Greasy Valve Stem Felts

EZ_Toner

I’m having a terrible time with the felts on my valve stems becoming saturated with valve oil. Does anyone else have this issue? Or have you encountered it before? It’s not just moisture, it’s valve oil. So much so that, if I forget my valve oil, I can just wring out the oil from the felts. It happens on multiple instruments, so I’m pretty sure it’s me.

I’ve just been swapping out the valve stem felts for new felts as they become saturated with oil; the valves tend to hang on the felt once the felt is too saturated. I tried switching to a cork plus felt setup, but greasy felts continue. I’m thinking synthetic felts are the next way to go. Any suggestions about this?

I’m pretty sure I’m not over oiling the valves. Also, any extra oil should come out the holes in the bottom valve caps and go on my shirt. I know how that works. Maybe.

I asked my instructor about it, but he looked at me like I was nuts. Never heard of it. Have any of you heard of it or had similar issues?

Thanks.

ConsultLeo55

@EZ_Toner This is just a wild thought, but when applying oil to your valves are you removing each valve from the valve casing to apply the oil? Or, instead, are you oiling the piston between the felt and where your fingers press each valve?

EZ_Toner

@ConsultLeo55 Thanks for the reply. I’m removing the valve from the casing and oiling the part of the valve where the port holes are. I’m definitely below the felts, not above. Given that I already have greasy felts, I make sure to not get any valve oil anywhere near the felts. In addition, I’m not oiling through the holes in the bottom valve caps, through the lead pipe, or anywhere else. I’m just removing the valve from the casing and applying a few drops of valve oil to the part of valve with the port holes. That’s all.

ConsultLeo55

@EZ_Toner That’s what I hoped you would say! Perhaps you will get other thoughts and ideas from this forum. I hope so, but if not, perhaps talk to a brass instrument repair technician near you or call one if you happen to be remote from a repair shop. I understand how annoying oily or greasy felts could be especially if you play on a regular basis. Good luck in finding a solution.

stumac

Please tell us more, what is the make and age of your trumpet and are the valves top or bottom sprung? I have some thoughts on this.

Regards, Stuart.

EZ_Toner

@stumac I only have cornets* and I have greasy felts with bottom and top sprung instruments.

My first instrument was a 1938 Cavalier 90A, which is bottom sprung. I started having greasy felts that I just swapped out for new ones as needed. Then, going in a much different direction, I got a 1969/1970 Getzen Capri 580S, which is top sprung.

I find the 90A’s felts don’t get greasy anymore, but only because I’m almost entirely playing on the Getzen. I have a couple of other cornets, which I only play occasionally, that don’t tend to get greasy felts (or at least they don’t get greasy fast.) There’s the solution: no playing = no greasy felts. But that doesn’t sound like any fun.

I’m mostly playing the Getzen Capri 580S. You can tell because its felts are greasy.

*Hopefully that’s okay on this site.

stumac

My first thought is that you are putting too much oil on the valves.
My method is to withdraw each valve half way and apply ONE drop to each when taking the instrument out of its case wether is needs it or not. On a long gig I will oil at a break around every hour,

If one assumes a gap of 5/10,000 of an inch between valve and casing the volume to fill is around 1/100 milliliter,, one drop is approximately 1/30 ml so is ample.

Another thought, when in the case are the instruments sitting vertical or horizontal, ih horizontal oil might be migrating along the spring box to the felts.

Regards, Stuart.

J. Jericho

I oil the valves on my instruments liberally, and no oil saturates the felts nor even accumulates in the bottom caps.

Is this the way you tend to play?

Dale Proctor

Do you store the horns at any angle that would cause the valve oil to run toward the stems?

Dr GO

@Dale-Proctor said in Greasy Valve Stem Felts:

Do you store the horns at any angle that would cause the valve oil to run toward the stems?

This is my thought too. Are you storing your horn in a case with the valves down?