I frequently only have 10-15 chunks of time to practice throughout the day and requently leave my flute (Olwell Pratten D) assembled between my minisessions. The flute frequently is left assembed most of the day. Is that a problem? Is there something tragic that will happen if I don’t swab all that beautiful gunky saliva out after each usage?
Thanks,
Jeff
I leave my vintage 8-key assembled most of the time, and swab it out when I feel like it. No problems, but I suggest oiling it about once a month. There’s controversy on this subject, but that’s my recommendation for what it’s worth after about 25 years of playing.
Thanks Cubitt -
When you say to oil it, do you mean the INSIDE or just the outside of the instrument. I oil the outside pretty regularly, but I don’t think I’ve ever oiled the inside of the flute.
Apply oil, both inside and out, and then wipe off any excess.
There are those who say to at least take a wood flute apart between uses. However, I have a two piece wood flute which all but never comes apart, except at those times when I oil it, and I have not had any trouble, but maybe I am just lucky, for wood flutes can crack. I could add, that I do not play valuable, antique wood flutes, so my devil may care attitude is more affordable, so to speak. YMMV.
i think most of the problems we run into, have to do with the flute over drying.
when you play short sessions, the flute is not going to be overly wet.
I have a stand, which is better then laying on a table top, especially if your flute is keyed.
i always swab, but thats out of habit, i actually don’t think it’s necessary, especially if you are not disassembling it, i would keep it wet but standing up, so that moister does not gather only on one spot.
Good point, eilam.
I don’t oil the outside of my flute, but I do wipe it down regularly. If the wood is becoming dry, you would want to attend to that, but I don’t live in a particularly dry climate. However, oiling the inside (sparingly) does seem to improve the tone, and I believe the moisture that develops from playing leeches the moisture out of the wood, which isn’t good.
Those of us who play metal flute were taught to swab after every playing, and that habit dies hard. I think the combination of moisture and metal is less pleasant than moisture and wood, however, so I don’t sweat it too much with wood. Overall, flute probably requires less regular maintenance than many other instruments, so don’t obsess about it; just use good sense, and you’ll be fine. They’re really not that fragile.
It is interesting that all of the advice that has been given so far has been by people of whom we have no idea how they play. I’d love to hear a tune from somebody who gives advice based on twenty-five years of playing.
cocus - no where on this site does it state that one needs to submit a clip in order to voice an opinion.
Nor did I ever say that one needed to post a clip to voice an opinion.
Please don’t put words in my mouth.
And by the way, I agree with you about over-drying. I never use a cotton cloth to swab out the flute. I pull a silk rag, impregnated with a bit of oil, through the flute. That spreads out the droplets and prevents stripping oil from the bore- which happens when you swab with cotton.
oops - sorry editing and clicking mishap!
I too often leave my R&R assembled for days on end - pick it up and tootle for a few minutes, then leave it. If I have a good long blow and the condensation builds up a lot, I swab it out before leaving it - and sometimes do so mid-play as too much running water does damp/muffle the tone! I generally only oil it about three times a year - strip down and oil (commercial bore oil) inside and out, stand for a few hours, wipe off and replace keys etc. I may sometimes pull an oiled swab through the bore on additional occasions, but not many.
I’ve had it since 1984, playing it pretty regularly, and the only mishap it has ever suffered was a crack in the barrel (an old one had been previously pinned) when I took it first to Austria and then Spain one summer a few years back - and it got a bit too dry. Said crack didn’t leak anyway, and closed back up soon after return to damp old Britain, so I haven’t had anything done to it. That was a question of moisture - oiling irrelevant - and in retrospect I shouldn’t have left it lying out assembled in my parent’s house in southern Spain between plays. If I’d put it back in its case, maybe with a damp cloth included, it probably wouldn’t have cracked. Happily, its not serious anyway.
