Oiling Wooden Flutes & Whistles

[Denny]

[Jay]

Deafening silence on this! Is anyone going to present a rational and scientific rather than alarmist/prejudiced explanation/argument?

I'll go for rational...

My problem with bore oil is I don't KNOW what's in it. Could be mineral oil, or anything else, since most bore oil bottles I've seen don't list ingredients.

Can you guess what's in my almond oil? 100% almond oil; says so on the container. And eating almonds almost daily hasn't done me in yet, so I feel pretty safe using it.

Regards,
Jay

[uillmann]

The kind of oil you should use as well as the intervals of oiling should ideally depend on many things, all of which should be considered, including but not limited to:

-the specie of timber and nature of the particular wood in question,

-the age and history of the flute,

-the amount of oiling it has had already in its history,

-the local climate and typical fluctuations where the flute is currently played or stored,

-the relative amount of playing time the instrument gets.

For instance, a new boxwood flute made in East Clare that has been shipped to North Dakota and is displayed on a fireplace mantle might be better served with a different maintenance approach than a blackwood flute made in North Dakota that gets shipped to Clare and played 6 hours a day. I'd say it's best to consider all the variables and use common sense.

[toughknot]

I have been using Yamaha bore oil for over 3 years now and my lips have not yet fallen off.

[johnkerr]

Yamaha, makers of fine motorcycles and musical instruments, and all the oils ever required for same.

I wonder why Harley Davidson hasn't gotten into the instrument market? Is its sweet engine sound music enough?

[I.D.10-t]

Interesting note on amazon for California residents.

Selmer Bore Oil
California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/ ... Id=3234041

...but then I have also seen that warning on sand.

If the stuff is just mineral oil, why not use a food grade mineral oil (like Butcher Block oil) and know exactly what is in it? I never liked the whole trade secret thing and avoid such products when ever possible.

[chas]

Yeah, the California wacko warnings. I once bought a sample of metal of the highest purity available. This thing was a noble metal, I think 99.9995% pure, and it contained a warning something to the effect, "By law in the state of California, you must be warned that some of the constituents of this product are unknown." It had an impurities analysis specific to that piece to parts-per-billion; I'm sure California produce (or California almond oil, to bring the post back on topic) isn't analyzed to this level, nor does it contain that warning.

I've used the Glenn Schultz mixture of 4 parts extra light olive oil, 1 part almond oil, and a few capsules of vitamin E. I have the mother lode in the fridge and keep a few ml out that I use on my boxwood flutes. I mixed up about half a liter of the stuff 10 years ago and it hasn't gone south yet. Nor are any of my instruments sticky or stinky.

I once got a flute that had been treated with linseed oil. The thing really stunk and the bore was so sticky that I cleaned the whole thing out with acetone. It's a pity when you take a nice, buttery-smelling boxwood flute and make it smell like art class.

[rama]

any oil that is subject to going rancid if left out in the open, will also go rancid while it is on your flute. the 2 options are let it polymerize (if it is linseed oil and what you are suppose to do but if you cannot then don't use it); or wipe it off if it's almond, olive etc. and then reapply, but it will eventually go rancid again...

[Jay]

any oil that is subject to going rancid if left out in the open, will also go rancid while it is on your flute. the 2 options are let it polymerize (if it is linseed oil and what you are suppose to do but if you cannot then don't use it); or wipe it off if it's almond, olive etc. and then reapply, but it will eventually go rancid again...

Out of curiosity, has anyone had almond oil that went bad? I've had mine on a shelf, without added vitamin E, for two years and it still smells as fresh as the day I bought it. Since this discussion, I've thought about putting it in the frig, but the local health food store doesn't take such precautions.

Jay

[an seanduine]

Jay, not a direct answer, since I do not use almond oil, or oil at all, as such, but rather Expeller produced JoJoba (a liquid wax ester). It simply doesn't turn rancid. In fact it is used as a stabilizer in some transmission fluids! This is in addition to its use as a base for many hypoallergenic cosmetics.
This, I've been told makes me an elitist.
Probably a stubborn old git as well.

Bob

[tin tin]

Since I haven't found a source for Jojoba, I've simply been oiling my flute with transmission fluid. I find that when I go to write flute reviews, sports car analogies come more easily.

I did once have some almond oil go off...it took on an unpleasant smell. I hadn't refrigerated it; I think I did squeeze a couple E capsules into it, but this was several years ago, and I don't quite remember the details.

For the past few years, I've used Bore Doctor oil (about twice a year...maybe), and the wood seems to like it. It is a bit pricey, but if you're lazy and don't oil your flute much, it lasts a nice long time. (And a little goes a long way.) I like it better than almond or commercial bore oil.

[an seanduine]

Tintin, glad to hear of your experience with tranny oil. . .hope you don't have trouble with reverse when you come to the 'turn'. . . . . . . . .

Bob

[cavefish]

I have used many oils------ and i still love almond--------- it stays longer in the wood- i have used bore doctors , and it evaporates too fast and needs more treatments------- for a semi thick semi drying oil- in my opinion Almond is the best---------what i am trying now is a couple of good swipes Bore doctor and then topping it of with Almond---- we will see how that works out

i have an older flute and it just sucks up bore doctors but after a week it leaves a dry surface on the inside (bore),
anyway i will see

[psychodonald]

I'm going to try a little tranny oil (fresh of course) on my salad this evening and see how that works out. Bet I can make it to the bathroom, 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds

[an seanduine]

psychodonald:
If you do make it in under 5 seconds, would you then be flush with success?

Bob