I’m a bit confused about which oil to use to maintain my flute. Casey Burns I believe says on his site never to use bore oil but only use almond oil, while Terry McGee says to use bore oil. Now, having just read sbfluter’s post in which Jon C. says to use bore oil to potentially seal the bore. I believe I’ve read that bore oil is drying (?).
So, should one use a different oil at different times for different reasons?
Is there is definitive choice of oil and why?
I’ve been using olive oil for 15+years with no cracks.
Hi Akiba, This is something I struggled with as well-different makers rec’d different oils. I think it’s best to check with the maker of your flute and go by their rec’d. I own a Casey Burns, and he recommends raw linseed oil or almond oil (with Vit E added). I use the linseed oil and it works great-my flute is mopane and it loves the stuff. If you use linseed, just make sure you use the raw stuff, not the quick-drying stuff. That stuff is bad for the flute and can spontaneously combust! The raw stuff works really well.
I wasn’t aware that Casey says not to use bore oil. I know he won’t work on a flute that has had perfume added to the oil. My instructions for my Folk Flute says only that woodwind bore oil is expensive and that raw linseed oil or almond oil with a little vitamin E is a cheaper substitute, and to never ever use paint store linseed oil because that will burn your house down.
I use woodwind bore oil. I wasn’t sure where to get almond oil and figured I wouldn’t take my chances getting the wrong kind of linseed oil. The bore oil was 7.50 for a couple of ounces. Yeah, expensive but not totally unreasonable.
That’s funny…in a way…
You can find almond oil at health food stores or health food areas of grocery stores. A lot of times it comes with vitamin E already added.
The Almond oil you want to use is for message not eating, it is found in the vitamin section of the health food store.
The nice thing about commercial bore oil is that it doesn’t smell, lasts longer then the non drying oil. a little bit goes a long way… Also, we don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” on this, the commercial bore oil has been used for years by the other woodwind people.
Just updated my webpages in response to this topic.
I recommend commercial bore oil, period. Designed for this purpose and you don’t really use much per oiling. Some balk at the cost but why not use it, especially if your flute is one of the higher end ones?
Artistic raw linseed can be used as long as it is relatively fresh and from a good source. Almond oil is good as long as it isn’t rancid and some vitamin E has been added. Again, use fresh. I’ve had a few flutes in for servicing recently that were coated with a rather tacky “paint” from old linseed oil. Disgusting.
NEVER use scented oils on my instruments as I find these objectionable and some I physically react to. Am speaking of things like patchouli, musk, lavender (my daughter has sensitivities to this one) etc. Do a favor for the other makers and future owners of the instruments and don’t use these oils.
Casey
I use LeBlanc bore oil. A tip I learned from Terry McGee; since bore oil can be a little pricey, I keep my oiling swab in a small sealable glass jar. That way the swab is always ready to go and I don’t waste bore oil.
BTW, the bore on my McGee Rudall Perfected looks like glass. The LeBlanc oil does a great job. Also, it takes little more than a drop of oil to treat the outside of the flute. Best, Cyril
I use LeBlanc bore oil. A tip I learned from Terry McGee; since bore oil can be a little pricey, I keep my oiling swab in a small sealable glass jar. That way the swab is always ready to go and I don’t waste bore oil.
BTW, the bore on my McGee Rudall Perfected looks like glass. The LeBlanc oil does a great job. Also, it takes little more than a drop of oil to treat the flute’s exterior. Best, Cyril
I stopped oiling flutes a few years ago.
There is the no-oil school of thought.
A maker I respect told me not to use
oil.
Anyhow there’s been no problem.
Sometimes, rarely, I use a little oil
by way of cleaning a flute surface.
I reckon there have been a lot of discussions
about this.
I love his stuff.
http://www.doctorsprod.com/store/comersus_listItems.asp?idCategory=15
His automatic postage form is incorrect. Shipping is usually $3.
If Master C. Burns and Master Jon C. say bore oil, then bore oil it is.
Thank you, gentlemen, for the defnitive clarification, and to all who responded.
Bore Oil
Bore Oil, it is said, comes from a lesser know tree only grown in the
artic circle. It takes its name from the “aurora borealis” The light
of which, it is said, gives the tree its special qualities, which are in
essential or condensed form in the extracted oil.
The reason this oil is expensive is that there are only about 200 of these
rare trees in existence, and that the oil can only be extracted when the
aurora borealis are lighting up the northern skies.
The aurora borealis are said to “sing” in the skies of the northerns
wastelands, the special property, it is said, is imparted to the bore tree.
It is this very property then that is so valued by flute, and other wooden
instrument players. The other lesser properties of oil such as;
preservative, ccurative, hygrostatic, polishing, and the like, can all be
had from dozens of ther oils, the most stable of which is probably
not even from a vegetable source - mineral oil.
But I might have heard the wrong story.
Found this very informative piece:
Tony wrote:
"Bore Oil, it is said, comes from a lesser know tree only grown in the
artic circle. It takes its name from the “aurora borealis” The light
of which, it is said, gives the tree its special qualities, which are in
essential or condensed form in the extracted oil. "
No, this is totally incorrect.
Bore oil is made from the pure extract of the element Borium which is just under the element Tedium in the Periodic Table. Both elements have similar chemical properties and are highly toxic in their purest form to some people, especially flute makers. Borium and Tedium are both found in the mineral Rockstroite.
Casey’s last post was boring and tedious.
Besides I use fish oil. Never mind why.
Borium and Tedium come right after the element Practicium. 
Casey does bore quite well, but he doesn’t hold the record for tedious.
I knew there was something “fishy” about Cocusflute!
So are his flutes stinkers rather than stonkers?
Fishy Fluters
I am generally sceptical about flute makers,
I think they actually don’t make flutes at all but
rather catch them in the sea!!!
Thats probably why fish oil is good for them.
.