So, yes, be careful with your flutes, but not paranoid - apart from new ones which need easing in, they are pretty durable and I think a lot of unnecessary fuss gets made about this topic. I agree with eilam that standing it to drain is a good idea if you aren’t going to dry it and put it away, but be aware of your local climatic considerations - aridity is the main enemy.
I see cocusflute’s needle is still stuck!
It is interesting that all of the advice that has been given so far has been by people of whom we have no idea how they play. I’d love to hear a tune from somebody who gives advice based on twenty-five years of playing.
I don’t necessarily totally disagree that you have some sort of a point, in that a clip to demonstrate one’s (lack of) prowess is an interesting and possibly helpful counterpoint to written posts, but, oh boy, your all-threads ubiquitous crusade ain’t half getting tiresome! Cocus, you may not intend to seem to be trying to discredit comments from anyone who doesn’t follow your diktat, but it sure comes over that way. I think you have adequately made the positive part of your point. Now it has become a ritualistic nag. Give it a rest!!!
Yeah, let’s all focus some positive energy in Cocus’s direction.
On topic: this has been helpful. I’m a relative new fluter (under 25 years). I’ve probably been over-diligent with the swabbing. I live in the humid SE of America, and will probably just set up a flute-stand in a protected corner of the room. Very useful stuff here, folks!
Ok Ok - I got the message.
No more nagging.
Hmmm, I don’t have 25 years of experience & I haven’t posted a clip because I’m a lazy slacker (though you’re probably not missing much). 
That said, I’d like to opine just the same.
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If you’re only going to oil one surface of your flute, pick the inside. That’s where all the scary wet/dry/wet cycles are stressing the wood.
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Standing a flute is good. Leaning a flute against something is bad…stress on the tenons. Be sure it’s standing straight. An inclined surface that supports the entire flute would be best.
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Prolonged periods of assembly will cause pre-mature cork compression and require more frequent cork replacement.
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It’s an Olwell fer cryin’ out loud! Take it apart and swab it!
Sorry, sorry… lost it there for just a minute…ahem…getting composed here…sorry…
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A nice delrin flute would suit your spontaneous tooting needs beautifully.
You could use that for your “quickies” and save the Olwell for your serious daily playing. This advice will, of course, re-open the old “flute monogamy” can of worms… -
All things considered, it may be that intermittent playing for short periods throughout the day would be the ideal environment for a wooden flute.
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Dis-assembly and swabbing really don’t take much time. Maybe you need a case that’s easier to get in and out of or something.
I’d love to hear Terry McGee or Dave Copley or Casey or somebody chime in on this. They’re the guys that get flutes back that have suffered.
Maybe they could tell us yay or nay.
Doc
I don’t want to go too far out on a limb; and I admit this idea might be considered radical or arcane but …
I have a Casy Burns flute. I follow Casey’s care suggestions on his website.
There. I feel so much better now. 
Scandalous!
Doc
I’ve left my flute assembled for a good part of the day, as long as I’m off work, I’m home, and I’m picking it up from time to time to play it. I stand it up, not set it flat.
That’s what I do.
I swab my flute when I put it to bed at nite, and sometimes give the bore a quick run-thru with a lightly oiled rag. I wouldn’t just leave it assembled at all times. (That’s me)
M
(no online tunes ~ 5 years playing)
When I play and water collects in my flute, I simply tip it downwards, plug up all the holes, and blow gently, so as not to risk shifting the cork.
BTW, the water that gets blown out simply adds to the dribble that’s already on the floor, where I have strategically placed absorbent paper towels.
Why complicate the matter?
Enjoy!
PS, I once used sheets of newspaper, but now I can’t remember when I last bought a newspaper.
PPS, metal flutes seem to leak somewhat more, so count your blessings, wood flute fans.
I follow his suggestions, too.
Additionally, he recommended to me that I store my flute in a tupperware since I live in the “arid” south west (where it may never rain but it is foggy 46% of the time). But I don’t keep it in tupperware. Yet.