Maybe somebody here has an idea that could help me? I bought a Ward mopani keyless wood flute and have been breaking it in for a week now. This morning there was some perspiration under my lip when I played (10 minutes) and noticed it lightened the wood and caused the wood to raise ever so slightly. I put a little almond oil on the outside of the flute after an hour. The wood did turn dark again. Four hours later it still feels a bit raised or ruff but you can’t tell visually. Do I wait until it goes back to smooth again, if it will (pray it doesn’t crack, which it hasn’t yet) ? Just a bit worried that I might have damaged my flute. I love this flute. The seller is not the maker and I cannot find contact info for Paddy Ward. I’ve searched thru several makers web sites not finding a clear solution. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
janmarie
His site says
Please email Paddy via the “contact & order” button above for further details.
No contact button . I can miss the obvious sometimes though. Thanks,
Janmarie
Stop - you’re both right (or wrong). No Contact Button but tucked into the text is the following, "For further information please contact me at wardflutes (at) hotmail (dot) com " [Address adjusted to foil spambots]
Best wishes.
Steve
that is a stunning example of good web design…
or stunned example perhaps.
Nice of the geek to forget to replace one of 'em with the Click the button I didn’t code…
thanks Steve, email done!
janmarie
Don’t hold your breath on hearing back from Paddy. He makes fantastic flutes, I have one, but isn’t all that prompt on e-mail communication.
In my experience, the grain raising that you have experienced due to moisture swelling is irreversible, but not critical. My Ward flute does not have a fully lined head. If your’s is the same, or even if lined, I doubt that you will have any cracking potential from this minor surface swelling. Most likely a bit of 800 or 1200 grit sandpaper, or even some 00 stainless steel will take care of the roughness. One of the makers (sorry don’t remember which, maybe either Casey or Terry) has written in the past about a similar roughening in the bore of their flutes which they remove after initial finishing. Just be careful you keep away from the embochure.
If you got that flute from Doc Jones I think I remember seeing it on his site. You got a very good deal.
Best of luck
Latticino, yes, mine is the one Doc Jones offered and I think it is fantastic too. The head is fully lined. Thank you for pointing out for me that this isn’t critical. A true assurance. Think I’ll wait a few months before I try the sandpaper. Bet if I had oiled it first this wouldn’t have happened.
Thanks again so much,
janmarie
Erm, might I suggest that you not use steel wool? If you go this route, please try to find Bronze wool. This is generally available through marine supply houses. Occasionally you can find it at wood shops selling fine finishing products. The steel wool will leave tiny fragments which may well rust and discolor the wood.
The higher grades of “sand” paper can be found in automotive parts shops where the paint and refinish products are kept. One thousand grit or higher should be fine. After buffing the area a cloth moistened with almond oil will clean up any residue.
Check with Paddy, but I am confident that you can ‘buff-down’ the raised grain with little chance of changing any critical dimensions.
Bob
If it doesn’t seem like it needs immediate care, I would not try immediate actions personally. The person that made the flute knows it best and hopeful can help you, even with additional waiting.
I appreciate so much everyone’s support here. Thank you. Playing this morning was a dream again.
Not necessarily. I had a dogwood flute that was pressure-treated with linseed oil, and on top of that I oiled it myself, including before I played it. The wood where my lower lip made contact swelled anyway. But dogwood’s thirsty stuff. In any case the swelling was only noticeable if you looked really hard, and it didn’t affect playability in the slightest.
As has been mentioned by others here, it oughtn’t be a playing issue, merely cosmetic. Think of it as part of the charm of natural materials. I would hesitate to alter anything unless I were trained to do so; but I’m wondering, has anyone sanded the swell down? Might it be that, after sanding, left unplayed in arid weather it might “right” itself as it desorbs and you end up with a slight concavity? Or would this be closer to sanding down raised grain where that’s all there is to it?