Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2023 8:53 pm
Does anyone have experience with this technique? It uses pumice soap to help polish the inner slide. I’m a relatively new tech, but it seems like a great service to offer for slide work.
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Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2023 9:31 pm
Some of the best techs in the industry are on this forum, and I suggest you pay attention to what they have to say.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2023 9:45 pm
I have read about it, and I am curious if today's techs are using it.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2023 9:54 pm
Is this "technique" used to polish the interior or the exterior of the inner slide?
Or is it for the interior of the outer slide?
What are the indications that this is a useful / necessary approach?
Or is it for the interior of the outer slide?
What are the indications that this is a useful / necessary approach?
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2023 10:08 pm
There was a thread on this almost a year ago, which had some techs who had used the technique mention it. There's even a copy of the article about it: https://www.trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?t=27747
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2023 10:46 pm
I typed too quickly. It polishes the interior of the outer slide.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2023 12:12 pm
I've used Texas Flush. It is messy, not terribly thorough, and there are much better techniques being used.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2023 7:45 pm
I know of at least one well-known trombone slide tech that uses the Texas Flush method on the inner surface of outer slide tubes. I feel like it is more commonly seen in school/rental shops. I tend to lean away from methods that rely heavily on abrasives/polishing, but it has its place.
If you have access to some older rental instruments or other low-consequence instruments, try it out and see what it does and if you like the results. I would hold out on offering it as a service, or using a new method on customer-owned instruments, until you've tested it and decided whether or not it has the results you want, and if it's something you feel comfortable with. If you're in a shop with other techs, talk to them about it.
If you have access to some older rental instruments or other low-consequence instruments, try it out and see what it does and if you like the results. I would hold out on offering it as a service, or using a new method on customer-owned instruments, until you've tested it and decided whether or not it has the results you want, and if it's something you feel comfortable with. If you're in a shop with other techs, talk to them about it.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2023 10:42 pm
Blabberbucket wrote: ↑Tue Jun 13, 2023 7:45 pm I know of at least one well-known trombone slide tech that uses the Texas Flush method on the inner surface of outer slide tubes. I feel like it is more commonly seen in school/rental shops. I tend to lean away from methods that rely heavily on abrasives/polishing, but it has its place.
If you have access to some older rental instruments or other low-consequence instruments, try it out and see what it does and if you like the results. I would hold out on offering it as a service, or using a new method on customer-owned instruments, until you've tested it and decided whether or not it has the results you want, and if it's something you feel comfortable with. If you're in a shop with other techs, talk to them about it.
Definitely not going to offer it right off the bat for customer work. I work in a setting that deals with a lot of rental instruments so I’m curious to try it out on some old beaters before anything worth too much.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2023 4:45 pm
I don’t think using an abrasive, any abrasive, no matter how mild, is a good idea. There are no shortcuts in properly servicing a musical instrument. This is liable to bite you in the but and you’re not going like buying replacement slides. Check out the Slide Doctor, he has a video on how to clean a slide.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2023 5:15 pm
Using an abrasive with a brush like that may clean corrosion but it doesn't smooth the surface.
Learn something about surface finishing if you're doing any work on instruments, inside or out.
Learn something about surface finishing if you're doing any work on instruments, inside or out.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2023 5:47 pm
Not for me, thanks. For one thing, my slides function beautifully already.
I'd hate to imagine a slide that needed such aggressive (and stubbornly retentive) abrasive. What could you possibly do to an outer slide to justify this treatment? How can you be sure that it's all rinsed out? Won't it leave a roughened surface?
I've seen top-notch techs do slide work. I don't think they'd consider this technique on any slide.
I'd hate to imagine a slide that needed such aggressive (and stubbornly retentive) abrasive. What could you possibly do to an outer slide to justify this treatment? How can you be sure that it's all rinsed out? Won't it leave a roughened surface?
I've seen top-notch techs do slide work. I don't think they'd consider this technique on any slide.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2023 8:38 pm
I agree that it's not a DIY procedure, but for techs, when you get a slide that is badly corroded inside the outer tubes, soap and water or cleaning dry with a cloth isn't going to remove that. You're going to need some kind of abrasive. Even Wright's brass polish has an abrasive in it. (I don't use Wright's for slides myself, and I've never tried Texas Flush.) I can't tell you how many customers I've had who try to guess at the problem - that their slide "needs alignment", when what it really needs is just to be scrubbed out.TomWest wrote: ↑Wed Jun 14, 2023 4:45 pm I don’t think using an abrasive, any abrasive, no matter how mild, is a good idea. There are no shortcuts in properly servicing a musical instrument. This is liable to bite you in the but and you’re not going like buying replacement slides. Check out the Slide Doctor, he has a video on how to clean a slide.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2023 9:36 pm
I'm assuming (hopefully) that my protocol of thoroughly cleaning and drying my slides (both inner and outer) shortly after playing (sometimes the next day, I admit) and putting them in the case "dead dry" will inhibit the development of any corrosion within the slides. So far, I've not seen any evidence. 
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 6:15 am
I think you're right about that. Moisture is the enemy of brass. Some people hang the outer slide on the inner slide on the stand, letting both thoroughly air dry (watch out for children and pets).Posaunus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 14, 2023 9:36 pm I'm assuming (hopefully) that my protocol of thoroughly cleaning and drying my slides (both inner and outer) shortly after playing (sometimes the next day, I admit) and putting them in the case "dead dry" will inhibit the development of any corrosion within the slides. So far, I've not seen any evidence.
But there is still moisture trapped inside the trigger tubing, and they don't even have a spit valve. If you wanted to be really protective you would also pull the trigger tuning slide and let that air dry. I don't know anyone who does, but it seems like a good idea.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2023 9:51 am
I think it is an old-school alternative to a chem clean. From the days before ultrasonic cleaning tanks. Really not necessary now.
Re: Texas Flush Slide Work
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 6:57 am
I can't tell you how many customers I've had who try to guess at the problem - that their slide "needs alignment", when what it really needs is just to be scrubbed out.
Exactly!!
Exactly!!