Boxwood Allergy?

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:00 pm

Dana - I'm glad you've found a flute that you really like, and Casey is an unbelievably helpful guy. If it is the boxwood, at least you can go with blackwood or mopane from Casey...and it sounds like he'll let you try them to make sure you don't break out when playing!

Eric

Dana · Post by **Dana** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:10 pm

Yup, Casey is a good guy, and genuinely seems to enjoy working with his clients. Blackwood (which I do fine with) will be my second choice, should boxwood not work.

Dana

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:14 pm

i'm getting a boxwood C from Casey.

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:34 pm

Casey's even better in person. When I was at his workshop he was very helpful. Even with a small stock of flutes he had Rudalls, Prattens, Ergonomic, Regular alignment, Session heads, Boxwood, Mopane, Blackwood and I was able to try all of them. It will be amazing later this Spring when his stock is a bit larger. I think I see a Pratten in my future.

Cheers,
Aaron

andrew · Post by **andrew** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 3:51 pm

Why don't you small handed allergic types play lip plated Siccama flutes ?.They are not so rare .

Dana · Post by **Dana** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 4:10 pm

Because I don't want a Siccama flute! I don't want a lip plate either.

Dana

brianormond · Post by **brianormond** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 4:45 pm

-I believe Casey uses Daniel Smith Art Supply "Refined" linseed oil. Be aware of the terms, for "Raw" linseed oil also sold by Daniel Smith has volatile drying chemical in it-a spontaneous combustion fire danger if oily rags aren't disposed of properly. The "Refined" from Daniel Smith is a safer choice, stabilizing humidity exchange effectively.

-I hope the culprit is not the boxwood as you like its sound, as do I.
Best of luck with this-

Dana · Post by **Dana** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 4:54 pm

I've used flax seed oil from the refrigerated case at my health food store. 'Could be I'm developing a sensitivity to linseed/flaxseed. It seems to be pretty common.

Dana

eilam · Post by **eilam** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:42 pm

Dana - you could put a piece of masking tape, precut a hole for the embouchure, if this salves the problem, then maybe spray can of Lacquer would salve it for good?

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:50 pm

Eilam is onto something here - using tape to test the allergic reaction at the lips. However, is masking tape thick enough? Would it harm the wood any? I honestly don't know, but I do know I did the same thing with electrical tape around the embouchure (I also used electrical tape to seal close the holes for keys when I was cleaning them) and it didn't harm the wood any at all (rosewood in my case).

Eric

AaronMalcomb · Post by **AaronMalcomb** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 11:42 pm

Electrical tape is safe on wood. I use it all the time on my GHB chanter (made of African Blackwood) to flatten sharp notes. You have to replace it regularly and any stickiness that is left behind can be pulled off with a fresh piece of tape.

If it's the linseed would a flute oiled with linseed still cause allergic reactions after oiling with a different product?

Maybe Casey can send you a blackwood flute to try and if you react it could be the linseed and not the wood. If it turns out to be the oil Casey could custom oil your flute? If you still react, trade it in for a blackwood.

Cheers,
Aaron

Grixxly · Post by **Grixxly** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 5:54 am

jim stone wrote:i'm getting a boxwood C from Casey.

Did you happen to just change from a D to a C?

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:27 am

andrew wrote:Get a silver lip plate fitted .Does this Burns character not offer them ?.Are we not well into the 19th century with the developement of these flutes ?

Silver lip plate on a Boxwood flute?! Bleech!

Ivory or imitation Ivory would look better and not be so cold to the lip when first picking up the instrument.

Loren

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:35 am

Re: Boxwood as an allergic wood:

I'd agree with those who say it's more likely the linseed oil or additives to the linseed oil that are causing the reaction.

Having said that, I can tell you from experience that boxwood dust can certainly cause significant allergic reactions - virtually no one can stand to turn the stuff in our shop without a mask or respirator of some sort, which leads me to believe that some people may react to contact alone.

Loren

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:02 am

Grixxly wrote:
jim stone wrote:i'm getting a boxwood C from Casey.
Did you happen to just change from a D to a C?

Yes, I did. I've been persuaded that I have too
many Ds.