Piston material: monel or stainless steel?

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 9:56 am

I heard someone say recently that monel is superior to stainless steel when it comes to piston valve construction. Do you believe this is true? Is there an even better material used?
Most tubas appear to use stainless; on a quick look I see Yamaha might be the only manufacturer currently using model for piston valves.

bloke · Post by **bloke** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:31 am

These are my beliefs based on observation, and not based in reading books nor conducting scientific experiments:
- nickel plating is the slickest.
- monel comes in second.
- stainless steel tends to pick up less brass oxidation on its surfaces than does monel.
- Both stainless steel and monel can vary in their alloys, but are easy to tell apart - as to which family they belong.
- When I encounter a Chinese-made instrument with raw nickel silver pistons - and someone else (perhaps the seller) insists that they are stainless steel - I roll my eyes.

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:54 am

bloke wrote:These are my beliefs based on observation, and not based in reading books or conducting scientific experiments:
- nickel plating is the slickest.
- monel comes in second.
- stainless steel tends to pick up less brass oxidation on its surfaces than does monel.
- Both stainless steel and monel can vary in their alloys, but are easy to tell apart - as to which family they belong.
- When I encounter a Chinese-made instrument with raw nickel silver pistons - and someone else (perhaps the seller) insists that they are stainless steel - I roll my eyes.

Do you believe any of these materials is superior to the others?

bloke · Post by **bloke** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 5:39 pm

I believe I prefer nickel plating that was applied by a highly-skilled craftsman who is now retired, Mr, David Secrist.

GC · Post by GC » Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:14 pm

Is he the gentleman who retired from Anderson's?

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:25 pm

bloke wrote:I believe I prefer nickel plating that was applied by a highly-skilled craftsman who is now retired, Mr, David Secrist.

I think I prefer any work performed by “highly skilled craftsmen.” Unfortunately not enough of that skill level around much anymore, it seems.
Wonder why stainless steel seems to be the standard offering if other finishes are/can be superior?

bloke · Post by **bloke** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:53 pm

Nickel plating and precision fitting pistons is really labor-intensive.

Stainless steel is trouble-free, and requires far fewer processes.

Nickel plating - when done really well – is only subtly better...

Not many people, today, are particularly subtle.

jonesbrass · Post by **jonesbrass** » Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:02 pm

bloke wrote: Nickel plating - when done really well – is only subtly better...

Not many people, today, are particularly subtle.

Ricardo · Post by **Ricardo** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:27 am

I had the valves replated in nickel on a tuba. Best valves I have played, no longer own the tuba. I keep thinking about getting the first valve on my current tuba replated in nickel over the monel as it’s the second model of that tuba that I owned that has the first valve hang and yes I oil every time I play.

So for me nickel seems the best. Had it done by Better Sounds in Brisbane Australia

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