I was playing Flute today (as I do everyday) and ws switchingback and forth between the key ot the instrument (I will switch between the Low D, F, Bb, and the High D whistle). I was thinking the wooden ones kind of have a weak sound and I remember one of the people from Cooperman Fifes telling me that their maple Fifes need lots of oil to sound good so I decided to oil them (this is the 3rd time since I got them two Saturdays ago I get a strange feeling of happiness while doing this) but I was playing the Fife and then I oiled it when that process was over I picked it up and played some more tunes. 
Wow the sound was so much stronger, bigger, and it was also a bit easier in the low register it didn’t make as much difference on the F but it was still noticable. Anyone else ever experience this?
Heh heh, I think I can give you an extreme example. You’ve probably heard the “materials” debate - the one that says the material a flute is made of makes no difference to the sound. I thought I’d do a “reductio ad absurdum” to test the theory. I made a Prattens Perfected (keyless of course) from our local plantation timber, Pinus radiata. Dreadful stuff.
When finished, I couldn’t play below A. Ths stuff was so porous I could just about survive on breathing through it.
So what’s that to do with oiling, you ask? I gave it a coat of oil ( a tung-based locally made furniture oil finish). Then I could play down to the bottom note, and I couldn’t suck air through it any more.
While an extreme example, I think it gives us some clues on what oil does for us (as well as providing some protection against splitting). Even dense woods like cocus and blackwood have pores that are considerably larger than air molecules. While they might not leak to the outside like my poor pine flute, they still add a trillion tiny admittances along the transmission line that contains the vibrating air column. Some of the air that should be whooshing enthusisatically along and back gets diverted in filling and emptying these trillion cavities.
Your maple flute has pores much bigger than those of blackwood, cocus etc, but considerably smaller than pinus perfectus. Recorder makers often impregnate it with polyethylene glycol to fill the pores more permanently.
Terry
Yes, this is my experience also with wood and with bamboo.
However I have received the following differing advices regarding bamboo:-
- never oil it more than the first time
- oil it about twice a year, preferably walnut oil
- oil monthly.
The bansuri I oiled a lot
cracked last year going from the coast to the Blue Mountains in the middle of winter.
I had that bansuri for over 20 years. It sounded great, better and better with more oiling.
Any comments?
Along with oiling, some flutes sound better after they’ve been played for awhile. I think boxwood needs to be played for half an hour or so and absorb a little water before it really comes into its own.
Am I the only one who thinks the flute sounds better not after oiling but on the second time you’ve played after oiling?
Maybe I just need to switch to 5W20 instead of 10W40… 
Eric
I thought you needed to use 80W90 gearbox oil on blackwood, one reason I’m just not that crazy about it. 
Actually, I think I’ve noticed, too, that sometimes it seems like the flute plays better after the oil’s sunk in a little. It may depend on how long you’ve left it after it’s been oiled, how much you put on the swab, etc.
Yes, there’s definitely some connection with oiling and the tone, even on polymer flutes! I remembered reading it, but I had to do a search to find it:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=216670&highlight=oiling+delrin#216670
This is of interest to me, because that’s all I have so far-no wood yet. Got to give it a try, too-not to be left out of all the fun! So what kind of “natural” oil goes with delrin? 5W20, 10W40, straight 30W, or Chas’ 80W90? And at how many miles do you change it? Can’t even find the dipstick! Help!
It’s all so complicated, I should have just stuck to the low whistle! But the flute just won’t let me, it’s got its talons in me now!
Guess I’m the odd man out: Virtually without exception, any flute or whistle I’ve ever owned sounded worse after oiling than before (assuming it’s in reasonable condition to begin with.) That is to say, I always find that oiling makes an instrument sound somewhat “dead” for a few days - slightly muffled tone and somewhat less responsive.
Loren
Loren - you’re not completely the odd man out - that’s what I was trying to express in saying for me it’s the second time I play after oiling that a flute sounds better. I agree that the flute doesn’t sound as good the day after I oiled - sluggish and muffled are how I’d describe it.
Greenspiderweb - Mineral oil or almond oil will both work fine on a delrin flute. I’ve tried it, but I’m not convinced it does much other than force you to stuff a rag down your delrin flute which is something I’m fairly lazy about doing…I find a nice bath in dishwashing soap does about the same thing (don’t forget to rinse). My opnion FWIW, is that cleaning out dirt, dust, food bits, etc. is what makes a delrin flute play better.
Eric
Don’t you brush your teeth before you play your flute???
Peggy - we’ve got flouridated water…you mean I’m still supposed to brush?
Seriously though, when playing my delrin flute I’ll eat between tunes, drink what I want, and not worry about it. Even if I didn’t do those things, how many delrin flute owners swab them out after playing? I just gave it a good shake and put it in it’s case…so stuff is in there that needs to come out.
Eric
I run my Seery deltrin through lightly soapy warm water and then rinse, maybe once every couple of months or so.
That is the only maintenance this flute requires.
–James
One of the worst parts of my job is cleaning years worth of built-up mouth expelled debris from the windway and blocks of instruments. It is truly amazing, and fully disgusting what accumulates
Loren
hahaha, it’s the flute technician’s equivalent to a pipe fitter cleaning out the lou!
it certainly would be great if i could get a delrin that felt in all ways equivalent to a wooden instrument. It’s all these variables in wood that make me reluctant to commit to them! Of course, this all comes from someone who’s never owned one and gotten a lot of time to play outside of these little gripes.
I’m sure the Olwell on ebay would come as close.. My Paddy Ward delrins feel really close to the Olwells I’ve tried, just slightly less articulate, light, and responsive.