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In Arizona we have been hit hard this summer with a series of heavy dust storms. The most serious storm a few weeks ago was reported as being about 100-miles wide and over a mile high.
Dust and sand was – and still is – everywhere. As a preventative measure, I decided to give my horn a good rinse.
Give the horn a bath?
I used to do my cleaning routine in the bath. I would line the tub with big, folded towels, put the horn in the tub, add water and detergent, and go to work.
I get my horn professionally cleaned these days but in-between cleanings I use a simple routine that does a decent job of keeping the horn clean between professional treatments.
Ingredients:
All you need is:
- a snake brush
- a mouthpiece brush
- an inexpensive shower/sink adapter
- towels that you don’t mind getting wet or oily: a few to pad the working surface, and a few for drying the horn and slides
- A few drops of dish washing detergent
The sink-to-shower hose
The key ingredient in this recipe is the sink adapter hose. I picked mine up in a large superstore, but they can be bought online like almost anything else.
The first step with the hose is to remove the shower head end and throw it away. The bare end will then attach to the horn’s lead pipe.
If the French horn lead pipe is larger than the diameter of the hose, a small cut with a pair of scissors can do the trick. If done carefully, the vinyl plastic stretches without ripping or tearing.
The large rubberized end attaches to the sink faucet and provides a water-tight seal. My sink adapter is weathered from the tool box I keep it in.
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Tips on using a snake brush
A few drops of dish washing detergent on the brush ends is all that is needed.
Use a snake brush sparingly and gently.
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Tips on water pressure and drainage
Always turn the water on slowly and gradually. Too much water pressure may blow out slides and ruin your day.
To lower the odds of this happening:
- Take out all the valve-tuning slides and set them aside.
- Keep the main tuning slides in place, or keep a select few.
When the water is turned off, maneuver the horn into different positions to direct the draining water into the sink basin. If the cushioning towels get soaked that is just fine; a wet towel stays anchored and keeps the horn from sliding around.
Valve rinse
Below is a picture of how I very carefully hold the horn over the sink basin and slowly open and close valves to give them a good rinse.
- Keep the water pressure low.
- Be alert for slides popping out.
Players with screw-bell horns with have a much easier time of this, with the bell removed.
The H2O flush
In the sandy, desert environment I am always thinking about grit getting into the valves. If the dust storms in Phoenix continue, I will use this handy sink-to-shower adapter to do mini-flushes – with water only and no detergent.
I want this horn to last for many years and a quick water flush never hurts. I am okay with a plain water flush but have heard some players preferring to use a mouthwash rinse instead.
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The tuning slides
After finishing with the body of the horn and drying it with a clean cloth, the slides get a bath of water and a few drops of detergent in a bowl.
To make sure all traces of dust and dirt were gone, I gave each slide a quick once-over with a mouthpiece brush.
After rinsing everything thoroughly with water, I dry the slides with a clean towel and leave them out to air-dry.
In the desert – where the humidity level rarely goes above 15% – this happens in under 15 minutes.
When putting it all back together, I follow Dave Weiner’s advice using different grades of oils and lubricants.
I highly recommend this video on how to oil rotary valves from James Boldin.
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Putting it back together again, another story…
Sometimes when putting the horn back together it helps to have an eager assistant.
Fortunately my little niece Livia stopped by to help put Humpty Dumpty back together again!
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