Last night at a gig, a beer was spilled on my nice Pratton copy wooden flute. The beer was in contact with some parts of the surface for probably 30 seconds before being wiped off.
The parts of the flute that were in contact with the alcohol changed color from black to a lighter grayish brown and color differences are quite visible now across the flute.
I’m assuming the maker used a dye to make the wood seem a uniform black, ie. ‘ebonized’ the wood, and the alcohol removed that dye.
I believe the flute is either African Blackwood or Ebony. Not sure which.
What kind of dye can I use to restore the uniform black color of the wood? Preferably something non-toxic and that does not rub off on my hands when I play?
I’d contact the maker for advice if you know who it is.
In my experience matching a stain or dye to an area where some has been removed is almost impossible unless you know what the stain is and even then it’s difficult getting a seemless blend.
I’m assuming the maker used a dye to make the wood seem a uniform black,
Not necessarily, blackwood can be distinctly brown when freshly turned and it will darken to black over time. I don’t know what process is responsible for this but it may well be the alcohol reversed it.
There’s unlikely to be enough alcohol in beer to act as a solvent. The effects on the wood will much more probably be be from the water content! The lightened patches will probably quite quickly fade and match back in with the remainder, but if not, something fairly odd was done to your flute when made! (Who’d use a non-water-resistant dye if dying the wood?!) Try a few drops of water on an unmarked area to see what happens! If I’m right, drying and oiling will probably more-or-less remove the water marks.
It’s not unusual to get random drops of condensation (“It’s not spit, damnit”.) on a flute from playing and the bore often gets quite a washing. I’ve never seen that cause a discoloration. So would the water in the beer have an effect?
I wondered much the same, Steve, and in most flutes the answer would be, no or little effect. Much depends on what timber the flute in question is and what finish has been applied to it.
Actually, thinking about it, sometimes oil or wax based finishes on wood do go lighter or opaque if wetted, and drying plus buffing often restores them. Think cup rings on polished furniture.
It is a dramatic discoloration - beer hit the wood (mainly the barrel and middle section) and color changed mainly to the center section and barrel, and not the head and foot. I noticed the color change directly when wiping the beer off. I then wiped off with water, a damp cotton cloth, within a minute of the spill. The damp cloth had no coloration on it. The beer was 6% ABV which brewpubs here usually list on the menu.
The wood looks to my eye like the ebony you get in the USA in the last 15 years - dark brownish and streaked, not black and uniform. Age of the flute I’m guessing is no more than six years. Flute gets oiled weekly with Almond oil.
I read up a bit, and aniline dye, which is a wood dye widely available at Woodworkers Warehouse and Woodcraft in the J.E. MOSER brand in the USA, seems to be alcohol soluble - that’s actually what you use to mix up the powder. I’m guessing that is what was used.
I may just leave it alone - it gives the flute a certain character.
I read up a bit, and aniline dye, which is a wood dye widely available at Woodworkers Warehouse and Woodcraft in the J.E. MOSER brand in the USA, seems to be alcohol soluble - that’s actually what you use to mix up the powder. I’m guessing that is what was used.
That seems to be the case and those dyes would normally have a finish (varnish, laquer etc.) on top to protect the surface. Who made the flute?
As someone who has put Grenadilla under very hot running water before (don’t ask) which turned it brown and dehydrated it, oiling the flute brought back the pure black that we all know and love.
Just a note to add that it’s unlikely your flute is made literally of ebony,
which is actually not a very good flute wood. African blackwood (grenadilla)
is preferred and what your flute is probably made of. ‘Ebony’ is sometimes
used to denote grenadilla, but literally (in case you didn’t know) the woods
are different.
I just looked up African Blackwood, Grenadilla, and stock blanks that are available seems to tend more towards dark brown and even reddish brown, than coal black. Grain is similar to what is now exposed, so I think you are right Jim. I’m now thinking most recent ‘blackwood’ flutes are dyed or stained to achieve true black. Perhaps in the past true black coloration was more common. Maybe a maker could respond? I imagine with CITES it will become harder and harder to get.
seems to tend more towards dark brown and even reddish brown, than coal black
From what I’ve read it it can vary from dark brown to almost black, also like other timbers it’ll darken slightly with age. My flute started off red(ish) brown and has darkened over the years.
I’ll chip in here, hpinson, as a flute maker. Definitely no dyes involved around here! Blackwood is mostly pretty black in the dry stick, sometimes tending very dark brown or charcoal grey, or including some brown or dark grey highlights, but once turned, polished and oiled it ends up very black all by itself. I haven’t tried the effects of beer on it, but wouldn’t expect to see much.
I just went down to the workshop, selected a nice blank billet of dry blackwood, and scrubbed parts of it with rags soaked in alcohol (methylated spirits), acetone, petrol (gasoline) and water. No significant change noted from any of them.
The only thing I’m aware of that sometimes bleaches these woods are some player’s body fluids!
Which then lead me to try the effect of rubbing some battery acid (Sulphuric Acid, H2SO4) on it. Still no effect!
I’m wondering if the flute in question is not blackwood, but dyed to resemble it?
I remember a maker (from London?) many years ago who painted his flutes to make them black.
Terry, thanks for your insight. Yes, I suspect it was an alcohol soluble dye used to darken the timber. Regardless it is still attractive, just now the middle section and part of the foot is affected and I am going to leave it alone. I was just curious if dying wood is part of the making process, and it sounds like for you no, but for other makers you have encountered maybe yes. Either way does not really bother me - has no affect on playability. Just going to leave it be.
I can say that there was no claim to any particular type of wood when I bought it used. Whatever the wood is, it is solid, close-grained, and heavy.
