No, absolutely do not use olive oil for valve oil.
Using WD-40, mineral oil, olive oil, or other oils found in your home are not recommended for oiling trumpet valves. Although it may be tempting to use these since they are typically easily accessible, it is wise to wait until you can buy proper valve oil. These home-remedies can severely damage a brass instrument.
There's really not a good substitute for valve oil. Valve oil is a water based lubricant, so it won't hurt your instrument, but using oil or silicone based lubricants, like WD-40 or T-9, can eat away at the nickel in your instrument and cause serious damage.
Valve oil is a specialized, ultra-low-viscosity lubricant designed for brass instruments. It is formulated to lubricate metal pistons and rotors, prevent corrosion, and maintain a tight airtight seal. It typically falls into one of three distinct categories:
Keep your valve slides airtight by applying slide grease. Never use Vaseline for anything on your brass instrument because Vaseline will mix with the water and oil and congeal, eventually sludging up the valves.
To lubricate a tampon, use a small amount of water-based personal lubricant. Apply it only to the very tip of the tampon. Using too much lube or coating the whole tampon will interfere with its ability to absorb your period flow.
Cleaning Supplies and Preparation for Cleaning Your Trumpet
Valve oil (we recommend a synthetic valve oil) A cleaning snake. A non-abrasive cloth. Mild soap (such as Dawn dish detergent)
Blue Juice Premium Trumpet Valve Oil, 2 Fluid Oz, Slide and Key Oil, 2 Pack - Walmart.com.
Oil your trumpet valves every 1 to 2 weeks, or immediately whenever they start to feel sluggish, slow, or sticky. If you play daily or perform in marching bands, you may need to apply a drop or two every 1 to 3 days to prevent mineral buildup and excessive wear.
Mild skin irritation and other discomfort may occur after contact if you have sensitive skin. Wash skin thoroughly with water and mild soap to remove the oil from skin. Avoid eye contact, and if exposed, rinse eyes immediately with plenty of clean running water thoroughly and seek medical help.
There is no functional or safety reason to keep WD-40 in a refrigerator. In fact, it is better stored at room temperature. However, you might hear about this because WD-40 is an excellent product for your fridge.
No, you should never use slide grease as valve oil.
From alcohol-thin oil to the thickest, stickiest grease, they all serve important purposes in operating valves. Oils, which are also the base ingredient for most grease compounds, come in many forms. They can be petroleum-, animal- or plant based, or they can be synthetic creations.
Proper valve lubrication is important to the long life of your equipment, and VSG-77 is formulated to help extend that life. VSG-77 can be used on valve stems carrying hot water, cold water, air, or steam. Its heavy-consistency silicone lubrication assures free movement of parts.
The best way is using a cowhide or wooden mallet, lightly tap around the circumference and try unscrewing it again. If not successful, try again, tapping a little harder and in the direction that they will unscrew, but very careful not to damage anything. Next, try tapping while trying to unscrew.
Emu oil and squalane are widely regarded as the oils that penetrate the skin the deepest. Because their molecular makeup closely mimics the lipids naturally found in human skin, they can bypass the skin's protective barrier and carry nutrients into the lower dermal layers.
The U.S. doesn't use all of its own crude oil primarily due to a refinery mismatch: domestic wells produce mostly "light, sweet" crude, while most U.S. refineries—built in the 1970s and 80s—are engineered to process heavy, sour crude. Consequently, the U.S. exports its domestic light oil and imports heavier oil from places like Canada and Mexico, operating within a globalized market designed for efficiency over local sourcing.
Exposure to this oil can occur when you change the oil of your car or another type of engine. Exposure to very high levels of used oil can cause skin rashes, headaches and tremors. Used oil has been found in at least 85 of the 1,416 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
For a safe and immediate trumpet valve oil alternative, use sewing machine oil or baby oil. They possess the necessary light viscosity to keep your valves moving freely without causing permanent damage to the instrument's metal or lacquer.
Satchmo's syndrome is a disorder due to the rupture of orbicularis oris muscle in trumpet players. This syndrome is named after the nickname of Louis Armstrong, the trumpet player from New Orleans, because apparently it fits with the symptoms he experienced in 1935.
Mozart had an extreme childhood phobia of trumpets because of his hyper-acute hearing. A family friend noted that just holding a trumpet near him was like "aiming a loaded pistol at his heart." The loud, blaring, and unrefined natural trumpets of the 18th century caused him actual physical pain and terror.
La Tromba Fast
Valve oil is essential for keeping all valved brass instruments in good playing condition.
Some trumpet players who are wondering, “what is tuning slide grease for a trumpet” might also be wondering, “can't I just use Vaseline”? There are some mixed reviews on using Vaseline in place of slide grease. While some say it can be used in a pinch, Vaseline should be avoided because it can be corrosive to brass.
No, you should not use WD-40 on a trumpet for regular maintenance, as it is a degreaser, not a lubricant, and can gum up valves, dry out metal, and leave toxic residue. While sometimes used by professionals to unstick severely seized slides, it should be immediately cleaned off and replaced with proper valve oil or slide grease.