Re: [Harp-L] Slide Lubricants

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

This thread comes up repeatedly and I have probably made the following comment before.

I apply a thin, hard, polished coat of Johnsonâs (carnauba) floor wax to all of the slide parts. (Do not use paraffin, beeâs, candle or other soft wax.)  It is invisibly thin and odorless once the solvents evaporate.  I believe that it offers a bit of lubrication and mainly inhibits sticking of dried saliva. It is dry and doesnât accumulate particles as would an oily lubricant.  It stays put on the parts to which it is applied and wonât migrate to the valves.  It doesnât eliminate the need for cleanings but it does seem to reduce their frequency.

I talked to Johnson about safety around the mouth.  They said that eating a spoonful would not taste good but would not harm you. The amount that remains on the slide parts after polishing is minuscule. IF it were the least bit harmful, waxing the floor would be fatal!

Vern
 
> On Nov 14, 2014, at 4:46 AM, Tom Stryker <tstryker1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Playing only Chromatics since 1954, I have not found a suitable slide lubricant that; will not migrate to the valves, not gum or bind up while being non toxic.  Plain water in a small spray bottle still works best to me and I can expect the slide to be bound up when it sits for an hour after a three hour gig. During my gigs, I constantly spray water on the slide which keeps me in business. To loosen the slide when stuck, I simply spray water on it and wait a few minutes. Then it loosens. 
> 
> I am of the opinion the chemical makeup if one's saliva and how wet one plays influences how well the slide operates without lubrication.  One thing that helps is to finesse the slide components.  
> 
> I sure wish there was a solution, no pun, to lubrication and valve issues. 
> 
> Stryker