 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Bobo
Date: 2007-11-12 19:36
The weather is starting to turn cold and dry (esp. with heat kicking in inside the house). My dampit came with a litmus style humidity card that's supposed to show whether you need the dampit. It comes with contradictory instructions (on the one hand, match the colors to a pink background, on the other hand, look for the grey rectangle which is typically at a higher level). I also notice that the hygrometer in my daughter's violin case, presumably more accurate, shows humidity levels to be close to 50% when the card shows 30-40%. I don't want to overexpose my oboe to humidity either.
Does anybody who uses a dampit have this figured out? Also, any humistat users out there with experience on how best to use that?
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Author: doublereeder2
Date: 2007-11-14 13:03
I use little plastic tube humidifiers I get from a tobacconist. They are meant for pipe tobacco but fit right in my oboe case. I do not keep track of the humidity in the case but usually know when it is dry because reeds don't like it. I keep them in all year round - 2 in the oboe case and at least 4 in my double case. But then Dallas is a fairly dry climate with the a/c on in the summer and the heat in the winter.
The dampits are fairly useless (IMHO) unless you put a lot of them in the case. They also dry out almost every day so you must keep on top of them.
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Author: Bobo
Date: 2007-11-15 13:52
doublereeder2,
you use two humistats in your oboe case? how many vents do you expose? the reason i'm asking is that from what i've read on tobacco websites, the ideal humidity level for cigars is about 70%, which is what those tubes are designed to achieve. my concern is over-humidifying as i've said, which could lead to rusting springs, damp corks, etc.. my understanding is that for woodwind instruments, around 50% is ideal.
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Author: doublereeder2
Date: 2007-11-16 04:45
The two humistats just sit in the reed case slot year round and I just leave them wide open. I have never experienced a rusted spring, damp cork (other than water in a key sometimes when playing) or whatever on my oboes. All I know is that if the humidifiers are not in my case, the oboe does not seem so happy, the wood feels too dry and on my other oboe, the ring would turn.
In my double case, I keep 4 humistats spread about, mostly close to the two top joints and two damp sponges in the reed case slots. Oh yes - and in the very dry winter, I also put a damp sponge in the oboe case in addition to the humidifiers.
Hmm - I guess this sounds excessive - but it works for me. I have no idea what the humidity level might be. But - since the instrument cases are not airtight, how would the humidity level be measured anyway?
When I buy a new oboe or EH, I put even more humidity in the case and put the case in a plastic bag to try to avoid cracking. I live in a dryer climate than you, Bobo... so I can only address my experiences here.
When I lived in Florida, I used no humidification in the cases and after rehearsals or whatever would set my reeds on little paper clip/pipe cleaner thingys I attached around a lampshade to dry them. Different needs in different climates.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-11-16 13:26
<<But - since the instrument cases are not airtight, how would the humidity level be measured anyway?>>
Very salient point.
I have from time to time kept a humistat and a hygrometer in my various oboe and/or clarinet cases, and another one (hygrometer) in the practice room. What I have noticed is that the humidity inside the case is always just the same as the ambient humidity of the room.
It may be that a room humidifier would be a better choice than a case humidifier. (We have a whole-house humidifier attached to our furnace. I can indeed tell the difference when it is working or not working -- it malfunctioned one winter, and we all felt it, including the instruments.)
Susan
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Author: Bobo
Date: 2007-11-16 15:06
call me a nerd, but i looked up some weather data at...
http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/ccd/relhum98.html
according to the data, nyc is less humid than dallas. Dallas is apparently almost as humid as southern Florida (i agree, that's hard to believe, and there's probably much more use of indoor heating). Anyway, you do what works! I'll start throwing those thingamagigs in my cases.
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Author: doublereeder2
Date: 2007-11-16 20:38
WOW!!! Great info :-) I never would have guessed that!
>>according to the data, nyc is less humid than dallas. Dallas is apparently almost as humid as southern Florida (i agree, that's hard to believe, and there's probably much more use of indoor heating).<<
Hmmm - I guess it is whatever works then.
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