Author: jhoyla
Date: 2010-03-11 07:14
I use a silk swab, because it goes all the way through and out the other side. I have not yet found a cotton swab that does this. I pull the swab slowly 2-3 times until it stops "creaking" and runs smoothly. Silk does not "soak up" water the way cotton does, but it certainly wicks it up (use a dropper on your silk swab to prove this) and dries rapidly.
I oil my instruments at multi-year intervals, based on the condition of the wood - if it still looks good I don't bother. I oil only the bell, and allow my normal swabbing procedures to spread tiny amounts through the bore over the subsequent few weeks.
The jury is still out about oiling. There are some who soak their instruments in oil, and some who never, ever, ever oil. If in doubt, don't do it, since soaking the inside of the instrument with oil can only add to the stresses that can cause cracking (though temperature extremes are the No. 1 culprit here).
J.
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