Posted by Rick Denney on February 15, 2004 at 20:58:57:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Valve Oil vs. Light Machine Oil posted by Gary Swart on February 15, 2004 at 13:25:31:
According to Bevan, the traditional lubricant for piston valves was saliva.
Lamp oil works as well as any petroleum-based valve oil on the market, but I think Hetman's (or, for some valves, BiNaK) works better than any petroleum-based product. I like Hetman's better than other synthetics because it doesn't turn to sludge in the presence of competing oils, and it doesn't get gummy if you use too much. On my Holton, a good dose of Hetman's lasts five times longer than Al Cass. In fact, it lasted long enough so that by the time I really needed to reoil my Holton valves after Lee's cleaning, he had time to ship me the oil that I'd forgotten to pick up with the horn.
Rick "who would lamp oil in lieu of petroleum oil but who prefers neither" Denney