How To Remove VERY Stuck Tuning Slides

When the easier slide removal techniques have failed to dislodge a stuck tuning slide, you need to try more extreme measures. This video shows how I remove those very stuck slides.
Use discretion when and if you decide to do these repairs. Do not try this if you do not have experience with stuck slides. A lot of damage is possible. Also, remember to use all of the appropriate safety measures when soldering.
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Here is the link to several videos that I have in the play list,
"How To Repair Stuck Tuning Slides"
• How To Repair Stuck Tu...
Here is the link to several videos that I have in the play list,
"How To Solder: Repairing Broken Joints"
• How To Solder: Repairi...
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[@rosslarocca6919]

I really appreciate you showing the entire process, going from less invasive techniques until you find one that works. This and your other videos are insightful, thanks for producing such quality content!

[@jasonsummit1885]

Wish they had videos like this when I was in high school band from 2001-2003, I played tuba back then and my tuning slides were stuck completely all the years that I played!😂 Good thing it wasn't mine, it was owned by the school.😁

[@andrewengstrom1516]

Trade our tuba for trumpet and I'm word for word same story

[@Studio42dotCom-Real]

Gives more and greater appreciation for the amazing work that instrument repair people such as yourself can perform. Honestly, even with my experience, if I had something stuck like that, I'd let a repair shop handle it!

[@Gabblerwba1]

Patience and good technique and experience are the operative words here, very instructional, great job.

[@RPBhatia1]

Great video. It gave me the confidence to keep trying after I got stuck (pun intended!). Thank you for taking the time to create and share this video. My son needed to get his trumpet fully functional for band class, and local shops were unavailable. It must be an enjoyable profession, fixing instruments. I found my repair very satisfying.

[@cliffwhite2812]

Thank you. I watched your videos this morning and with cloth as protection and a stick as leverage I very carefully and gently (as you said) rocked the stuck slide on my flugelhorn side to side. After doing it for several minutes there was suddenly that little noise you mentioned, and keeping on being careful and gentle, a few minutes later the slide was out! So thank you very much for your kind generosity in sharing your expert knowledge. Thanks from the UK.

[@alphahorn6163]

I don’t know why this guy isn’t more popular.

[@tondoff]

i do

[@alcnon]

Thanks for sharing your experience on these issues. Very much appreciated.

[@oldblackstock2499]

I took my old Baritone to a music/repair shop. They got all the slides working and replaced part of one tube. It didn't cost much. They did a goid job. That was probably 15 -20 years ago. The horn was old when I bought it. I contacted the manufacturer with the serial number and found it was made somewhere between 1945-1950. I still have it. I don't play much anymore but I played it yesterday.

[@LanternOfLight7]

I used warm water and platinum dawn dish soap soaked for 5 minutes then the stick stretching method and it worked perfectly thank you

[@Sky-Child]

A very interesting and informative video sir! I bought an old trumpet from a flea market yesterday and intend to restore it to it's former glory. This with be hugely helpful!

[@JustClaude13]

This video has been a great help as I bought used instruments. Some pry sticks worked great to pull the tuning slides on the cornet, but the top leg of the main tuning slide stayed behind when the rest of it pulled out. Next I need to learn to solder so I can use the slide as a handle as I rock the tube to freedom.

[@Rigoutat50]

Wow, very useful! Thank you!

[@thespiritof76..]

Awesome!!! Thanks so much for posting!

[@andrewengstrom1516]

Thank you! SO HELPFUL - just excellent video!

[@farquell5782]

I solder a brass slug or an old mouthpiece in. That way I don't bend anything or tear up the tubes using vise grips :-O

[@user-lz3dy4wv4b]

Excellent ideas/concepts that are helpful. Thanks!

[@MrDerrumbe]

Es usted sorprendente en el trabajo que realiza y su generoso acto de compartir su conocimiento es totalmente el de un gran ser humano

[@gabrielrotger7989]

gracias por compartir sus conocimientos

[@ednaldoads5472]

Excelente trabalho parabéns!👏

[@sonic5d]

Great video~ I'm a tuba player. Some how I landed on your vids^^

[@QetasX]

Jesse Benton I play tuba to!

[@pablobasstb]

this video is great!!

[@jackx4311]

The right tools, the right knowledge, the right technique, oodles of patience, and a TON of judgement based on training and experience. Easy, peasy, eh? ;)

[@keepmovingforwardmyson]

You are awesome!

[@moscow8881]

very good tnx

[@pushyred]

Cool! I've never seen the dent ball/vise grip method.

[@abcdefghabcdefgh31]

شكرا استاذ احب هذه الآلة الموسيقية روعة

[@braindamane]

0:38 Yeah guys!

[@LeonardoOliveira-nm3xh]

Muito bom.

