Re: [Harp-L] Slide Lubricants

[Joseph Leone <3N037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Nov 14, 2014, at 2:17 PM, Vern wrote:

> This thread comes up repeatedly and I have probably made the following comment before.
> 
> I apply a thin, hard, polished coat of Johnson’s (carnauba) floor wax to all of the slide parts. (Do not use paraffin, bee’s, 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 doesn’t accumulate particles as would an oily lubricant.  It stays put on the parts to which it is applied and won’t migrate to the valves.  It doesn’t 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
> 

I suppose that I was born a pragmatist. In a perfect world without any outside influences, I suppose that using only water on a slide is the most logical thing to do.
And I totally agree with this doctrine. In principal. But in an actual practical application, harmonica slides pose several quandries. The older slides were basically 
brass with a nickel plating. And if they were not completely flat OR even if they were and would 'arch UP' through pressure, eventually spots of wear will appear.

Now some people will touch these up with ultra fine emory paper or steel wool. Some will scour the offending surfaces with Brasso or some other metal polish
containing pumice in harsh chemical vehicles. This is NOT a good procedure. Jewel the slides instead.

 Some harmonica companies (Hering is one) elected to put a heavy CHROME plating on the slides. Sometimes TOO heavy. At times this would even fail and start
 to flake off. I have even had cases where the plating was so thick that the ragged edges of the failure spots could tear your lips off as if they were razor blade edges.

 At other times, you would get a 'rub burn'. A spot where the plating failed and left a nasty drag scratch in the plating  Which only got worse and worse. 

So, what to do? Ok, here's what 'I' do. I used to Simonize auto body paste wax on my moving parts. I don't know if they even make that stuff any more. Just a swipe 
between the fingers onto the parts and THEN the buffing is the secret. This results in a micro fine coating which fills the pores of the metals. Brass is quite porous on
it's surface. This is due to the number of electrons in the outer orbits of the atoms..and hence the molecular structure. Ergo, brass takes beautiful plating. But only IF 
you prepare the surface to an ultra clean receptive surface. Usually 'pickling' will do it. 

So, I could take the parts to my shop at 4M company (Mars mettalurgy machining & manufacturing, p.o. box 777 Mars, Pa. to have them re-plated. BUT a good wax 
job makes that unnecessary. I eventually moved to Johnson's or Bruce hardwood flooring paste wax. Which is what I use on my teak floors. Currently I use O-ring
silicone goop. Used on swimming pools, fish tanks, etc. 

And even though I usually never need them, I carry several eye drops bottles (1/3 oz) with various liquids in them. Pool test chemical bottles (2/3 oz) will also work. 
They contain:
1.... Alcohol.........red cap
2.... Trumpet valve oil.... orange cap
3.... Water...... white cap
4.... Banaca.....blue cap. (note: Banaca is a breath freshener. I use it to counter the brass taste after long set.)

They key is, of course, just common sense. When something needs cleaned..clean it. When it needs adjusted..adjust it. Needs fixed? fix it. Before Borrah Minnevitch
would start a short subject for the movie theaters, he would hold an inspection. Checking every one's chromatics. If they didn't pass muster, they had to be adjusted. 

smokey-joe ( I'm from the dept. of justice, and I came to adjust dis harmonica). lolol