Almond Oil or Bore Oil?

[johnkerr]

About the oil touching the lips of the player, perhaps one should use almond oil for the outside on the headjoint, and bore oil on the inside, in the bore of the flute. That makes some sense to me.

Just as easy to use almond oil on both inside and out of the flute, and every bit as good for the bore too. So why bother dealing with two bottles of oil and two oily rags just to oil one flute?

[Aanvil]

I wonder how acorn oil would work?

Tons of acorns on the ground this time of year out here.

I my have to kill a few varmints to get'um though.

[Akiba]

"So why bother dealing with two bottles of oil and two oily rags just to oil one flute?"

Because: 1) McGee and Burns recommend using bore oil; 2) the outside of the flute is not the bore and I don't need to worry so much about any build up; and 3) I already have both bore and almond oils, so why not use both in different areas for different reasons.

[Rob Sharer]

Do I recall correctly that Patrick Olwell, in his instruction sheet for new flutes, recommends NOT oiling the outside his flutes? Maybe someone who can still find their sheet could have a quick squizz.

It's possible that some manufacturers use different processes in finishing the outsides of their instruments and would indeed recommend oiling the outside as well as the bore. Either way, a good idea is to grease the corks well first. That way they're less likely to soak up any errant oil, which I could well imagine would be an issue particularly for outside oilers. Off to do my "string" right now! Cheers,

Rob

[Rob Sharer]

Oh, and while you're greasing corks, why not grease the insides of the mortises? No point in oil hanging around in there to ambush the corks or seep under the rings at a later date. I always jam some up in the endgrain of each section of the flute as well, even under the endcap. Cheers,

Rob

[Casey Burns]

I recommend oiling the outsides on mine.

Whole pupose of oiling is to keep the wood flexible like the way one oils leather. Not to provide a water barrier. Thus why leave the outside of the wood on the brittle side when this could lead to checking?

Casey

[Doug_Tipple]

I wonder how acorn oil would work?

Tons of acorns on the ground this time of year out here.

I my have to kill a few varmints to get'um though.

Good idea, Aanvil. Of course we don't want your odinary kind of acorn that grows on trees but a special kind of acorn that grows in the desert. The plant is called jojoba, pronounced (ho-ho'-ba). I used to see it growing in the Sonoran desert in southern Arizona. The oil from the nut can be refined to be odorless, colorless, and oxidatively stable. Has anyone tried or considered using jojoba oil as a bore oil for wooden instruments? If I am not mistaken, small bottles of this oil are available in the cosmetic section of your pharmacy.

[lesl]

lol I loved this thread!

After having oiled like only once a year, I finally became aware of when to oil after being shown by Paddy Ward the difference between dry and oiled flutes - he looked inside the tone holes in bright daylight where it showed dull grey brown and said hmm, that's really dry.. me: really? :duh: ..

So, I have bore oil and almond oil, ... I was about to do my oiling last night, and wondered if the Chiff says anything about the 2.. sure enough, here's a 4 page thread on it, right on the front page!

Love you guys, thanks! (lately I use the bore oil inside and the almond on the embouchure. My keyless from Pat Olwell has no problem, but the keyed one I have from Paddy Ward got sticky/bumpy inside with the almond oil so I switched.)

[Tony McGinley]

lol I loved this thread!

After having oiled like only once a year, I finally became aware of when to oil after being shown by Paddy Ward the difference between dry and oiled flutes - he looked inside the tone holes in bright daylight where it showed dull grey brown and said hmm, that's really dry.. me: really? :duh: ..

So, I have bore oil and almond oil, ... I was about to do my oiling last night, and wondered if the Chiff says anything about the 2.. sure enough, here's a 4 page thread on it, right on the front page!

Love you guys, thanks! (lately I use the bore oil inside and the almond on the embouchure. My keyless from Pat Olwell has no problem, but the keyed one I have from Paddy Ward got sticky/bumpy inside with the almond oil so I switched.)

What I really love about this thread, the C&F forum generally, is that it has
evolved into a real community with a real community spirit. So many
people willing to share their help, advice and expertize, there is tolerance
for the emotionally challenged, and a great sense of fun.

All credit to the founder/s and
Long may it last!!!

.

[sbfluter]

What about the metal parts? Does the oil do any damage to the tuning slide or the silver rings? What about that tuning slide? Does it require any special care?

[Jon C.]

What about the metal parts? Does the oil do any damage to the tuning slide or the silver rings? What about that tuning slide? Does it require any special care?