[@val946]

Excelente

[@bomaite1]

Can you put cork on your vise grips to help prevent marring? It is like putting pads on glue clamps.

[@RedKnight26]

I'm using this video next time but this time I'm letting the pros get it unstuck. That way I can use less extrwme techniques

[@TK-wg4so]

you can sold one of a site of the bow in the slide and remove ;)

[@georgefelder4908]

What do you use for penetrating oil? I have used Kroil, and it almost instantly releases the slides---but mine may have not been as "limed" as the ones you are using! Kroil is used primarily for removing rifle barrels from the action---it works VERY well---penetrates almost to micron thicknesses.

[@Metal-Possum]

Kano Kroil is great, but in other industries, I've heard people using DOT brake fluid or a mix of automatic transmission fluid and acetone, which some videos have shown to be the superior option you can make bulk amounts of for not very much money. I still swear by Kroil though, it's never let me down yet.

[@DEHOYOS98]

I prefer JB-80 to Kroil. I had a vehicle with frozen parts in a spot I couldn't use heat because of the rubber bushings. I tried kroil and after sitting overnight it didn't help. The JB-80 worked within 30 minutes.

[@dwgibson2000]

great video, do you have one on straightening a bent trumpet lead pipe? I have a 1936 King Liberty with the lead pipe bent about 8 degrees inward just prior to the mouthpiece reciever where the brace is attached (also bent). I'm thinking I should get a metal rod same as the inside lead pipe diameter, round the end of it, heat the lead pipe at the bend, then lever the pipe straight bit by bit as I tap the rod in. What do you think?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I think what I would do is put the mouthpiece in and bend it back using the mouthpiece as leverage. You would have to be very careful to not bend it too far and I would only suggest that you try this if you are an experienced technician. If you are not, the way you mentioned would work, but you do not need to add any heat. I hope this helps, Art

[@redrubeNYC]

I like the sot jaw pliers. Where can I get those? great video!

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Some hardware stores have them in the plumbing section. Or yo can get one on Amazon. amzn.to/3gvAAG3

[@patoni860]

Use adhesive tape on the jaws of the vice grips

[@bulbushead_gang4739]

My band director's gonna kill me when he learns that my tuba's tuning slides are stuck.

[@1PITIFULDUDE]

Wouldn’t cooling the brass in a refrigerator first, then heating the outside with a heat gun to expand the outer metal free it up? I’ve used this a lot on motor vehicles, but with steel though.

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

It's bit different here. Brass (especially thin brass) conducts heat too well for it to work. Both tubes would heat up at the same time.

[@michaelpowers5143]

What do you use to chem clean a trumpet? I have a lot of grit in my horn and that affects the valves and slides. Could you share a thought with me?

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

Phosphoric acid does the job. But before buying any limescale remover, look at the label. Some chemicals could corrode the brass so it's quite important that you buy the correct stuff that doesn't damage it. And don't leave it in the acid for too long if it's lacquered, because it will damage the finish.

[@SuperAgentMan]

I’m a percussionist but this shit is satisfying

[@isaachavor9749]

My third turning slide is stucked, I forced it one tube from the of the tune is stuck how do I fix it? Moreover I don't have a repair shop any where around

[@rockstar1594]

I have a question I am an apprentice could you tell me what type of lacquer varnish you use for instruments please ????

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I only do touch-up lacquer at my shop. I use the Nikolas Spray Lacquer that comes in the spray can from Allied Tools (you can probably get it from other places too). If you are doing a small portion, it works well. If you need to do a large portion, it is good to get a lacquer booth and the sprayer hooked up to an air compressor, but that is quite expensive. Most shops send out their large jobs to a shop with a lacquer booth.

[@210gremlin]

What kind of torch do you use to re-solder the slides together? I was finally able to remove my severely stuck trumpet tuning slide, however the brace detached from the tuning slide (just like what your video shows). I’ve been trying to re-solder it back together so I can start wiggling it out, but it won’t stay together. Should a butane cooking torch work? It’s all I have at the moment :(

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I use an acetylene torch, but unless you do a lot of soldering, it is not practical to get one. I am not familiar with cooking torches, so I am not sure if that will work. After the acetylene torch, I recommend a MicroTorch. They are not that expensive and your local hardware store may have one. The only down side is that you cannot do many solder joints before it needs a refill, but that is not a big problem. I am hoping to publish a series of soldering videos, but it will probably be a while before I am able to get them filmed and published.

[@richardgordon8110]

KZbin Blue You need to contact Ferrees, Allied and Votaw companies and purchase their catalogs and current price lists.

