Proper tenon oiling/maintenance

Irish Flute
1

I’m getting back into playing the flute after a twelve-year hiatus. I got my blackwood flute (a Hamilton keyless D) yesterday. Woohoo!

After reading what feels like every page on the Internet that deals with oiling a flute, I have a question:

I apologize whole-heartedly to my flute for showing its nether-regions in public, but I hope this is a recognizable pre-caffeinated representation of a lengthwise cross-section of a tenon/joint.

I understand that Rule #1 is to keep oil off the cork. Do you oil the inside of the female socket? If you let the oil have some time to soak in and then swab it down after a [half hour? couple hours?] will the oil affect the cork?

Heck, for that matter, and given the very thin blackwood under the cork, do you oil THAT or will that have repercussions on the cork?

Both of my previous wooden flutes were bulkier rosewood/boxwood and had threaded tenons that were relatively forgiving.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Troy

2

Cool!

in answer to all of the questions…“ask Hammy”

3

You’re not supposed to get oil on the cork??? I’ve never heard that… I always get oil on my cork - hasn’t seemed to have any ill effects, however.

Pat

4

Thanks Denny :slight_smile: I’ve fired Hammy off a note!

I think my idea of that came from this:

http://www.firescribble.net/flute/maintain.html

It suggests that you put tape over the cork to protect it. Other pages I’ve read suggest that it has a deleterious effect on either the cork or its ability to adhere to the flute timber.

I’m just scared to do anything to the flute lest I do something Very Bad as a result of My Gargantuan Ignorance. :slight_smile:

5

For the record, the kind Mr. Hamilton guided me through my ignorance. :slight_smile: Paraphrasing heavily (and posting to provide a bit of closure):

No, there’s no real need to oil the inside of the female end of a joint.
Yes, you should oil the inside of the bore on the male end of the joint. (Which, in hindsight, seemed to be a question that answers itself. :smiley: Oil the bore! What about this bit of bore? Oil the bore!)