For years I’ve been using a standard wood turner’s finish of simple raw purified linseed oil “activated” by a few drops of super glue (it jumpstarts the polymerization process). But lately, out of concern of sending flutes from Seattle’s wet climate in the winter to places like Colorado where the indoor humidity is in the single digits, I’ve been varnishing my flutes using an off the shelf polyurethane type varnish. It seems to go well over my linseed oil and superglue finish, and certainly retards the transferring of moisture in and out of the flute wood. I may be violating the fat over lean rules but it seems to work.
Old flutes, including some boxwood Rudalls I have examined, seem to have a shellac based varnish, French polished.
Other makers - do you use anything? I’m curious what others do out there.
Hi,
it depends what timber I use…
On some I use just oils, that means I start with tung oil and then finish with Danish oil and furniture wax to polish it.
On others, I use (after sanding up to 1200 and 0000 wire wool in grain direction) Cellulose Sanding sealer, that I thinned down with nitro cellulose thinners. It’s horrible stuff, BUT it dries quickly, once it’s dry it IS dry, there’s no lingering smell whatsoever and it’s definitely dry, not like Polyurethane that seems to stay somewhat tacky in some cases, which probably has something to do with the natural oils in the timber. On Cocobolo for example it never dried (testpiece that I left for months - still tacky…)
The Sanding sealer can be applied with a brush (that I leave in the glass jar, so I don’t ever have to clean it…and it won’t dry up either) and then the excess wiped off with a rag. Then once it’s dry, I sand it again, just a light sand depending on look, then I use either sanding dealer again, this time spinning in the lathe, or wiping it on very quickly with a rag, that creates a very nice smooth finish. I also use a button polish that I bought years ago in Germany that works a charm. I am not sure if you can still get this (Hallo Steffen, wie geht’s? Alles klar?..) still, but I bought a few litres of it and use about 50ml a year, you don’t need much…
To keep the Danish oil fresh, I hold my blowtorch into the bottle, WITHOUT FLAME of course!, and let some of the gas drive out the air in the bottle, the propane/butane mix is heavier and drives the oxygen out of the bottle, that way it lasts WAY longer…Got this trick from my time doing photo prints in a dark room and we used protection spray from Tetenal to protect our solutions from going off…
I didn’t misread it, but I thought of the r-less version forthwith…
As for Casey’s oiling Q, I’m not really qualified to comment, but observation of my small bits of work on cocus make me wonder if there is any point in oiling/need to oil it at all? The stuff polishes up to a nice gloss on its own (no need for French Polish/shellac preparations) and I have my (unscientific, but I’m sure I’ve read stuff somewhere…) doubts about it actually absorbing anything (except water). As for box and blackwood and other timbers, I really can’t comment.
Actually the flutes get varnished a few days before they mysteriously vanish. Last year 128 of them vanished. This usually takes place at the Post Office.
True, African Blackwood and Cocus propably too (haven’t used cocus myself…) don’t really need oiling, they are pre-oiled by nature really. i just use some Danish oil there to bring out the colour…
Maurice www.reviol.co.nz
Actually, I find that these do need oiling. Especially in the bores where the natural oils get leached out by playing. But I am asking about varnishing the outside here as a finishing technique, not simply oiling it.
From the sounds of it a practice not uncommon in the 19th century is pretty much nonexistent in the 21st, except for a few makers. There are good reasons for applying a layer or layers of varnish. Making the flute more robust in dry climates, as well as keeping the surface clean - especially for boxwood which has a way of picking up dirt.
FWIW, quite a few American flutes from the last third of the 1800’s, to even the first decade or so of the 20th century, were made from true Cuban Cocus, Brya Ebenus. Even some of the more ‘budget’ oriented ones, the four key models with GS keys were made from cocus because there seemed a robust supply in the USA. It’s well known that some people are subject to contact dermatitis from this wood, and a relatively cheap and easy way to seal the wood away from the skin would be the shellac/french polish finish that seemed the vogue.
Little do I know of flutes, but I believe Martin Wenner does a French polish finish on some of his baroque flutes and recorders. Maybe other makers do so as well, but he is the only one I’ve seen to actually state it on his website.
My Wood and Ivy flute has the french polish/shellac style finish. Hard to tell, but I think the bore has been treated as well. Certainly makes for particulary smooth and comfortable handling with just enough “tooth” to not be slippery. Of all the flutes I’ve played this finish seem the most user friendly, at least from a playing standpoint.
Of all the flutes I’ve played this finish seem the most user friendly, at least from a playing standpoint.
. I have to agree with this.Strange to say, to find that there actually is good traction on a flute with a glass like finish. When done properly, the finish looks like a freshly oiled flute. Must be the shellac.
However, I’m still not convinced that this is the ‘best’ way to go. . .if there is such a thing as a ‘best way’.