[@tondoff]

make sure that all joins are clean clean and clean again

[@ScottLewis901]

Hello, curious if you could publish a list of tools and where to purchase for someone wanting to start working on brass instruments. I have a couple of trumpets and a trombone with various dents, etc that need repairing that I want to try myself and was also thinking of buying more old instruments in yard sales and other places that needed work. Thanks

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

That is a great idea for a video. I will try to publish it soon, but it may take a few weeks to do it.

[@ScottLewis901]

The Brass and Woodwind Shop, Thanks I would like to see that. Had to use a automotive socket with extension clamped in a vise and wood lathe mandrel remover/push rod to burnish out 2 small dents on a flute head.

[@anthonycalia1317]

Interesting!

[@patoni860]

I have a euphonium that I had to do the same thing too... But what I did was keep putting the penetrating oil on it over a three-day. And it eventually came a list... I don't believe you are being patient with a penetrating oil. It will work but you can't expect it to just work in one day

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

It's not really efficient to let it do its job for 3 days. It's much quicker to use the unsoldering method. If you do it right, it'll not damage anything.

[@luizclaudiopaim9703]

Hello friend, i'm from Brazil I work with winds since 2016 .. do you Sell tools ?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Hello Luiz, Yes, I do have some tools for sale and I can send most things to Brazil. Here is the link to my website. thebrassandwoodwindshop.net/shop/

[@jacobwilson376]

I played the Euphonium in High School Concert Band an I used a shoe lace an held down all four valves an it came out

[@joensab]

Wouldnt an interim step/ once it is deemed radically more 'stuck' than usual, be to try heating and quick sizzle cooling at the offending area...and or allowing cavitation during a ultra sonic cleaning (where available) to aid loosening while otherwise removing the huge amount of mineralization from the entirety of the instrument? If paying shoptime hourly it may well be far less to pay for that needed service while cutting labor. A thought, rather than a suggestion. I am obviously not knowledgeable,but rather curious.

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Pulling slides is a balancing act between time and benefit. You do what you think will get the slide out quickly with the least amount of damage. Sometimes you make the right decisions and sometimes you do not, but you do not know until it is too late. The techniques you mentioned may or may not help depending on the particular slide. If this answer sounds uncertain, it is because it is a judgement call and a technique may work, but it often may not work and not be worth the time to try it.

[@joensab]

Would using a refrigerant/Freon or say putting the instrument in the freezer in order to super chill the inner slide...followed up by heat/torching the outer slide be a possible last step before doing an extensive de-soldering? ( just an ignorant reviewer here)

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I have never tried this, but I doubt it would work. It would make a good experiment though. If anyone who reads this has tried doing this, leave a comment and let us know if it worked.

[@carpetsomething]

I realise this is an old comment, but heating the outer slide with a blowlamp has worked for me, so I assume freezing and heating would be even more effective, ive heard of that technique being used on automotive parts

[@abbyag]

I have a 1951 E.K. Blessing Artist Model Cornet and the slides are stuck since it's so old and I can't get it apart to clean the instrument. I'm not comfortable doing this myself and there's no one that can fix it so I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

If all of the slides are stuck on an instrument that is that old, they are likely very stuck. You can send it out for the repair, but of course the shipping will add to the cost of the repair and it will be gone for a while. Before you do that, ask your local band director where they send their instruments for repair. It is likely that a music store stops by the school and they may be able to pick up, repair, and return your instrument too.

[@abbyag]

@@TheBrassandWoodwindShop Thank you!

[@bomaite1]

I am going to ask a really stupid question here because I don't know the first thing about this work. Can you somehow soak the slide in vinegar to dissolve the lime deposits? I don't know if that wrecks the lacquer or does some other damage, but I am curious why that wouldn't be done. Again, sorry for the stupidity.

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

I'm not entirely sure about the vinegar, because no one uses it in professional repair, but I heard that it can damage the brass. But limescale removers, like phosphoric acid definitely can help, but it's not always enough. If it's a hard case you can also soak the instrument in water for a day.

[@ChaplainAcosta]

It would be nice if you could show links to purchase the tools. Maybe even make a little commission on that.

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

Common band instrument tool and parts suppliers: Böhm Tools, Allied Supplies, Ferree's Tools, JL Smith, and Music Medic. Music Medic has some pretty cool stuff, but they are a woodwind only company. I'm not sure if JL Smith sells brass stuff or not, but the other fellas definitely do.

[@BLINKYTHEBAT]

The best method is to pull the slides out and clean them very well and then use a bit of Vaseline to lubricate all the slides.

[@aaronllordii]

You mean.....dont let them get stuck!?

[@dgrjazz]

Do charge by the hour for this kind of work?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Yes, I do. Usually my customers want an estimate so I guess how long it will take to repair and add on the parts if any.

[@Officer235]

Okay, dumb questios here: Have you ever considered a lime dissolver like CLR?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

That is a good question. Lime remover works well after the slide has been removed, but it does not penetrate in between the inner and outer slide tubes to get them unstuck.

