What is a "Slide Setup?"
For your slide to function at the highest possible level,
it must:
Have all four tubes perfectly straight
- Have each tube perfectly round
- Have the top and bottom tubes the same distance from each other at the
top and bottom of the slide
- Have the right hand grip, left hand grip and the crook the same width
- Have the outer slide tubes parallel (horizontal)
- Have the inner slide tubes parallel (horizontal)
- Have a oxidation-free surface on the inside of the outer tubes
- Have the smoothest possible surface on the inside of the outer tubes
- Have the smallest possible amount of lubrication to do the job, and
- Have the stockings on the inner tubes parallel to the remainder of the
tube.
To evaluate your current slide function:
Hold the slide by the left hand grip in a horizontal position, so that
the slide crosses from left to right in front of your eyes
- Place your right hand inside the space between the outer tubes to be
sure that you do not drop the outer slide during the test
- Lower the 7th position end of the slide slowly while holding the left
hand at the same height
- Watch to see how far the 7th position end of the slide must be lowered
to cause gravity to move the slide out of 1st position
- Watch to see if the slide moves at a consistent speed from 1st to 7th
position
- If the crook end of the slide must be lowered more than 3 inches before
the before the outer slide will move, the slide will benefit from a setup by
the Slide Dr.
- If the slide stops or changes speed as it moves toward 7th position, it
will benefit from a setup.
What is a "Slide Setup?"
Check water key for proper closure, replace cork if necessary
- Align and lubricate water key
- Chemically clean inside of outer tubes
- Straighten all four slide tubes
- Test individual tube pairs to make sure that there is no friction
- Remove any dents or flat places (Please understand that tubes that have
been “repaired” by others, making them larger in the process, do not
always result in perfect action
When both pairs of tubes work correctly, check and adjust width of left
hand and/or right hand grips
- Check level of inner and outer slide
- Remove any remaining oxidation on the inside of outer tubes
- Apply Pre-Treatment and SUPERSLIDE (Teflon polymer treatment)
- Clean several times to remove most of Teflon treatment residue
- Play test action to make sure slide function is as good as possible,
and
- Spot lacquer any areas where lacquer was removed due to the necessity
of heating to re-solder parts.

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