I was quite pleased to (somewhat unexpectedly) receive my brand new Olwell keyless Pratten in the mail today. It is really a beautiful sight. But my happiness quickly turned to minor panic when I realized that I have no idea about how to break a flute in, how often to oil a new flute, etc. (This is my first new wood flute.) So, I would welcome any advice about what to do in the short term about playing it in and oiling it. (I know about keeping it in a humidified environment, so I have that covered.)
Also, a couple of questions: First, does anyone know what oil Patrick uses on his flutes in the shop? I like the smell of the oil he last used on it, but I cannot identify it. Second, the tuning slide is quite firm (I would almost say tight). Should I resist trying to move it when it is tight like that, or does it just need some grease of some sort?
The main thing is to play for only short periods for the first few days and weeks. Start with just 10 mins each day. Swab out the bore well each time. Don’t blow a blast of warm air down the bore to heat it up. Gradually build up the playing time. Don’t get obsessed with oiling. It can be very frustrating not being able to play and play and play! ENJOY
I use Almond Oil. I have found that to be the best oil for my flutes. And, like the others said, you can’t play it a lot at first. Breaking in a new flute is the worst; you just want to play it all day, but you can’t. Also, make sure it is warmed up before you play it. Like Planxty said, you can’t blow into it to warm it up. I like to hold it in my hands and let my body heat slowly warm it up. I guess hugging your flute does help it better.
I got paper instructions from Patrick. Here is the pertinent part of a word doc from George Ormiston. Basically the same as Patrick’s, except his break in is a bit faster. George’s is conservative. Almond oil in the bore is important because that is what keeps the spit rolling out.
Lewis
This new instrument will go through a ‘playing in’ period. The new flute is not used to moisture or warm air. Wood expands as a result of an increase in temperature and/or because of water absorption. Fast expansion may cause cracking if it occurs too quickly. It is best not to play this new instrument for hours at a time until it is fully played in.
A guide to playing in would be: Ten minutes at a time for the first week, 20 minutes for the second week and 30 minutes at a time for the third week. This may be repeated a number of times each day.
After playing, condensed moisture in the bore (inside) should be wiped out with a loosely fitting mop or pull-through, so as to leave the bore evenly moist. It is not necessary to dry it out completely.
The bore of the instrument, but not the head joint, should be oiled with almond oil once a month, after the flute has dried out completely, and oiling is also recommended for the outside of the flute, including the head joint (around the mouth hole in particular), to protect the wood. This helps to replace the natural oils that are lost through evaporation and during the cleaning process. These oils help to stabilise the wood and therefore help to prevent cracking.
The instrument should never be submitted to extreme changes in temperature or placed in direct sunlight. All woodwind instruments perform best when played regularly, otherwise they tend to ‘dry out’.
The metal keys, ferrules (rings) and bottom part of the tuning slide are made from sterling silver and should be polished with a silver polish cloth, not with any abrasive polish. This is to prevent tarnishing and pitting due to perspiration acids.
Finally, after cleaning, the flute should be put back in its case.
Hammy Hamilton of Hamilton Flutes has a DVD on basic flute maintenance and repair; it covers all the basic things you need to know, and you can see a person doing some of the basic operations, like putting a flute together and oiling it. Some people need to see and hear, rather than read, to learn. I assumed it would be a DVD like you put in a DVD player, but it only works in a computer for me unless there is something I’m missing.
He also has a book called ‘The Irsih Flute Players Handbook’. which is very good, and also covers all the basic maintenance topics. I’d receommend that highly. Both are avaialble from Ossian in the U.S.