[@jackpalek2978]

Thank you!

[@richardgordon8110]

Officer235 that is a terrific idea!! CLR MIGHT DO THE TRICK.

[@LaurasLastDitch]

How often do you encounter a slide that you can't remove by any means? (Edited: Now that I kept watching, I see you thought to put the answer to that question.)

[@quadrumvirate86]

Laura's Last Ditch Vintage Kitchenwares there's always a way.

[@richardgordon8110]

Laura's Last Ditch Vintage Kitchenwares THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY TO TAKE OUT A STUBBORN SLIDE.

[@jackx4311]

And all for the lack of a penny's worth of tuning slide grease!

[@RobertSzasz]

If you're already applying heat, why not apply flux to break down the corrosion?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Flux takes off the oxidation, but it does not break down the calcium deposits. Also, another risk is that if you melt the solder, there is a possibility it could flow between the inner and outer slides and solder them together.

[@RobertSzasz]

@@TheBrassandWoodwindShop thanks for responding. I guess it depends on the flux, it's activation temperature, and how aggressive it is. There should be some that are liquid and active way below the temperature the solder melts at. But then it becomes a question of how aggressive is too aggressive. Unfortunately instrument repair probably isn't a large enough market to have a bunch of flux types already characterized in a way that would be helpful.

[@jackx4311]

@@RobertSzasz - I've done a lot of soldering as a professional, and I've never heard of ANY flux which will break down calcium deposits. Soldering fluxes won't even remove oxidisation on the metals being soldered (which is why they have to be mechanically cleaned with a wire brush, wire wool or the like first); all they do is to prevent new oxidisation forming on the metal as it's brought up to soldering temerature. That applies to fluxes used for soft soldering, hard soldering, or brazing. HTH

[@RobertSzasz]

@@jackx4311 I was pretty sure there are some specialized acid fluxes with sulfamic acid. Mechanical cleaning is almost always a better idea than using a strongly reactive flux that requires cleanup.

[@midnightraiin4035]

are you near n.y. ?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Yes, I am in Burnt Hills, NY which is near Albany and about 150 miles north of New York City.

[@PhillipYewTree]

Has anyone tried vinegar (or other mild acid) to dissolve the calcium build up ??

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

I have not tried it, but I would think it would work. I will have to do an experiment and try it.

[@quadrumvirate86]

Sometimes in my shop if the slides are really stuck I do something similar to this. We have an ultra sonic tank, so when slides are particularly stuck sometimes you can put the entire horn in the ultrasonic for about 20 seconds and it helps break up corrosion. Then if that doesn’t work I usually do the mouthpiece or brass spike solder method and that works 99.9% of the time

[@lfbeverage2892]

that looks exactly like my baritone

[@-yourmother-9894]

"mean comment"

[@myrkflinn4331]

Trigger, Trypophobia 8:10 xd lol

[@richardgordon8110]

BUY YOURSELF A SOLDER LUG.

[@user-gt7li3eo3f]

WD-40 did not try?

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Penetrating oil works a little better for stuck slides, but WD-40 will work too.

[@pushyred]

matt mooney PB Breaker is my favorite oil for this job. WD-40 is a lubricant… Not a penetrating oil.

[@richardgordon8110]

THATS WHY YOU USE A SOLDER LUG.

[@TheBrassandWoodwindShop]

Those work too. thank you.

[@kayla-vr3dt]

My mom hates taking my instrument to the shop she hates looking at it like I messed up

[@jackx4311]

If you clean and lubricate your instrument on a regular basis - say, once a week - you will NEVER have to pay a repair shop to do this sort of work for you.

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

​@@jackx4311 Lime build-up will eventually kill the instrument if you don't have it chem cleaned and by looking at most videos on this topic I'd assume that most musicians don't clean their instruments thoroughly enough anyways, so I'd rather recommend bringing it in to an annual service.

[@haileyfeddersen]

guys... i have never used slide grease in 3 years of playing and nothing bad has ever happened... oof

[@beingaware8542]

Heated the wrong part didn't you? The smaller pipe was being heated, thus expanding it, and making a tighter fit. You should have heated the bigger pipe that the smaller one was inside. Am I wrong on this?

[@tamasfoldesi2358]

No, he didn't. At that part he tried unsoldering.

[@clayton3590]

Me pulling teeth when i was seven

[@gracie1087]

Uhm, im not going to do this my instrument is a school owned....

[@nickdempsey211]

Gracie Roblox & More! That is definitely something to leave to a professional tech that your school works with.

[@lindathrall5133]

I WOULD TAKE THE INSTRUMENT TO A PROFESSIONAL AND CONSULT WITH THEM I'D BE AFRAID I'D MESS THE INSTRUMENT UP