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[TomMapfumo]

Hi There!

I am a newbie to the 'bone (been playing the trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn for 3 years) and have just had my second lesson.  I recently ordered Trombotine & Superslick slide products and was surprised that the Trombotine came with no instructions.

I just need to know the way to apply it best to the slide (just on its own, or with a sprinkle of water etc.).  I currently use Blue Juice which I applied with a cloth and seems very slippery.

Any guidance most welcome!
Kind regards
Tom

[vegasbound]

Imho I would suggest that this is something to discuss with your teacher, ask him to show you how to clean the slide properly.

use to using trombotine a small amount aplied to the slide stockings, then work the outer slide up and down to spread it very thinly over the length of the tubes, then mist with your water spray.

easier to demonstrate than write.

[nopos]

Christan Griego shows how to properly clean and lube a trombone slide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-5qYuIlrh0&feature=player_embedded

[TomMapfumo]

Many thanks, guys.  Problem solved. I'm not seeing my teacher for a fortnight and he was also not familiar with Trombotine, which I had asked him about yesterday - he uses Superslick.

Kind regards
Tom

[BGuttman]

Many thanks, guys.  Problem solved. I'm not seeing my teacher for a fortnight and he was also not familiar with Trombotine, which I had asked him about yesterday - he uses Superslick.

Kind regards
Tom

If you go to the Repair, Modification, and Maintenance room you will find the Griego video there, too.

Incidentally, the way you apply Superslick is exactly the same as you apply Trombotine.

[JimR]

The one variable using Trombotine or Superslick is after you apply to inner and then work in to the outers, do you go back and wipe off the inner and remove the cream.  Then use a drop of silicone and spray with water.

It seems the Slide DR. recommends wiping the cream off prior to spritzing.

How do you guys feel about it?  Who does what?

JR

[SilverBone]

I put a little Trombotine on the stockings, spread around to cover most of the stockings.  Then I spray with water and assemble the slide.  Done.  Works fine for me.

One other thing I do is that every night when I'm done playing the horn is I wipe the inner slide and run a cleaning rod through the outer.  So, I wind up re-applying Trombotine every day. Since a tube of Trombotine still lasts at least a decade at that rate of usage, cost isn't a factor.

BTW, a long time ago I used Conn SuperSlick and liked it.  The current SuperSlick isn't anything like the old stuff, IMO.

[baileyman]

It's the wiping off part that seems most important, otherwise it gums up more and more.  Key to a fast slide. 

[GetzenBassPlayer]

I have three Edwards dual bore  bass slides and they all seem to require different amounts of Trombotine. In my cases, the tighter the tolerance between the inner and outer slides the smaller the amount needs to be.

[jwright]

Look for the bubble in the bottom of the slide. apply trombotine there and down or else you waste it. Rub it in and spray alot of water all over the slide. blue juice is terrible for trombones. It isnt made for them. Ditch that and buy trombotine(or slide o mix) and a spray bottle.

[DogBone35]

The one variable using Trombotine or Superslick is after you apply to inner and then work in to the outers, do you go back and wipe off the inner and remove the cream.  Then use a drop of silicone and spray with water.

It seems the Slide DR. recommends wiping the cream off prior to spritzing.

How do you guys feel about it?  Who does what?

JR

What works for me (and my horn) is:  I try and apply the smallest amount of Trombotine that is necessary to just barely coat the stockings (when rubbed in).  Then I run the outer slide back and forth a number of times.  If I feel any sluggishness at all, that means that there is too much Trombotine  on the slide.  In that case I wipe the inner slide lightly (not enough to remove all the Trombotine).  Then I spray.  Sometimes I don't feel that I need to wipe the inners, depending on how slick the slide feels when I am working it in.

[Duffle]

I think it depends on the condition and age of the slide as to whether I wipe the inners clean after working the cream onto the outers. I tend to play old Conns that favour a thicker film of cream with silicone and water. Newer slides in better condition like a lighter mix........

