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Re: Bore Oiling Interval

Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2017-03-06 18:50

(Disclaimer - I sell a plant based bore oil and genuine Grenadilla oil)
The controversy over whether to oil or not will continue but I feel that there is substantial scientific evidence and my own experimentation that shows that using the proper oil will help maintain the moisture balance in the clarinet wood and the structural integrity and dimensions of the wood over time. Plant oils, like petroleum oils, have a partial atmospheric pressure and will evaporate over time and especially in dry environments. Plant oils also have the ability to bind to water and buffer the inflow and outflow of water from the wood. Ultimately, the dimensions of your instrument can change if too much oil and moisture is lost.

Many people use the wrong bore oil and oils that do not penetrate the wood. Even though some manufacturers do not recommend bore oil, regretfully they still sell clear mineral oil under their own name as bore oil. Petroleum products (although a distant relative of plants) are not good and will harm wood and cork over time.

Old wife's tales persist that bore oil does not penetrate the wood. It is scientifically proven that using the right kinds of plant oils that an oil mixture will deeply penetrate Grenadilla wood and act as similarly to the natural oil found in the wood.

It is also true that different parts of your instrument come from different trees and each piece of wood will have different oiling needs so my advice is to oil the pieces and not necessarily the whole instrument. A test for how much oil should be used is to put a thin layer of a good bore oil on the wood, let it sit overnight and then see if the oil has been absorbed. If it is all absorbed then repeat the process until there is still oil on the surface which can then be swabbed off. Each piece should be treated until the wood has absorbed as much as needed and let the wood tell you its oiling needs.

The need for oil depends on the environmental conditions, your amount of playing, and the properties of each piece of wood in you instrument. My test is if the inside of the top joint is dull and grey and not shiny and black that this is the time to oil. Other wooden parts - barrels, bells, and joints will absorb oil differently and this upper joint test is only for the upper joint.

Oiling is up to the individual to decide but I have over 250 woodwind technicians that have used my oil on customer's instruments over the last 20 years. There are other good plant based oils in the marketplace too.

L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com

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Bore Oiling Interval new

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2017-03-02 21:59