I got a good make (Glenn Shultz) wooden whistle awhile back and one of the previous owners used a bore oil on it that went bad. Now it smells like the French Fry trailer at a really cheap carnival. How can I get the smell out? I’ve been letting it air out for some time now, hoping that the smell would dissapate, but with no luck. Help!
Thanks,
Paul N.
I’d suggest first trying swabbing it out with rubbing alcohol, which will get out most oils. If that doesn’t work, find some pure acetone and swab it out with that. Both of these carry the possibility of drying the wood out some, so I would suggest putting the whistle in a humidifier after swabbing them out (it’s a good idea in your climate in the winter anyway). The acetone will also draw oil out of the wood, so after it’s been humidified overnight, you should oil it again. Glenn advised either pure almond oil or a mixture of one part almond to four parts extra light olive.
What kind of wood is it?
Also, as I understand, isn’t it recommended to add vitamin E to the almond oil to prevent the rancidity problem from recurring?
Do not use a food grade almond oil, or food grade olive oil. Food grade oils are the ones that will go rancid. Non food grade oils can be found at health stores, and some drug stores (CVS) for skin care. Seems like clarinet bore oil from a music store would be OK also. I would try cleaning it with a non food grade oil before using alcohol or acetone.
Could also try putting it in a plastic box with lid and an open box of baking soda for a week or so. There is also a powder that removes odor but I don’t remember the name of it. Taxidermist use it to remove odor from skins. It is more effective than baking soda.
This is why I prefer mineral oil. It doesn’t go rancid and there’s no worry about allergies.
I got rid of cigarette smell in a blackwood whistle by putting a coffee bag in it over night. I repeated it one more time and it has not returned. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try it. I do use food-grade almond oil with vitamin D in it and I haven’t had any problems.
Yup, that’s Glenn’s exact recipe. I’ve been using it ever since I started making whistles and it works fine. A couple of drops of Vitamin E oil in a small bottle of almond/olive mix is sufficient.
You might be able to get some of the old surface oil out using 0000 steel wool as a swab. Be VERY careful around the blade area of the head section though. Then re-oil with the recipe that Guru posted.
You can also add a couple drops of scented oil to the mix if you want to try to cover it up. Something natural and woody like Sandalwood would be nice. Don’t overdo it though.
BTW-- to paraphrase Dave Barry, wouldn’t Rancid Bore Oil be a great name for a rock band? I’m thinking heavy metal Celtic/Punk… 