My wife is a fluter, and plays a Wilkes number. We had a babe 7mths ago, and she has had little time to devote to, or the inclination to play it. I wonder what you may suggest as a care method while she’s not playing it over long periods of time. I just gave it a little swab with Almond Oil, but does the bore need the same, and how regularly should this be done. The flute is kept in the oily rags in a soft leather case in a damp flat.
George Ormiston has the following advice at his site:
"The bore of the instrument, but not the head joint, should be oiled with almond oil once a month, after the flute has dried out completely, and oiling is also recommended for the outside of the flute, including the head joint (around the mouth hole in particular), to protect the wood. This helps to replace the natural oils that are lost through evaporation and during the cleaning process. These oils help to stabilise the wood and therefore help to prevent cracking.
The instrument should never be submitted to extreme changes in temperature or placed in direct sunlight. All woodwind instruments perform best when played regularly, otherwise they tend to ‘dry out’."