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RE: Oiling new?

Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-09-16 11:20

Always abide by the manufacturer's stated use and care recommendations for new insttruments. I have not analyzed the exact makeup of Yamaha oil used on-in their clarinets but extraction of oil from scavenged wood indicates that it is a plant derived oil similar to that used by other major manufacturers of wooden clarinets. The Yamaha site shows a person applying oil to the wood by hand in a later stage of manufacturing - not the initial impregnation step which all manufacturers use. The aftermarket bore oil sold by the major manufacturers, including Yamaha, is light mineral oil - not what they use in manufacturing the horns in the beginning.

I have never received a direct answer from any of the manufacturers as to why they sell mineral oil in the aftermarket. My own research indicates to me that mineral oil is not good for the wood and a plant derived oil formulation similar to that used in manufacture of the clarinet should be used. No where, that I have found, in the wood literature (other than to attain a cosmetic shine) is mineral oil used to perserve and nourish wood.

Yes, many players have opinions on oiling, or not oiling wood and what oil to use. I would be happy to listen to any science based information and experiments where mineral oil was used to preserve and add to the longevity, water balance characteristics, resonance characteristics, or other positive aspects of wood treatment. I have in the past enumerated and described my own experiments on the use of plant derived oil formulations for wood. Do as you will, but question the rationale and evidence that mineral oil is a substance that you want to put on your clarinet.
The Doctor

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