oiling your flute

[Loren]

Actually, when I wrote that I suspected that makers might use microwaves. Why not if you know what you are doing?

Of course, people who ask basic questions about oiling aren't in that category and neither are most of us who can answer them.

Who says I know what I'm doing? I just go into work and do what they tell me

Loren

[Lambchop]

OK, you've got me with this one. Now I'm curious!

Why would you microwave a flute-in-progress?


Peggy

Fascinating Factoid: It takes 45 seconds to explode a Twinkie in a microwave.

[Loren]

OK, you've got me with this one. Now I'm curious!

Why would you microwave a flute-in-progress?

Well duh, they don't taste very good cold :roll:

Just kidding The short answer is that it helps stabilize the wood, particulary the more mobile woods like box, which tend to move (warpage) quite a bit, even after years of seasoning, and I mean years: most of our Boxwood is 30 years old, and we still have to work hard to keep warpage to a minimum. But then, it is wood, and there's only so much you can do.




Loren

[Dragon]

I have kept Native American flutes for well over seven years. I have flutes from both hard and soft woods. Do not worrie about over oiling your flute if you use a natural plant based oil such as Almond oil. Oil it every day if you are using Almond Oil. Almond oil will not get goppy or crusty or anything if it stays on the flute.

What I do is oil the flutes in and outside then let them stand over night end down on a flute stand to let the oil drip off or tilted against something. Then the next day I whipe off the extra (if any).

The only problem is if you use "bore" oil from a music store...there are "things" in that oil that can do odd things on a flute....bore oil is not a natural based oil its a petroleum based oil, wich I heard can be damaging over time. If you can not find/do not have/its on order Artist grade Linseed oil I would use Almond oil.