[Richard Tadaki]

I play on a 38-year old trombone and the slide has gotten a little noisy.  i was introduced to Trombotine a few months ago and i've been following the instructions on the Griego website and my slide gets as fast and smooth as I remember it when it was new.  I think it's a great product.  I clean out the inside of the outer tubes with a cleaning rod about every three or four days and reapply Trombotine.  I thoroughly wash the slide out with dishwashing detergent about once a week + or - a day or two and start with the Trombotine all over again.

My big concern is the possible build up of Trombotine.  Does anybody know what its made of and whether or not it will build up?  I'm hoping that my weekly washing with the dishwashing detergent will prevent buildup and I hope I'm right.

[BGuttman]

From what I have been given to understand Trombotine is based closely on the old Ponds Cold Cream.  This would mean it has a combination of surfactants, soluble waxes, and oils.  I used Trombotine for years and didn't go anywhere near as anal as you on cleaning my slide.  Generally I'd ream it with the cleaning rod about once a month and wipe down the inner with a rag each time I applied the lube (about 1-2 times a week).  Never had any buildup.

[SilverBone]

I've never had any buildup of Trombotine that didn't wipe off with a soft cloth.

I still use it on all my horns.  It's great stuff.  And cheap - you only 3-4 tubes to last a lifetime.

[Richard Tadaki]

From what I have been given to understand Trombotine is based closely on the old Ponds Cold Cream.  This would mean it has a combination of surfactants, soluble waxes, and oils.  I used Trombotine for years and didn't go anywhere near as anal as you on cleaning my slide.  Generally I'd ream it with the cleaning rod about once a month and wipe down the inner with a rag each time I applied the lube (about 1-2 times a week).  Never had any buildup.

I've never had any buildup of Trombotine that didn't wipe off with a soft cloth.

I still use it on all my horns.  It's great stuff.  And cheap - you only 3-4 tubes to last a lifetime.

Thank you very much.  Great information and very reassuring.  That's one less thing for me to worry about.   

And, yes, I'm kind of an obsessive kind of person.   

[bassbrass75]

Christan Griego shows how to properly clean and lube a trombone slide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-5qYuIlrh0&feature=player_embedded

Alan Raph also has a video online that demonstrates how to properly apply slide creams. 

I swear by Trombotine with all of my horns.  I find it doesn't break-down as quickly and when applied properly, it provides better protection for the slide.  Trombotine was developed for the old school players that swore by Ponds as a lubricant.  It has many of the same qualities as ponds but was developed specifically as a slide lube for trombones.  I find a lot of beginners tend to stray away from it because they apply too much which makes the slide feel like it was lubricated with honey.  Once you find the right amount and keep it moist, it works exceptionally well. 

[Driswood]

.......I find a lot of beginners tend to stray away from it because they apply too much which makes the slide feel like it was lubricated with honey.  Once you find the right amount and keep it moist, it works exceptionally well. 

Amen!

Too little lube is better than too much.................

Jerry Walker

[JazzPro]

I stopped using Trombotine because I think the formula for it and SuperSlick and Formula Three are very similar now.  Trombotine gets "gunky" for me now while SuperSlick works far better, so I use it now on most of my horns. 

Trombotine used to be a kind of grease (had a different consistency than it does now).  Even looked different than it does today. In the 1970s just a TINY bit of Trombotine did the job; too much, and you'd be wiping if off for a week!

Now, it feels more like a cream like the other 2 I mentioned.  They also smell very similar (hmmmmmm  .)

My repairman spoiled me when he put Slide O Mix on the slide of an old Bach 6 I have which has a "funky" slide due to age and use.

Cheers

[SilverBone]

We had a post some time ago from the manufacturer of Trombotine stating that the product formulation has never changed.

Of course, there may be batch-to-batch variations, and also variations from having tubes sit around for many years since it lasts a long time.