I have a flute made from saffron heart. It has become discolored (dark colored) inside the head joint. Is there a way to clean this without harming the wood?
Thanks!
I have a few questions: Do you know whether the bore was treated with anything by the maker?
Have you used anything on the bore – bore oil, almond oil, linseed, etc?
Does it have a tuning slide?
Dark deposits in light woods can be from oil buildup or from mold/mildew, and likely from other stuff.
I’ve never heard of the wood, nor could I find anything online other than the latin name and another common name (ghittoe). Could you tell us anything about the wood? A pic of the flute would be wonderful, but if you know where it’s from, any characteristics, etc., that would be nice.
Does it also go by the name " Crocus Wood " ?
Chas - I believe it is a native evergreen hardwood found in Australia. Also known as Halfordia Kendack, it was used for making fishing rods before the introduction of fibreglass / carbon fibre. Also known as " Kerosine Wood " because of it’s tendency to go up in flames, due to natural flammable oils in the green wood. ( not the sort of thing you’d want to turn on a lathe before fully seasoned 
)
mgpiper - I would not know about " cleaning it " but would suggest protecting ( unlined head ) as one might with Boxwood, by light occasional oiling with bore oil etc…as chas has advised.
Thanks for the replies - yes, it’s an Australian wood, the maker is Terry McGee. It’s an unlined head joint. I have used almond oil on it as well. I got it used, so I don’t know about what the maker might have done to it.
Have you tried to get in touch with Terry ? Having made the flute I would have thought he would be the best source of advice regarding this wood and its aftercare.
Light coloured woods do tend to darken naturally when they’re oiled, even with a light oil such as almond. At least, my instruments do, and I’m careful about the amount of oil I apply. It usually only affects the bore and doesn’t seep through to the outer, polished surface of the wood - at least, in my experience. You might find a little darkening on the insides of the tone holes, too, but that’s often as much about dirt as it is about oil.
It’s best not to scrape at it in an attempt to remove it; it’ll affect the intonation. I’ve never bothered about it, but if you’re concerned, try contacting the maker.