Lately I’ve been using a light food-grade mineral oil to oil my kitchen cutting boards and some other unfinished wood things. This one:
Just wondering if this would also be a good instrument oil, since it’s readily available and easy to work with. More a theoretical question, as I don’t have any instruments that need oiling at the moment.
AFAIK the Yamaha bore oil that I use on my flute is mineral oil. I guess it depends on what minerals are in it but I can’t imagine that it would be much different.
I’d like to bring up a couple of points to consider. Bore oils are made for instruments that typically have mouth pieces not made of wood, and typically not oiled. Some bore oils, particularly petroleum based ones can be pretty yucky. Most so called mineral oils are petroleum based. The other thing to consider about any oil is its ability to act as a solvent. A lot of the woods that are used for flutes are high in resins, oils, and terpenes. These are usually noted when you have a reaction to them on contact. Loren in particular has this problem with tropical hardwoods, notably Blackwood and Cocus, both high in terpenes.
My point is this: caution is advisable whenever using any oil, particularly anything ‘new’ to you and your flute. I like to test an oil on my skin independently first. Then to try it on the wood of my instrument in contact with some non-essential patch of skin. Obviously your mucosa are even more sensitive.
Bob
Most so called mineral oils are petroleum based
… I have a slight problem with this statement, (though I appreciate the “so called” caveat). Surely petroleum comes from fossilised plant material and should be considered “non-mineral”, for want of a better term, whereas “true” mineral oil would be silicon-based or similar.
Just my tuppence worth, whilst in a nit-picking mood 
Thanks Bob. I’m sure that info is of general interest, but I’m not sure it helps answer my question whether this particular oil is instrument-suitable compared to almond oil or others I’ve used; or whether anyone else has used this Howard’s oil or equivalent.
The MSDS lists the ingredients as 100% white mineral oil and < 1% Vitamin E. I’ve slathered it all over my hands and arms (and probably lips, inadvertently) in the process of oiling cutting boards and utensils, with no ill effects - as I’d expect from an FDA approved food-grade oil. As for the woods - in my case recorders, not flutes - I’ve been playing some of these instruments for 40+ years, so I think I’d know by now if I had any contact allergies.
Yeah, I naively want to picture squeezing a rock and extracting the juice. Shale oil, maybe, but I don’t think it works that way.
Apparently the Brits insist on calling it “Paraffinum perliquidum”. Well lah di dah, picky picky. 
Apparently the Brits insist on calling it “Paraffinum perliquidum”. Well lah di dah, picky picky. >
Apparently you’ve been misinformed, never heard it called that - paraffin oil or liquid paraffin yes paraffinum perliquidum not everyday useage.
“Well lah di dah, picky picky” is that more latin?
The latin on the contents lists may have something to do with us also using ‘paraffin’ for kerosene.
Apparently, by Wikipedia. To be fair, the reference is to British pharmacologists. And who knows what they’ve been ingesting.
I believe it’s French. The proper spelling would be L’Adidas, pique-y pique-y, meaning approximately “The shoe, stick it there, stick it there!”
FWIW, most commercial lip balms are petroleum based and, to my knowledge, there’s no evidence of negative side effects using it. In fact, pure petroleum jelly is often cited as being a cheaper and safer lip balm than the sticks, which often include other additives that might be less safe.
Selmer Bore Oil says it contains “non-toxic” mineral oil; most oils called mineral oil are, unless ingested in huge quantities, I suppose. I think the Selmer oil makes a pretty decent bore oil, though I don’t personally oil my flutes very often, in any case. So, IMO, if the mineral oil you’re using for a cutting board is 100% mineral oil (no added chemicals that might change the equation), there really shouldn’t be a toxicity problem.
Well, it’s made like other oils, by compressing the substrate and forcing out the oil. Butcher block oil is likely only to be made from poorer quality minerals, whereas flute oil is likely to be made from a 60% granite, 30% fine marble, and 10% unrefined emeralds. Speaking, of which, I need to go pick up some baby oil…
I don’t oil the outside of the head joint (nor the rest of the flute). I do oil in inside of the head joint since it’s not fully lined. I’ve never had a problem with the bore oil yet. In other words, I’m still alive 
And I oil frequently.
Kirk
Finally, an answer that makes sense! I happens that my garden has many more rocks than dirt. So when I run out of this stuff, I’m going to squeeze my own fresh oil. Probably put the rocks through the blender first, to make things easier. I’ll let you know how that works out.
Mineral oil makes a fine oil for flutes…but the type is what’s at issue.
I used mineral oil for many years on the grenadilla wood fifes I grew up playing.
The grade is pharmaceutical, not food-grade.
The issue is rancidity, or the oil actually spoiling or going bad. Same with almond oil.
Pharmaceutical grade is that which is not intended to be ingested.. On your fingers and lips isn’t a problem. Wholesale ingesting it would be.
So…I have a mineral oil “tank” at home (it’s actually a Tupperware for a loaf of bread) in which i submerge my flutes (sans keys of course) for a couple days, stand dry them and then buff dry any excess. Perfect for boxwood. Cocus holds it very nicely too.
I use almond oil on my flutes as the regular oiling, mineral oil as the once-a-year treatment (typically early/late fall, before the drying winter spell).
Hope that helps!
dm
Yes it does, David. Thank you very much!
If I’m not mistaken the only difference between pharmaceutical grade and food grade is the amount of impurities in it. Both are mixtures of C15 to C40 saturated hydrocarbons.
For good information on the different oils and their effects I highly recommend this article by Raymond and Lee Dessy.
Thanks Dave! That looks like a good article.
For years I’ve been using Daniel Smith’s Refined Linseed Oil for the finishing and final oiling of my flutes. I still use it for the finishing of the outside - where I also apply a tiny bit of cyanoacrylate to rush its polymerization. But they seem to have gotten a bad batch and every new tin or bottle has that pst due fishy smell that raw linseed gets when it is turning rancid. I’ve alerted them to the problem.
In the meantime I’ve been using Gamblin’s Cold Pressed Linseed Oil. It has hardly any scent and is a good product. I am using this for the final oiling inside and out and would recommend it highly as a bore oil - as long as it remains relatively odor-free. Its not cheap - I pay about $22 for the small one pint bottles. But this is enough to oil about 20 flutes.
Casey
I’ve just done a kitchen worktop (butchers block) in this (Ronseal antibacterial worktop oil):
The antibacterial bit is from silver.
Interestingly, I don’t think the oil is linseed-based. It is absolutely clear, doesn’t smell of linseed and doesn’t yellow the wood at all. Darkens it a bit, but not that distinctive yellow colour you get with linseed. Not tacky either. I strongly suspect it is mineral-oil-based.
This oil is supposed to be ok for food prep surfaces, so should be safe to use on flutes.
Perhaps…but clearly the distinction is quite important otherwise there’d be no difference.
vOv
dm