I was thinking about the wood, the porosity, the air, the moisture, the oil and how everything interacts. I was thinking also about the old railway wood and the treatments against rot. The ones in which the wood is submerged in hot oil or something similar and “fried”. As far as I know the temperature was used in the past to harden the wood.
Could be a wood fried , for example, in beeswax in order to obtain interesting qualities to make a flute. I mean fried throughly, the wax in each and every pore of the wood, and a lot of temperature to harden it a bit and blablabla…?
What do you think about it?
I dont have time nor equipmet now to make the test but I would be very happy if this idea inspires somebody to try it.
That’s an interesting idea with potential. But aren’t lathes fun enough to keep clean as it is?
Frying maybe not. However, microwaving is done to preshrink/destress wood. Works well for boxwood and fruitwoods, not so well for blackwood. Basically the flute body is roughed out leaving about 20-30% more wood than the final product. The end grain is sealed and the parts are then microwaved on low for some time. Then immersed in water afterwards. In about a month then they are ready to use.
There are commercial outfits that pressurize steam wood to relax and cure it. European Pear is stabilized this way commonly.
As to impregnating wood some of the recorder manufacturers impregnate maple with paraffin. Again the oils in blackwood not to mention the density of this and boxwood would inhibit takeup thus it nevcer gained practice. Simply oiling with warm linseed oil seems to work the best in my shop.
Casey
Hi Casey,
Would this work on 2 year old Boxwood? I have a log of European Boxwood that I got from Gilmers, still has the moss on it. I hear that this also helps nuetralize the pressure in the wood that gives it the tendency to warp?
You are the KING of boxwood, afterall. 
Hi Jon,
Theoretically yes it would. Try it and see. I’ve seen that pile of Turkish boxwood and wondered how wet it was. Next time I visit there I’ll bring my Mini-Ligno.
I’ve done this procedure successfully with wet fruitwood and Olive wood.
Speaking of boxwood this (see below) was in my email this morning. I am not interested as I have enough boxwood for now but someone else out there might be.
Casey
Hello:
I was told this wood is excellent for handmade flutes.
I am preparing to trim back two large boxwood bushes in my front yard- They
are about 18 feet in height. Each having about 6-8 large branches coming
from the base. Diameters range from 2inch to 3.5 inch. I believe these are
american boxwoods and not english.
THe leaves are dark green and theare not round in shape.
I am writing to determine if you would have an interest in purchasing this
wood in its raw state. I would cut to maximize the sizes and then wax the
ends.
If you are not interested, perhaps you may know of someone else. Please use the email below to
Regards,
James Michael Marr
oneartist@erols.com
Thanks for the information.
Gilmers say the boxwood has been drying for about 2 years. The half log I go is pretty good diameter, about 5". I don’t think it is curly like that box you got a couple of years ago.
I hear that the microwaving stabalizes the boxwood, I have done this with apricot wood, when it cooks, smells just like apricots! You do have to microwave it slow, it can burn from the inside out.