Best to avoid gunking up keys and such. I have had flutes in the shop that the keys would stick from all the oil build up. It also messes up the leather pads, so avoid that to by wax paper or something. If you get some on the rings, just wipe it off.

[Lar]

What about the metal parts? Does the oil do any damage to the tuning slide or the silver rings? What about that tuning slide? Does it require any special care?

I have found that a tiny bit of silicone grease (obtained cheaply at a plumbing supply or hardware store) will keep the slide functioning properly for a long time. Maybe twice a year I take the slide apart, wipe off the old grease with its accumulated dust and oxide, and apply a dab or two of new. The non-organic silicone grease will not polymerize and freeze up the slide during any long period of storage. I take no credit for this concept - Chris Wilkes provided a container of this type product with the flute I got from him in 1996 or so.

[Lar]

http://www.naylors-woodwind-repair.com/
Long but interesting- Go to Publications - "Grenadilla Wood, Environmental Effects, and Organic Bore Oil."

The author, Larry Naylor, is the author of the article in Woodwind Quarterly that Brad Hurley cites on his 'Guide to the Irish Flute' website about the use of almond oil. The above paper is a revision and extension of that older article, and well worth a read!

[Lar]

Here's my take on the use of oils.

Raw linseed oil is a drying oil. It can be used to "seal" the grain of the bore (and was, apparently, by many of the 19th century makers). This seal should be renewed at very infrequent intervals, so as not to build up a large amount of residue. Maybe after several hundred swabbings of the bore, the layer might need renewal.

The word "dry" here means to polymerize to form a solid. The goal is to have a thin solid layer of dried oil coating the bore and filling the superficial pores of the wood.

It does not, of course, seal the grain completely (maybe an acrylic would do that), but it can slow the rate of penetration of the condensed water vapor into the grain of the bore (and provide a slicker surface for improved tone). In this regard it may do a better job than a non-polymerizing oil, and it doesn't have to be renewed at frequent intervals.

After the thin coat of linseed oil is applied to the bore, the instrument must be left alone for two or three days, to give the oil time to polymerize. This will take even longer if the bore has previously (or recently) been treated with a non-drying oil like almond oil.

A word of caution. Don't let the linseed oil get on the pad seats. It can form a sticky layer that makes a crinkling sound every time the pad is lifted.

Almond oil does not dry, but will oxidize and "go rancid." Adding a generous amount of vitamin E to serve as an antioxidant will slow this process greatly (and will also slow down the polymerization of linseed oil that might be applied later).

The almond oil penetrates the wood to form a layer around the microscopic fibers of the wood, helping fill any space between fibers that may have been created by oxidation and loss of the normal material that glues the fibers together. By filling up the spaces, it will decrease the penetration rate of moisture, and lessen the shrinking and swelling stresses caused by alternating drying and moistening.

As the wood takes up the almond oil, it will expand a slight amount, just as it would if taking up moisture. When working to restore an old flute that has not been played recently, I first treat the outside of the flute for several days with almond oil, after removing keys as needed. This allows the outside layers of wood to expand first, before the inside begins to swell. Rapid swelling of the inside layers first will put pressure on the dry and compacted outside layers and can produce a crack. This can occur if the bore is oiled first on a very dry instrument, or if one begins to play an old instrument for long stretches of time without a slow re-break-in process.

After several thin coats have been applied to the outside of the flute and allowed to soak in for a couple of days each, I begin to work to clean up the bore and tone holes, removing old layers of oil and wax as needed. After the bore is polished, I then apply a thin layer of linseed oil to the bore, and let it dry for several days.

Finally, I'll oil both inside and outside with almond oil and let it soak for several days. Then I reinstall the keys and start playing (assuming the pad are fit).

This is the sequence that has worked best for me, at least with old flutes.

[lesl]

What about that tuning slide? Does it require any special care?

It depends on the maker. One of my flutes has a fully lined hj so I don't put oil in that. Same flute should have nothing put on the slide itself but a wipe of alcohol to keep it clean.

The other flute has a half lined hj so the wood part needs oil. When wiping it out use my pinky on the rag to particularly wipe the inside part of the slide that got oil on it. If you have keys you don't want to get oil on the pads either - put little squares of wax paper to cover the pads when oiling the bore. And for the slide itself have a slide grease (which is not oil, its some kind of mixture Paddy makes).

Hope that helps! - Lesl