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Re: Keeping it humid

Author: Bucky Badger
Date: 2004-03-01 01:24

Now for a piano I can see having the humidity controlled so the string length are not affected and the pitch will float. However why do you want to put a humidifier in the case? I know they make them for $7 but you could get a small container and put a sponge in it and put it in the case. I was not ever tempted to do this for the following reasons:

Reason 1:Putting something moist in a case will cause mildew to form; ever see a case with green and white spots all over it---and there is the odor.

Reason 2:The wood of the oboe is grenadilla wood which is very dense. Cracks are caused less by moisture than sudden temperature changes (i.e. blowing hot air into a cold instrument. Cracks are also caused by stresses in the wood during manufacturing i.e. keywork pins and posts put into the wood; if the stresses are there you may get a crack no matter what you do or don't do.

For the above reasons what I do is put mineral oil on a feather and run it inside the bore. The oil seals the pores of the wood and prevents cracks. This I do every 6 months or so.

Too much humidity will cause mildew and corrosion of keywork, too little humidity will cause dry pads and maybe the pads will not last forever----but they never will anyway.

jim buchholz

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