oiling

[Lambchop]

Although it might be smarter to just use some of it for cooking a buy it a again every year
or two.

It's really good moisturizer. Especially if you have sensitive, delicate skin.

Excellent for massage, too. With the added advantage of being yummy.

Camellia oil, by the way, appears to be what Hain is packaging as "green tea seed oil." Camellia sinensis = tea, which is "green" until fermented. It makes an exceptionally good facial moisturizer. (As does apricot.)

Where on earth do you find 'pharmaceutical grade' almond oil?

Pharmacy

[Lambchop]

But the product (almond oil with a drop of vitamin E) is probably exactly the same in France and in the US of A...

Uh, non . . . Pharmaceutical grade almond oil is in the pharmacy. Usually behind the counter, with the pharmacist. Tiny, tiny bottle. Edible.

Almond oil with a drop of vitamin E is in the cosmetics section. Tiny bottle. Not edible.

Almond oil, possibly solvent extracted, possibly organic, may be in the baking and/or salad dressing section of the more progressive grocery stores. 8 and 16 ounce bottles, edible.

Almond oil, cold-pressed, organic, 8 and 16 oz., might be in the grocery store, but you might have to get it at an organic grocery or "whole foods market," which were formerly known as "health food stores" until about the time Euell Gibbons died of cancer. Truly progressive locales will have grocery stores with organic sections.

Almond oil, probably solvent-extracted, not organic, is obtainable from suppliers to the bodywork industry. 8, 16, 32, 64 oz, possibly with dispersants and scent-masking agents, if not outright perfumes, added, definitely not edible, probably not suitable for a flute. (Feels real good, though.)

And then . . . and then . . . there is Walmart.

*******************************

I use refined linseed from Daniel Smith. They'll ship it to you in no time. It's clean and nice with a good sort of smell. Keeps well in the fridge.

Be careful about the flaxseed oil, because a lot of what is being sold now contains bits of the seeds ("lignin"). You can see it on the label, where some of them will say "high lignin." It's full of stuff that you need, but your flute doesn't. Considering the price of it, you'd do a lot better to have Daniel Smith ship you a bottle.

[peeplj]

I am enjoying this discussion--I am hoping Terry McGee will notice it and lend us his expertise as well.

I did want to add a final note about linseed and other drying oils, a reminder to use them very sparingly and to wipe off the excess oil before it has a chance to cure. Keep it well away from the pads and out of any mechanisms such as keys.

You can do your flute serious, possibly permanent harm, if you use drying oils in the wrong way.

--James

[Lambchop]

Edited out some kind of accident . . .

[Random notes]

I did want to add a final note about linseed and other drying oils, a reminder to use them very sparingly and to wipe off the excess oil before it has a chance to cure. Keep it well away from the pads and out of any mechanisms such as keys.

The first few times I used linseed on my CB folk flute, I worked it thoroughly thru the bore and rubbed it vigorously by hand on the exterior and just left it on overnight. The last couple of times I let it sit for 24 hrs. I always applied a generous quantity and there was always something to be wiped off. The rags I used hadn't dried out either. I don't know that any damage was done, but I don't want to push my luck. Of course, there are no keys or pads to mess up.

I also waxed my flute. I have a buffing wheel with carnauba wax that I use for refinishing my pipes after buffing w/ rouge. I noticed some discoloration around the embouchure hole and remembered that someone mentioned using carnauba on that part of the flute. I tried it and it looked so nice that I did the whole flute. I applied it generously and let the wheel warm it up and work it in and when I buffed it with a soft cloth itcame up with a hard shiny finish. It doesn't seem to affect the grip, and the discoloration is gone.

Roger

[Paul Thomas]

I also waxed my flute. I have a buffing wheel with carnauba wax that I use for refinishing my pipes after buffing w/ rouge. I noticed some discoloration around the embouchure hole and remembered that someone mentioned using carnauba on that part of the flute. I tried it and it looked so nice that I did the whole flute. I applied it generously and let the wheel warm it up and work it in and when I buffed it with a soft cloth itcame up with a hard shiny finish. It doesn't seem to affect the grip, and the discoloration is gone.

I wonder if care is warranted buffing around the embouchure hole: if your buffing wheel has any hard spots or is abrasive at all, perhaps there's a (albeit slight) potential to reshape the edges of the embouchure & thus in effect, inadvertently re-voice your flute?

