A friend of mine had her elderly father move in with her recently. Her father brought with him “about 12” (her words) old wooden flutes, and it’s up to her to care for them because he is unable (suffering from a degenerative disease). She knows that I play “flute” (she calls whistles “flutes”) and she asked me if she could just put them in a cardboard box in the attic until she decideds what to do with them. I told her I’d get back to her.
All the flutes I’ve played’ve been metal or bamboo so I’ve never dealth with wooden flute storage. We live in a place where summers are very hot and sometimes dry, and winters are blizzardy and very cold. Her father just moved here from Florida, which is a lot different in terms of climate.
What should I tell her?
Also, she asked me about his fiddles. Apparently he has a lot of them too. I don’t think they’re as sensitive as the flutes?
Storing them in a cardboard box in the attic might not be such a good idea. Flute care is a bit more complicated than that, and having 12 to care for might be a a little too much for her to handle. WHich is why I’d suggest she send them to me. I will care for them, she won’t even have to pay me. I might even pay the postage!
That’s the good deed of the day ladies and gents.
Seriously though, she better get some help with those if she doesn’t want to learn about flute care herself, or she’ll end up with a bunch of cracked flutes.
A big tupperware/other airtight plastic container would be better than cardboard, and something (say, a dampened sponge or similar) should probably be added to keep humidity at the right level. But I thought that humidity was actually high in the summer in your parts, rather than low . . .
In arid conditions, Tupperware-and-sponge is fine, but you’d need to air them preferably daily. Mildew is otherwise likely to set in, and that’s not something you’d want.
Normally fiddles ought to be humidified in arid times, too.
Still, all this depends on where and when, seasonally speaking, they were made. If I’d had any sense, I’d’ve had my flute and cittern made somewhere drier than Seattle and Dublin!
General rule of thumb is that if the humidity is below 45%, start humidifying.
Generally, East of the Mississippi, in the Summer, you won’t have to humidify any wooden instrument, unless you keep it in a room that has a dehumidifier running, or maybe in central air that is on all the time (but still may be OK in central air if your room is about 45% or above-likely in Summer). So, a cardboard box would probably be fine until heating season, if you’re on the Eastern side of the US.
And the attic isn’t the best place with the heat unless it’s very well ventilated with a fan, etc. Keep it out of South facing rooms if they get very hot, and not in the basement either, so mold and mildew can form.
The biggest concern in the Eastern half of the US is when the dryer weather comes, like times of no rain (long draughts), and in Fall when the heat is turned on. Then you need to humidify your stringed wooden instruments when humidity goes below about 40%, and in case of flutes, a little higher (humidify when it is maybe 50% humidity or below) would be helpful.
The basic idea is that wood shrinks when it is too dry, and will warp and crack. Glue joints in the stringed instruments will also dry out, and it will start to open around the seams and joints too.
It also would probably be a good idea if the flutes were oiled too. Maybe someone they trust could look at them and see if they are of value, and help with the care needed, like a College Music teacher or wooden flute teacher (or Chiff member ) in your area. They might have some instruments that are worth taking very good care of, instead of letting them go to neglect, and ruin any value they may have in good condition. So a professional they can trust should probably be sought.
West of the Mississippi? Arid areas like the Southwest, Humidify! And, be sure of what you are doing, because you need a LOT of moisture compared with the low humidity in the air. Pacific Northwest, same as the Eastern half of the US. The rest of the West? I dunno! It really depends on the area’s rainfall and humidity.
Humidity is high now, but some times (especially later on in the summer, when the forest fires come in) it gets very low and dry quickly. Maybe I have the concept of “humidity” backwards, if so just reverse everything.
Speaking as a former museum curator, I can tell you that in most houses attics and basements are the absolute worst place you can store anything of value, except perhaps old china. They are too hot in summer, too cold in winter (attics), prone to damp and floods (basements) and generally highly unstable environments for anything that is sensitive to temperature and humidity: wood, paper, photographs, textiles, paintings, etc. etc.
The heat in most attics would melt the glue in the violins in summer, and the cold and dry would crack the wood in winter. Flutes don’t have glue, but they would also be liable to cracking in that environment.
The best place to keep the instruments would be in a normal room in the house, preferably not against an outside wall. A humidifyer would be a nice touch in winter, although if the flutes are not being played they may be OK since they won’t be subject to rapid fluctuations in humidity (that’s the real killer). In the museum world, we used to be very strict – and still are for the finest stuff – but we’ve also come to realize that many things have survived for years without being in a perfect environment. The real killer is rapid change. If the cycles in temperature and humidity are slow and seasonal most things will be reasonably OK.
It’s a balancing act between the optimal and the possible, and you have to take into account the value of the instruments, the resources of the owner, the nature of the house etc. etc. etc.
Amen. How do you think all those flutes that are found in Aunt Esther’s barn survive so long (at least until we heavy breathers get a hold of 'em!)?
And Mr. Malcomb, what do you mean by “POLYAMOUROUS FLUTIE?” (tho’ I suppose it’s better then “pollyanna flutie!” )
Cran, I know where you live, heh-heh, and yes, the flutes should be fine in the summer especially – if she’s got the A/C turned down to 50 and it gets really dry in there maybe not so much, but otherwise …
Like Kate said, it’s the sudden changes that “shock” them that can cause warping or splitting.
So here’s Cathy’s $10 flute storage system:
Tell your friend to get one or two big cheap Sterilite totes (they have little holes under the molded-in handles so stuff can breathe) at Wal-Mart. Put the flutes inside. Cut a sponge in half and soak it; then put it in the Ziploc bag, and don’t zip the zipper. Set the bag on top of the stack of flute cases (zipper up, of course), snap the lid shut, and Bobsyer.
I’d suggest NOT storing the totes in direct sunlight, an attic, or a basement. Again, as Kate said, it’s the extremes that are tough on the little guys.
Finally, if you do decide to give them a whirl, take them out of the box and let them get to room temperature before playing. If you’re in 35-degree A/C as is so popular here in Kentucky, you may want to try to find a 60- or 70-degree room to play in for yours and the flute’s sake.
Then, if they haven’t been played in a while, don’t play them too much (say, no more than ten minutes each) for a few weeks. Again, if the wood’s dry the sudden infusion of condensation from your breath can cause it to expand too fast and warp or split.
(Oiling with almond oil or light food-grade mineral oil can help “waterproof” the wood a bit; it’s a good idea to do this before any heavy playing is undertaken)
As for fiddles, my fiddle-playing fella does nothing special with his and the strays he collects for his students other than avoid extreme temperatures, sudden temperature changes, and of course, direct sunlight.
I think that’s about it. Good luck to your friend, her dad, and yourself! Also, if her dad likes to play Irish music, post a note and I can at least put him in touch with the Lexington and Richmond contingent.
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