African blackwood surface finish deterioration

[Andro]

I have a very good simple system keyless flute in African Blackwood from Sam Murray. When I bought it the finish was shiny and perfect, with no visible grain porosity. Now about three or four years down the track the surface finish is all dry, and the open grain shows badly, and it looks shabby and poor. I have attempted several times to rub it with high quality almond oil which is what I use for the bore, but it just seems to dry out quickly and makes no difference. I have no idea what the original finish was, and I am basically mystified. I have not seen clarinets or oboes or other blackwood instruments display this problem. All I can add it that I am in Australia and it's very dry here compared to Ireland, but I do keep it in a plastic box with Stretto humidity bags, the same as I use for my violins. Any clues?

[Mr.Gumby]

Sam used and recommended linseed oil when I collected mine from him. Only to be used when needed, he preferred 'benign neglect' over regular oiling.

[Terry McGee]

Hi Andro

Good to see you are still out there.

I use Linseed oil when I'm making flutes, but don't normally recommend it as a maintenance oil, as it takes rather a long while to dry, and nobody appreciates a gummy flute! But two coats of that well dried do give a very nice finish, and given Mr Gumby's advice that that's what Sam used, it might be worth a shot.

Now, I'm wondering if perhaps your humidification regime, on top of our persistent La Niña, might actually be exacerbating the problem, by raising the grain? We don't know what approach Sam used in finishing the timber. Could be good to rub it back with your choice of fine abrasive(s), then re-oil, allow to soak in (not that blackwood soaks in much), wipe dry, allow to dry thoroughly, repeat. You'd need to mask the rings to prevent them getting scuffed by the abrasive. Or be prepared to re-polish them.

How's the bore incidentally? Smooth and shiny, as we'd hope, or has the grain raised there too? In which case treat ditto. The good thing about dealing with raised grain in the bore, is that once repolished, re-oiled etc, it tends to stay good. I artificially raise the grain and polish it off during the making process, so that the purchaser doesn't have to return it for later attention.

I wonder if I invented that process, or just rediscovered it? Wouldn't time travel improve our understanding of the old makers. Enter Time/Space co-ordinates: 1 Tavistock St, Covent Garden, c 1838-47. Engage....

Last time I was in London, 2002, a few of us assembled at Covent Garden for lunch. We enjoyed pizza. I'd be reasonably confident that Rudall and Rose never did. "Another cucumber sandwich, George?"

[Steve Bliven]

I have a Sam Murray boxwood that I purchased probably third or fourth hand from its making. It was quite sticky and smelled of linseed oil. Seems like some prior owner tried to re-oil with linseed and didn't, or couldn't, wipe enough off. The flute played beautifully (other that fingers slightly sticking to the fingerholes making rolls pretty sloppy) so I bought it. I gave it a quick wipe with rubbing alcohol and got the sticky stuff off. It slightly diminished the color of the wood, but not so's it looked new or bleached. It pretty much retained the aged boxwood look. Now, I've adopted the traditional concept of benign neglect as far as the surface goes. I do oil the bore from time to time but it seems to stay pretty shiny on its own.

So, I'm guessing that Mr. Murray originally used linseed oil on the surfaces but that subsequent use is a losing proposition. At least that's my experience.

Best wishes.

Steve

[Loren]

As mentioned, time and atmospheric conditions can raise the grain, however there may also be additional factors to what the OP describes.

One thing that does happen over time is that the naturally occurring resins in Blackwood dry out and shrink (and sometimes even fallout in chunks) These resins run parallel to the grain, so the grain appears to have raised on the exterior (which it may also have done) leaving the appearance of these shallow fissures where previously there appeared to be none. This whole process with the resinous woods is more common when the wood hasn’t been seasoned well enough before and during production.

Side note: The resins I mention contain the chemical compounds that cause dermatological reactions for some people. Experts on the subject (not me), theorize that certain tree species evolved the production of these compounds over time to fend off indigenous pests that otherwise harm the tree. Those who are allergic to these compounds often find that freshly made flutes produce a much stronger allergic reaction than older flute from the same wood. I surmise this is because the resins are much “wetter” when the flute is new.

Moving on, the other thing that can be happening with flute grain becoming more prominent can be how the flute was originally finished. In addition to oiling the flute, some makers also buff their instruments with a compound containing wax. This wax melts into the surface of the wood a bit and, in the case of something like Blackwood, can “level” the finish a bit. Over time and with handling, and to some extent the exposure to heat, the wax is worn away and a rougher surface is left behind.

Of course there is no substitute for a well seasoned piece of dense, very tight and straight grained wood that has been sanded to a very smooth and high polish after being properly seasoned. The more the early steps are done really well, the less degradation happens down the road.

[kkrell]

... indigenous pests...

I've probably been considered one, but so far, I've personally experienced no allergic response.

[Loren]

... indigenous pests...

I've probably been considered one, but so far, I've personally experienced no allergic response.

[Andro]

Bottle of high quality linseed oil on the way.

[Terry McGee]

Is it raw Linseed, Andro, rather than boiled? Can I suggest you try it first on another sample of blackwood (if you happen to have a bit), or ebony or something similar before committing it to the flute. I'd just be worried that it might take forever, or even longer, to dry. And you could end up with a sticky flute.

Even boiled Linseed takes a long time, especially on the second coat. I imagine the first coat can soak in a bit, whereas the second coat probably can't much. But the second coat seems important in getting the finish I'm looking for. But it's pretty slow to dry, which is why I don't recommend it for maintenance oiling. Unless your sessions are at least a month apart! I'm sitting here impatiently waiting for some to dry so I can press on and assemble the flutes. C'mon, you guys....

Incidentally, I thin my Linseed oil with a splash of Gum Turpentine. Don't really know why, but I assume the keyword "thin" means to help it soak in better. And I think I've read that ultraviolet light can help it polymerise. Set the bits up in the window? (I have one flute there at the moment, in the hope...) Or break out the Black Lights from your shameful Disco past....