[Denny]

I also waxed my flute. I have a buffing wheel with carnauba wax that I use for refinishing my pipes after buffing w/ rouge. I noticed some discoloration around the embouchure hole and remembered that someone mentioned using carnauba on that part of the flute. I tried it and it looked so nice that I did the whole flute. I applied it generously and let the wheel warm it up and work it in and when I buffed it with a soft cloth itcame up with a hard shiny finish. It doesn't seem to affect the grip, and the discoloration is gone.

I wonder if care is warranted buffing around the embouchure hole: if your buffing wheel has any hard spots or is abrasive at all, perhaps there's a (albeit slight) potential to reshape the edges of the embouchure & thus in effect, inadvertently re-voice your flute?

I was talking to an instrument repair person once... He mentioned that while cleaning and adjusting a flute, early in his career, he had buffed the embouchure of a flute. The owner of the flute did let him live, however he indicated that it had been rather close.

[Jayhawk]

Chris - walnut oil is, I believe, the drying nut oil you're thinking of.

Interesting note about mopane as aquarium driftwood. I have some in my tank (I bought it well before I heard of it as a tone wood), it's been there 10 years now with a wood eating clown plecostomus. The pleco leaves the mopane alone and instead nibbles on another driftwood I have. The mopane is in perfect shape after 10 years underwater, countless plants grown on it, etc...no cracks, decomposition or anything.

I used to oil more, but I've become rather lax (oiled the other night - first time in a month or two, I think). The day after oiling my flute always sounds better...but this may be because I've taken to oiling on those nights where I sound like crud, blame the lack of oil, and remarkably I'm better the next day. Granted, if I don't oil I still usually sound better the next day, but I like to be able to blame something other than myself for a bad night's playing.

Eric

[Random notes]

I wonder if care is warranted buffing around the embouchure hole: if your buffing wheel has any hard spots or is abrasive at all, perhaps there's a (albeit slight) potential to reshape the edges of the embouchure & thus in effect, inadvertently re-voice your flute?

I am absolutely scrupulous about keeping my buffing wheels clean. I have a firm felt one for rouge and soft muslin one for the carnauba and they are both sealed in their own plastic bags when not in use. Still, I went easy around the actual edges of the embouchure. The discoloration was prominent mostly where the wood touched my lip/chin and a little bit on the downwind side.

I was talking to an instrument repair person once... He mentioned that while cleaning and adjusting a flute, early in his career, he had buffed the embouchure of a flute. The owner of the flute did let him live, however he indicated that it had been rather close.

The term "buffing" when used in the context of metal work implies the use of some sort of polishing compound - rouge, tripoli, etc. Metal polishes are abrasive and a buffing wheel can definitely remove metal especially from corners and edges. Fortunately for the wooden flute people that is not an issue.

Roger

[Tchie]

Matt, here in France, I buy my almond oil from hypermarkets (skin care section) at a very affordable price (about 4 euro/5 US dollars for 100ml if my memory doesn't fail me). One brand (Mercurochrome) comes with vitamin E, another (Vendome) is 100% pure.
I have more problems finding silicon grease for the tenons. Any tips?
Pierre

Le Coant qui habite à Binic (22) vend ce que vous cherchez: 6E/pot.
Il peut envoyer par la poste.

www.lecoant.com

[sturob]

I think oiling -must- slow down the interchange of moisture with the air, since oiling does this to every other wood item that is not a flute. I don't know why flutes would be exempt from this effect.

Good points (some of which I snipped for space), but I don't think I'm sayng that flutes are exempt from the effect. I think the situation is different enough that oiling might not have the effect we desire.

Oil goes away so quickly that the harshness of the flute's environment (100% RH inside, ambient RH outside) may not be "improved" by the presence of oil. I mentioned the lack of penetration because some people have oiled timbers and cut the timber, and with things like blackwood there's nearly no evidence of penetration. Other timbers show evidence of complete penetration (like boxwood), which eventually seem to become saturated with oil. Of course, box doesn't crack as often. Cocus is slightly less delicate than ebony . . .

But most furniture isn't of tonewood-density hardwood either. Birch, maple, pine, all those things are tons more porous than flute timber (box being a special case). Who knows.

I don't think it hurts to oil at all, and I find it kind of relaxing. However, I guess I just get bothered when people say Thou shalt oil thy flutes, or Thou shalt not oil thy flutes because we really don't know either way. I think the flute evidence points to the idea that it doesn't matter, but I'm too superstitious to stop oiling. And I can admit that.

Stuart

[David Levine]

If it doesn't hurt and it might do some good, why not do it?

Like writing letters to the editor....