Bore Oil Poll (try saying that three times fast)

[Wormdiet]

At the last workshop I went to, linseed oil was recommended in the flute maintenance class.

[Unseen122]

I think it depends on what has been done to the oil first. I know linseed in the raw will build up layers.

You've got it backwards. Raw linseed oil is cool. Refined linseed oil has drying agents added to it which make it polymerize before the wood absorbs it, ergo buildup. NASTY stuff to use in a flute.

I use organic food-grade flaxseed (i.e. linseed) oil. Or else olive oil.

I must have been thinking of tung oil.

[Azathoth]

Don't rags soaked in linseed oil burst into flames spontaneously?

I use almond oil from the chemist, although that is a German chemist, seeing as I live in Germany right now. Very good quality and it also works nicely for oiling other wood stuff I have.

[LeeMarsh]

I use cosmetic almond oil that has vitamin E as a preservative in it. I picked it up over the internet for something like 2 8oz bottles for $10-$12.
This should last a life time.

[Traveller]

im usin cured linseed oil for me woodworkin projects lately, but i dont have any raw.. i probably just pik up some almond oil.. sounds good to me.

[Tommy]

[quote=" That That That. That was easy to say three times fast.


Doug has never recomended any oil for pvc? So I have not used any yet.

[dow]

That That That. That was easy to say three times fast.

Smart Alleck!

Somehow reminds me of conversations with my son.

[Tommy]

That That That. That was easy to say three times fast.

Smart Alleck!

Somehow reminds me of conversations with my son.

You are correct. That kind of double talk would come from some one who watched the Marx brothers or Hawkeye a lot. However there is a lot of that in the pub, and I did put the smiley face after it so I did not mean any harm. You asked a fair question first than a silly one. I answered the silly one first.
I think most of the oils mentioned would do just fine. I think that monotoring the humdity would be important also. I use almond oil. But I have read from some that do nothing, and I would not try that. I would use what the maker of the instrument recomened so if something happened they would be more willing to help.

[Tommy]

\Hazelnut oil...almond is ok...but I like the hazelnut flavor better !

Flying was insane till the Wright brothers tried it. Then the know it all on the side said- ''Well of course if your going to do it that way.''

[dfernandez77]

I would vote other -- I use Glenn Schultz's combination of 1 part almond to 4 parts extra-light olive.

Same here, for wood whistles and the flute.

[BillG]

I'm not seeing the combilnation of 1 part Almond and 4 parts Light Olive. Is there some special reason for Schultz's combination? What advantage is there with the Olive oil, other than taste and smell?

BillG

[dfernandez77]

Patrick Olwell gives his reasons for this same choice of oils here:
http://www.hmtrad.com/catalog/articles/olwellcare.html

It would be nice if we could still ask Glenn, but he passed away just before summer last year. However, since he is the maker of two of my wood whistles and my only wood flute I'll trust his instructions.

[Lambchop]

Don't rags soaked in linseed oil burst into flames spontaneously?

All oil-soaked rags burst into flames, but you're thinking of boiled linseed oil.

Flax seeds yield an oil which is called "flaxseed oil" or "flax oil." This is an edible nutritional supplement valued for the health benefits of its omega-3 essential fatty acids. If you look in your drug store or natural foods store, you will find it in liquid form and in capsules. It is usually "cold pressed," meaning that it has not been extracted from the seeds using a solvent or heat, but just by pressing. It does not have a particularly objectionable odor--it smells like flax seeds (kind of nutty).

The problem with using it on flutes is that some brands contain a good amount of particulate matter, i.e., seed bits, and other stuff. In fact, a lot of flax oils say they are "high lignin," meaning they contain a lot of the lignin bits from the seeds. That's good if you are intending to eat the stuff, but not so good for your flute.

(This is the same problem with almond oil, olive oil, and any other oils sold for cooking. They contain more than just the oil, and that "more" isn't good for your flute--it decomposes. That's why some olive oil is green--it contains bits of olive meat.)

If you filtered that oil, you'd be amazed how much stuff comes out of it. So, you can use it, but buy a very good brand and consider filtering it through tightly-woven cloth.

"Refined linseed" is just flaxseed oil that has been cleaned up for use by artists. It contains no particulate matter.

What does "flaxseed" oil have to do with "linseed" oil? Linseed oil is the traditional name for the oil. Flax is used to make linen, hence "linseed." For food use, however, we don't want people to make the mistake of consuming painters' linseed, and we don't want people to not buy our product thinking it's the toxic painting product, so we call consumable oil flaxseed. They are the same, though.

Oil painters have long used linseed oil to thin their paints. For painting purposes, it can be improved by boiling. If you boil linseed oil, it dries very rapidly and develops a hard finish. This is the kind of linseed oil that bursts into flames. This is the one you do not want to use on your flute -- boiled linseed. It will gum up anything, not just your flute, and it really stinks.

Today, modern painting oil has additives that enhance the drying properties even over those of boiled linseed. You especially do not want to use those. Those are the Winsor and Newton types sold in tiny bottles at art stores.

Thus, you can see that flax seeds yield edible flaxseed oil/linseed oil which you can use on a flute, that filtering and refining it produces refined flaxseed/linseed oil which you can use on a flute, and that boiling it and/or adding fast-drying additives produces the artists' linseed oil which is toxic and which you cannot use on a flute.

These are three separate and distinct products.

All oils have different properties. Some are thick, some are thin, some contain more of one kind of fatty acid and some contain more of another. Some are more like human skin oils and some are more like plant oils. These differences affect the oil's ability to be absorbed by and coat the wood surface (or your skin), its spreadability, and its propensity to spoil or become rancid.

Plant oils, because they are similar to the natural plant oils of the wood, have the ability to migrate into the interior of the wood. They aren't just coating it. Inorganic oils, like the mineral oils found in many commercial "bore oil" concoctions, can only coat the surface, where they sit and collect debris, forming a mucky mess. The volatile components evaporate off eventually, leaving a sticky goo.

Cosmetic grade oils are not any better than what you find in a natural foods store. They are just bulk oils repackaged in tiny bottles at high price. If you are going to use almond oil, then buy a pint of it, separate off enough for your flute, and cook with the rest.

When you separate it off, add a capsule or two of vitamin E oil to it, to stave off spoilage. All those cooking oils go rancid very quickly when exposed to light, heat, and oxygen. This should tell you that you need to keep your flute oil AND your cooking oil in the dark, in the refrigerator, and in a small air-tight container.

[perrins57]

I use Tung oil - its worked for the Chinese for thousands of years, its more water resistant than linseed. Only need to watch it doesn't get on the block of my wood whistle and make sure that its not over applied to the bore.
I dont get the paranoia over drying oils, so long as you dont use too much and remove any excess before it drys you should be fine. I found it had a much more positive effect on tone that Almond oil.