 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2002-11-12 23:00
After searching through this BB as well as the www, and reading almost everything written about bore oil. I have concluded that the doctor has the "hands down" best bore oil in existence. But, before committing to a purchase I need answers to 2 questions;
1) What is its shelf life?
2) Storage requirements?
Mark
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-11-13 13:26
Dear Mark,
With each formulation or change in raw materials supplier I conduct accelerated stability tests on the oil. These test procedures are common practice in the drug industry and involve putting multiple samples at various, but increasing temperature points ( -20 degrees C, 0 degrees C, 4 degrees C, 10 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C and 40 degrees C) and then pulling and analyzing samples at various time points. All samples are stored at -20 degrees C (base point) and then run in one analysis run (removes the run to run variability factor). From the analytic values a statistical formula is applied (Ahrenius curve fitting) and stability of the material can be estimated over time using standard statistical formulas.
As with any good drug or food product I keep temporal quality control samples from each lot of bore oil produced and test and inspect them at predetermined intervals for evidence of oxidation, rancidity, absorption characteristics, etc., etc.. I use a special blend of purified antioxidant compounds (not Vitamin E which is only a fair antioxidant in plant derived oils) which have proven to be both protective of oxidation and long lived, as well as a proprietary mixture of emulsifying agents that keeps the oil types miscible.
To answer your question - the shelf life of the oil (protected from temperature extremes <0 degrees C, >30 degrees C and exposure to direct sunlight) is many years. Accelerated stability tests of the current formulation indicate no significant change at 5 years nominal storage (greater shelf life if the oil is stored at 4 degrees C). Since I have only been making the oil in commercial batches for 5 years (small experimental test run data samples have remained stable without significant changes for 7 years) there is only temporal stability data for that period. There has been no significant change at >2.5% (three standard deviation rule of analytical sensitivity) in the useful properties (as defined by oxidation, rancidity, absorption characteristics, etc.) after 5 years storage at nominal temperature range 15 degrees C to 25 degrees C.
I hope that this fully explains my test procedures and the synopsis results. Thanks for asking the hard questions - perhaps someone should ask the other woodwind care products makers the same questions?
The Doctor
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-11-13 13:56
BTW - I just conducted a casual temporal stability study on the competitors bore oil - I had a neighbor's grandchild visiting and used baby oil (mineral oil sold as bore oil)on her bottom that was left over from my daughter (who is now 25 years)and it seemed to work well!!
The Doctor
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-11-13 14:14
Not knowing the degree of antioxidant protection in my Almond and Apricot oils, I store them in a refrigerator, not the freezer section, at a set temp of 36F +/- a couple [its an on/off control system!!] . OK, Doc?, Don
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-11-13 14:54
Dear Don,
Plant derived oils ususally benefit from storage at cooler temperatures - 36F sounds fine. My bore oil is a mixture of several types of oils, emulsifiers, and antioxidants so the parallel is not exactly the same - this is why I test it. I guess that I wonder what happens when a single oil with unknown antioxidant potential is used on the wood and exposed to higher temperatures and greater surface area oxidation potential. I am however a geat believer in: "if it works for you that's fine" doctrine for everyone.
The Doctor
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-11-13 15:11
Not knowing the degree of antioxidant protection in my Almond and Apricot oils, I store them in a refrigerator, not the freezer section, at a set temp of 36F +/- a couple [its an on/off control system!!] . OK, Doc?, Don {If this is a 2nd post, Mark, please delete. D]
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2002-11-13 21:54
Doctor,
Thanks for your response. This puts your credibility (as well as your product) an immeasurable distance above everyone else. You sold me, and I can be a real pain. Congrats.
Mark
P.S.
I am currently restoring a Silver King (with the double wall barrel and bell). Can't wait to hear it. It's supposed to be loud. On a Vandoren M15 mouthpiece and a #4 reed it could be a weapon of mass destruction, or, at least hold it's own against the brass.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-11-14 02:48
for those of us that live in a metric world
this is an EXCELLENT place to go if you want to convert just about anything to anything.
http://microimg.com/science/
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-11-14 03:54
Sorry Diz, we "English" holdouts just don't think! My 36 F, I believe, is about +2 to 4 C, just above freezing [of water]. I for one would like metric to be universal, but our being cursed with "reluctance to change", it wont be in my lifetime. Don
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