Chiff and Fipple Forums

there are many oils one might use, almond , doctors products , olive etc. i have recently found some reputable makers using synhtetic bore oils ,Alisyn bore oil and cork and slide grease any opinions

“Don’t worry, Teflon is perfectly safe......”

Man made chemicals baaaaaad. Just say no.

Come to think of it, I can’t even remember the last time I oiled a flute at all. Not really a fan any more, and I certainly wouldn’t use some synthetic mystery oil. Unless it’s motor oil, for you auto or airplane engine, I’m totally cool with synthetics for that.

i got some alyson cork and slide grease , i dont see that being too bad, natural products seem to want to eat glue under cork, , i have string on my wood flute, been using a blend of almond oil and beeswax, but changed to just straight cork wax, ,, on my delrin i have been using cork wax, dont want any natural eating the glue,, as far as the slide goes i may end up using the synth on the wood and the delrin, still thinking about wood --was looking on Windward flutes beautiful but they encourage ALL synthetic, bore oil, grease etc. this is why i posted, i just dont get it

I'd wonder where to use synthetic vs. natural. I would certainly want to avoid synthetics where my mouth or hands meet the flute, but I'm not sure I'd go nuts about cork grease on cork. So I'd stick to almond as a bore oil. Used it more often to season a new flute and maybe once a year in the winter to keep things "plumped" in the midwestern US heating season has worked well for me for decades.

I have seldom used anything on a slide unless it was too loose, then I have gone to the "back in the day" M&E flutes suggestion of a bit of toilet bowl wax seal, definitely not organic, but it has some body and some tack to it. Lubricating a well fitting slide could cause your flute to go out of tune as you play. You want it to be adjustable but not slippery.

Almond oil.

Why seek to reinvent the wheel?

mendipman wrote:Almond oil.

Why seek to reinvent the wheel?

Maybe because your flute maker recommends against it? I started using synthetic bore oil because the flute care instructions that came with my first flute -- a Windward blackwood D -- said to use it, and specifically recommended against almond oil. The text from the flute care page on their web site says:

"We recommend a synthetic hypo-allergenic food safe bore oil by Alisyn, NOT a semi-hardening oil, like almond oil, which congeals and spoils."

What I'm actually using is Roche-Thomas bore oil, not sure what the composition is, but it's listed as a petroleum-based product. I guess that's considered synthetic? Anyway, I don't use it often, just a few times of year as the humidity and temperature in the house makes the most noticeable seasonal shifts. My blackwood Windward didn't seem to take up any oil at all, but my current Aebi cocus flute does seem to benefit a little more from several-times-a-year oiling.

Conical bore wrote:

mendipman wrote:Almond oil.

Why seek to reinvent the wheel?

Maybe because your flute maker recommends against it? I started using synthetic bore oil because the flute care instructions that came with my first flute -- a Windward blackwood D -- said to use it, and specifically recommended against almond oil. The text from the flute care page on their web site says:

"We recommend a synthetic hypo-allergenic food safe bore oil by Alisyn, NOT a semi-hardening oil, like almond oil, which congeals and spoils."

What I'm actually using is Roche-Thomas bore oil, not sure what the composition is, but it's listed as a petroleum-based product. I guess that's considered synthetic? Anyway, I don't use it often, just a few times of year as the humidity and temperature in the house makes the most noticeable seasonal shifts. My blackwood Windward didn't seem to take up any oil at all, but my current Aebi cocus flute does seem to benefit a little more from several-times-a-year oiling.

this is why i questioned it, its synthetic but food safe thats weird ,, and your Roche-Thomas bore oil is a low viscosity oil white oil 70 (White Oil 70 and 80 are water white mineral oil of the highest purity stabilized with Vitamin E. ) I actually a new bottle i had for years, very thin

busterbill wrote:I'd wonder where to use synthetic vs. natural. I would certainly want to avoid synthetics where my mouth or hands meet the flute, but I'm not sure I'd go nuts about cork grease on cork. So I'd stick to almond as a bore oil. Used it more often to season a new flute and maybe once a year in the winter to keep things "plumped" in the midwestern US heating season has worked well for me for decades.

I have seldom used anything on a slide unless it was too loose, then I have gone to the "back in the day" M&E flutes suggestion of a bit of toilet bowl wax seal, definitely not organic, but it has some body and some tack to it. Lubricating a well fitting slide could cause your flute to go out of tune as you play. You want it to be adjustable but not slippery.

i am new to the flute, but your saying you maybe oil your flute 1 maybe 2 times a year,, i was told at least every couple weeks , lightly

cavefish wrote: i am new to the flute, but your saying you maybe oil your flute 1 maybe 2 times a year,, i was told at least every couple weeks , lightly

During the break-in period, yes, but then you can space it out. Instructions will vary depending on the maker (and wood I suppose), but mine recommended that I oil the flute twice per week for a month and then once per week for a little while. And then, "on demand"...

gwuilleann wrote:

cavefish wrote: i am new to the flute, but your saying you maybe oil your flute 1 maybe 2 times a year,, i was told at least every couple weeks , lightly

During the break-in period, yes, but then you can space it out. Instructions will vary depending on the maker (and wood I suppose), but mine recommended that I oil the flute twice per week for a month and then once per week for a little while. And then, "on demand"...

Each to his own, but I prefer Alisyn Bore Oil. It's widely used for oboes, clarinets, recorders and flutes. It's pleasant to use and very effective.

As an aside, I believe it is non toxic, as you would expect, but I have written to Aerospace Lubricants who will provide the MSDS on request (materials data safety sheet).

Terry McGee recommends a bore oil. not nut oil. Good enough for me!

http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/McGee-Flutes-Care.htm

Highly recommended.

Andro wrote:Each to his own, but I prefer Alisyn Bore Oil. It's widely used for oboes, clarinets, recorders and flutes. It's pleasant to use and very effective.

As an aside, I believe it is non toxic, as you would expect, but I have written to Aerospace Lubricants who will provide the MSDS on request (materials data safety sheet).

Terry McGee recommends a bore oil. not nut oil. Good enough for me!

http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/McGee-Flutes-Care.htm

Highly recommended.

i think he said Leblanc bore oil

cavefish wrote: i think he said Leblanc bore oil

Terry mentions no specific brand.

Andro wrote:

cavefish wrote: i think he said Leblanc bore oil

Terry mentions no specific brand.

This is from terrys site
Choice of bore oils

All sorts of oils have been tried for woodwinds. Linseed oil was used in the old days. It tends to go sticky if applied too thickly, it dries rather slowly and it has a strong smell. Museum conservators suggest peanut oil, because it is unlikely to damage museum specimens. I find it washes away too quickly and doesn't provide enough protection for the sessioning musician. Almond oil, sometimes mixed with vitamin E, has been recommended. I can't comment on that one as I haven't tried it.
I recommend one of the new oils specially formulated by the big woodwind companies like Le Blanc. These are clear and dry quickly without odour or stickyness. I've had no problems with cracking when these oils are used properly.


open thine eyes young albacore

Aha! Different page:

http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/newflute.html

He's not saying only Leblanc, just an example.

Anyway, the point is he is recommending the synthetics.