busterbill wrote:
To answer the question: if it fits as a swab in a whistle tube it can come in handy for drying. If your Abell needs oiling at some point it could also be of use there. I wouldn't use a swab with the mouthpiece still attached to the whistle tube since it can bump around and do accidental damage.
I also don't clean my whistles that often, but when I do I swab them out and do end up with a bit of gunk on whatever I have used. Usually I assume this is tarnish. I honestly have never done any cleaning on my water weasels as they have never appeared dirty. I have an O'roidan blackwood set I oil now and again so I use a Super Colossal craft pipe cleaner to spread oil in the tube. You can get a lifetime supply of those in a pack for a few bucks on Amazon. Oboe players use feathers for bore cleaning and oiling actually.
Good natured ribbing aside: Thinking is fine. Thinking is fun. As one of the folks who's been responding to your posts I've enjoyed your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.
Thank you, Busterbill, I appreciate it. I do have enthusiasm for knowledge in general.I played clarinet in elementary, high school, and college and minored in music. Though I like clarinet, when I was young I picked up a tin whistle in Williamsburg, VA and it intrigued me. It is only in the last year and a half that I decided when I have time to do it, I will learn the ITM approach and learn the whistle with vigour. So yes, I seek knowledge.
The brush to which I am referring is like this (see link).
https://www.amazon.com/Cleaning-Brush-for-Clarke-Tinwhistle/dp/B00A6GQJD0Could I use that for oiling or no? I usually run a swab hooked to a swab rod through my whistle for cleaning.
I do have an Abell whistle I got back in October. How often should I oil it? You mentioned you oil your wood whistle
And I also very lightly used a brush like the one at the link to clean some of the mouthpiece of my Killarney, but I didn't go all the way up in it and I had the mouthpiece disconnected from the tube of course.