How to finish or restore the finish on blackwood

[Ben Shaffer]

OK, Ive got a blackwood Fife and the exterior is very very dull. It has never been finished with varnish, oil or anything else.... that I can tell.
I would love to have a nice low luster sheen.
I did try rubbing Olive Oil on the surface and while it was wet it looked pretty good, after awhile however it is back to looking dull, the same as before.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[benhall.1]

I'd have thought that almond oil would be better - olive oil is a bit sticky, and it does seem to go dull. Almond oil has a cleaning effect. Then, when it's clean and after the oil has dried, buffing gently with a soft cloth may bring a bit of a lustre. I should think it would take a few times of doing and, if it were me, I wouldn't be in a hurry for that lustre because I wouldn't want to oil it too much. Still, I don't think almond oil can hurt.

[MTGuru]

Still, I don't think almond oil can hurt.

Just adding what I think is common knowledge, that a bit of Vitamin E added to the almond oil as an antioxidant can help keep it from going stale or rancid.

[benhall.1]

Still, I don't think almond oil can hurt.

Just adding what I think is common knowledge, that a bit of Vitamin E added to the almond oil as an antioxidant can help keep it from going stale or rancid.

Yes, although somewhere recently that I can't put my hands on said not to use vitamin E. I can't for the life of me remember why ... I just keep the almond oil in the fridge.

[Loren]

Rub off any remaining oil then sand lengthwise with 1200 or 1500 grit sandpaper. Avoid sanding the embouchure hole edges. Wipe down with a lightly damp cloth or paper towel to remove dust, then wipe dry. Re-apply oil. I'm not a fan of olive oil, but whateves. If the finish is rather rough as well as dull, you might start 600 or 800 grit paper and work your way up.

Of course having access to a buffing wheel would be nice, but I'll assume you don't.

Edited for punctuation.

[O_Gaiteiro_do_Chicago]

I'd avoid doing any sanding. Pull off all the keys if you have them and get yourself some 00000 steel wool, and old t-shirt, renaissance wax, and some naptha. First lightly dab a square of the t-shirt and scrub the flute with it. Naptha is a solvent and will dissolve oil and wax. Don't soak the rag just use a little bit so the naptha can do its work and also evaporate quickly. After you've done that check for and rough spots and use the steel wool to gently remove those. When you're done wipe it off thoroughly. Lastly apply a thin layer of Renaissance wax, let dry, and buff to a shine.

[O_Gaiteiro_do_Chicago]

My bad, just saw its for a fife so it's even easier to do since no keys or blocks are in the way.

[Loren]

Eh, what do I know

[highwood]

I'd avoid doing any sanding. Pull off all the keys if you have them and get yourself some 00000 steel wool

Using steel wool is not that much different than sanding - just a different medium of abrasive, which by the way can leave bits of steel and oil behind (oil is in the steel wool from the manufacturer I heard).
I would not use olive oil.

But I don't know much either.

And a question:
Do people commonly wax flutes/fifes?
Perhaps people needs to be qualified by splitting into a few categories... say:
makers
good restorers/repairers (I know good is subjective)
others - this could probably be split into many more categories but...

[MarkP]

Or you could use a drying oil (like Tung oil) sparingly in very thin coats to achieve a kind of French polish? I know some won't agree

[Kirk B]

My flute gets dull around the embouchure hole from the moisture/condensation from my breath. I think all wooden flutes do this. Also around the L1/L2 holes where most of the moisture comes out when I blow out the flute. I asked the maker (Glenn Watson) about restoring the shine on those parts and he said I could try using either Almond oil or cork grease and buffing it a bit. It seems to help in the short term but it always gets dull again. I actually don't mind it any more, or when the keys get a bit tarnished up either. It makes it look like I use the thing and maybe know what I'm doing (until I shtart playin' anyway).

Kirk

[chas]

My flute gets dull around the embouchure hole from the moisture/condensation from my breath. I think all wooden flutes do this. Also around the L1/L2 holes where most of the moisture comes out when I blow out the flute. I asked the maker (Glenn Watson) about restoring the shine on those parts and he said I could try using either Almond oil or cork grease and buffing it a bit. It seems to help in the short term but it always gets dull again.

Rod Cameron suggests rubbing carnauba wax directly on the affected area for this. He even provides a little piece with his flutes. It's extremely hard, so there's virtually no buffing needed, and the little piece will last forever.

[Kirk B]

Thanks Charlie. I'll have to try that.

[Conical bore]

About that dullness that develops around the embouchure hole. I have a 3 year old blackwood flute that's starting to show this. I can polish it out with a little cork grease, but it comes back pretty fast.

I like the way it looks -- like the flute is no longer showroom fresh and someone is playing it. So I'm inclined to just leave it alone. But is there any long-term downside to that? I oil the flute twice a year, and take good care of it humidity-wise. Blackwood is so stable that I can't imagine a little surface dullness eventually causing a crack. I was just wondering if there's a reason not to just let that wear mark develop over time? Maybe resale value, but I can't imagine selling this flute any time soon.