G’day all,
Its Summer here in Australia and those of us who live on the East Coast have copped over six weeks of rainy, humid weather…leather boot etc. have gone mouldy…mosses and lichens are on all the trees and a bloke feels ‘clammy’ and ‘sticky’ all the time…YUK !!
I left my flute unplayed for two days,on the kitchen table,and spots of mould appeared on it. Its a 3 piece Timber flute made from Gidgee,a species of Wattle and I use Almond Oil on it…
I also have a 1/2 set of Uilleann Pipes made from the same timber and when I pulled them out of the case,there was a film of sticky, oil like ‘glug’ all over the Chanter and stocks and a bit on the flute as well..
I’d like to get rid of this stuff but it’s proving a bit stubborn..I tried some Methylated Spirits and also a timber polishing fluid and it hasnt moved it..
I’ve oiled the Chanter once with Almond Oil and the stocks etc. have been oiled maybe 3 or 4 times…
Would anyone have any tips on how to clean off the glug ???
Thanks…weedie…
I’ll post this on the Uilleann Pipe section as well
I’d ask 
(click pic to PM or Email)
But isn’t it great after 6 years of drought! Viva La Nina!
I left my flute unplayed for two days,on the kitchen table,and spots of mould appeared on it. Its a 3 piece Timber flute made from Gidgee,a species of Wattle and I use Almond Oil on it…
I also have a 1/2 set of Uilleann Pipes made from the same timber and when I pulled them out of the case,there was a film of sticky, oil like ‘glug’ all over the Chanter and stocks and a bit on the flute as well..
I’d like to get rid of this stuff but it’s proving a bit stubborn..I tried some Methylated Spirits and also a timber polishing fluid and it hasnt moved it..
I’ve oiled the Chanter once with Almond Oil and the stocks etc. have been oiled maybe 3 or 4 times…
Would anyone have any tips on how to clean off the glug ???
Hmmm, I don’t have much experience with almond oil, but I remember having a similar experience with peanut oil I tried once. I used it because I read somewhere museums like it because it has a neutral pH. Don’t believe everything you read!
I remember it oozed out later and became gummy. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it. Both of these are non-drying, vegetable oils. I prefer to use either linseed oil (but it takes forever to dry) or the commercial bore oils sold by the woodwind companies (which are mineral based and won’t go gummy). Tung oil and walnut oil, which are drying oils, might also be worth a try.
Now meths doesn’t do much for disolving fats, so I think you are going to have to go more industrial to get the almond oil gunk off. I’d try acetone,a vailable at hardware stores. Not good to breathe or handle so rubber gloves and outside. You might need to get mechanical with it - fine steel wool rubbed along the grain will help, especially if used in conjunction with the solvent. Be careful not to round the blowing edge of the embouchure! It will remove the satiny finish on the wood, but don’t worry, that will quickly come back with handling and time.
Best of luck!
Terry
The Acetone has done the trick and removed the gum..thanks Terry,
I was a bit hesitant about using such an agro substance as Acetone,so after removing it,the compassionate side of me kicked in and I feel felt sorry for my ‘dry’ flute and Pipes,so I just had to give them a light oil with a natural furniture oil called O Cedar..I wiped off all the excess O Cedar immediately, and wiped some more over the next few hours…the timber now looks magnificent…
Like Terry, I use linseed oil, too, but be sure to use a cold-pressed oil, sometimes known as “artist” grade oil, and NOT the stuff available at hardware stores, which I think is known as “boiled” linseed oil.
Unfortunately, however, it, too, can develop glug or sludge over time, and to remove that I have quite successfully used pure gum turpentine, inside the flute and out, but be sure to get pure gum turpentine, no substitutes.
quote]Its Summer here in Australia and those of us who live on the East Coast have copped over six weeks of rainy, humid weather…leather boot etc. have gone mouldy…mosses and lichens are on all the trees and a bloke feels ‘clammy’ and ‘sticky’ all the time…YUK !! [/quote]
I hope those pipes I sent out to your friends will be ok with all that change in humidity, weedie. I live in Upstate New York and its cold and dry up here. If you talk to the before the pipes come in can you please warn them? Mebbe let them sit in the box for a day or two so that they can adjust gradually.