Dear gordon
I dont know whats in bicycle oil. All I know is that you can purchase it in small tins with a long spout. Mainly from shops like Halfords. A similar oil over here is called 3 in one It is a very thin and pure oil.
Interesting you should mention the linseed oil. I remember my father acutally heating it up and leaving his flute in it overnight. If effect giving it a hot bath.
I also had a flute that had the bore polished with carnabua wax. It looked like a sheet of black glass. Needless to say i never had to oil that one.
I also had a japanese flute that had some sort of laquer in the bore.
Another good oil for sealing the flute is Behandala oil. That is a bit like linseed only it dries harder.
There are numerous other oils that are suitable for this task . I suppose it depends on the nature of the wood as to which oil may be more suitable than another.
I would be interested to know what other oils players use and what type of wood their flute is made from
Does anybody use Tung oil ? Perhaps it is too tough. I have often wondered about using it for varnish making instead of linseed oil .I sometimes think I should get a big bath of oil and throw all my flutes in until such time as I might want one -No more nasty surprises perhaps .
A very decent guy, whose name reflects his personality. A somewhat unorthodox instrument builder, and a good Sweet flute is an outstanding instrument for the price.
Gordon, I’m surprised at you! Any New Yorker worth his salt would know that was a DeNiro quote, not Pacino!
Over the years, I’ve used mineral oil, bore oil, linseed oil, almond oil and the Bore Doctor stuff. There are a handful of fifers who swear by the Bore Doctor oil, but I don’t know if it’s any better than the rest of the stuff, and it’s pretty expensive. I don’t like linseed oil because of the build-up. I’m now back to almond oil, which I get at a beauty supply place (with vitamin E already added). If you’re looking in a health food store, remember to look not in the food area, but in the health and beauty products area. Almond oil does need to be applied more frequently than any of the others, but I happen to enjoy the time spent taking care of my instruments. What can I say - I have a bit of a compulsive streak.
Gordon, I’m surprised at you! Any New Yorker worth his salt would know that was a DeNiro quote, not Pacino!
Almond oil does need to be applied more frequently than any of the others, but I happen to enjoy the time spent taking care of my instruments. What can I say - I have a bit of a compulsive streak. [/quote]
Quite right, Jim, but then, real New Yorkers don’t need to delve into local cinematic mystique, either. Otherwise, what can I say? A method-actor mental slip? I’ve lived here most of my life, but perhaps my head, or heart, is somewhere far away, and a lot quieter…
I’ve gone back pretty exclusively to almond, as well, and much for the same reasons, particularly on my boxwood flute, which absorbs it in a satisfying, likes-to-be pampered way. Almond on the blackwood is fairly unsatisfying, as it’s wiped on and there it sits, but that’s true of all oils on the blackwood.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I finally bought a bottle here today up in Jacksonville at Native Sun Health Food Store for about $5 and it’s sweet almond oil with vitamin E added. Never knew this one topic would sprout so tall!
Some related advice from J.J. Quantz’s treatise ‘On playing the Flute’,published in 1752 ;
“Since harmful moisture forms in the Flute when it is blown,it must be frequently and carefully cleaned with a rag attached to a little stick.And so that the moisture is not absorbed by the wood,it must be smeared occasionally with oil of almonds.”
Quantz knew nothing of vitamin E of course!.
