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Re: Humidifying clarinets

Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2010-05-24 19:31

(Disclaimer - I sell plant derived bore oil and genuine Grenadilla oil)
Clark, I am a believer in - whatever works for you - but I have a couple thousand players and lots of technicians that have used my plant derived bore oil with no complaints about untoward results.

I also believe that you should let the wood transpire (be able to move moisture in and out) and not attempt to seal the wood of the bore from moisture - because you won't be able to do it completely and some areas therefore will be more wet than their neighbors inducing stresses.

The wonderful thing about plant oils is that Nature designed them to interact with water, and although oils, they are able to add shells of water to their outside hydrophilic triglycerides and removal takes a fair amount of energy. The last layer of water (layer of hydration) takes a huge amount of energy to remove. In this way plant oils buffer the water balance in the wood from large swings in moisture content. If the wood is allowed to transpire it can compensate for moisture differences.

Each part of your clarinet probably came from a different tree and therefore has different oiling and water needs and therefore I oil pieces and not the whole clarinet. Some clarinets never need oiling while others loose oil more quickly. You have to become intimate with your clarinet and know all of its moods and conditions.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com

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