What is a Slide Setup?

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.