Could this be an issue?

[LittleRusty]

[Crazy Finn]

I vaguely recall that this has happened to me a few times. Other than the bottle leaking, I think it's mostly been when I've oiled and put away rather than oiled and played.

Also, it's easy to get oil on the outside of the casings when doing the slight lift and a few drops. That's all it needs. Oils is designed to spread itself over a smooth surface - it doesn't care if it's the piston surface and inside of the casings, or the outside of the casing on the valve block.

Valves that don't need more oil that get more oil also seem to tend to leak a bit. I've watched that with my students.
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Yamaha 731 Bb Flugelhorn

[Tpt_Guy]

I have a Schilke E3L that does this. I know it isn't coming from the case because it doesn't happen to any other instrument I put in that slot (it's a Wolfpak). Every time I take the horn out, there is a film of oil on the lower half of the valve block and extending across the valve slides.

I have no other horn that does this.
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[etc-etc]

Some oils can wick out of and around the casing - their composition and behaviour is similar to kerosene (e.g., Holton).

[saurus]