The weather is humid and cold, does it make sense to take care of your wooden tool?
I observe three groups of people who:
- oil woodwinds regularly, believing in slowing down wood degradation
- do not oil out of conviction because it has a better sound
- do not oil because they generally do not take care of the tool for various reasons…
What is the purpose of oiling?
When playing a wind instrument, along with the energy we supply to the blown air, we also exhale an aerosol, which is a heterogeneous mixture of small solid or liquid particles in a gas. When inhaling 2l of air and holding for 5 seconds, the exhaled air contains 90% aerosol deposition. This aerosol includes, among others, substances: water, enzymes, minerals. The aerosol condenses in the instrument and the mentioned substances react with the wall of the wooden instrument. The wall begins to be subject to decomposition, for example due to various fungi. The surface thus withers and over time is able to absorb more moisture faster. This results in an increase in volume, one of the causes of wood cracking.
If the instrument is in a very dry environment most of the time, it tends to shrink. Thus, an inward force is created. Considering that the instrument is played at the same time and this wood is able to absorb more moisture, in other words to gain in volume, which means a force acts from the center of the instrument outwards. In this case, two forces act against each other, and since these forces cannot be released into space, they can result in a rupture.
Different temperatures. The heat in general causes the wood to expand, while the cold analogously forces the wood to contract. Thus, if we take the instrument in a very cold environment and start playing it, the outer layers of the instrument tend to contract and expand at the same time due to the internal action of the supplied hot and humid air.
By the sum of both effects, the difference between humidity and temperature then increases the probability of cracking, especially in the upper part of the wooden tool, because there is a continuous formation and release of the mentioned forces.
Coming back to the question of oiling, it turns out that the treatment of the wooden body from the outside and inside is a certain form of crack prevention.
Another factor that can have a negative impact on the quality of the tool is the choice of suitably dried wood. Due to the fact that each wood dries after harvest and changes its volume and length, as well as it dries unevenly, its many years of preparation are absolutely essential. I will mention for example Mpingo (Dalbergia melanoxylon, african blackwood), which is mostly used for the production of clarinets and oboes. Transverse drying 2.9%, longitudinal 4.8%, bulk 7.7%.
How to oil?
It is necessary to mention that any wood with a density of about 1200 kg / m3 is not possible to "oil" at least a little without the use of pressure and heat. The goal of the tool treatment is not deep penetration, but regular surface treatment and mitigation of moisture permeability or prevention of excessive drying and prevention of degradation of the homogeneity of the interior of drilled parts (surface and dimensional). In practice, this means achieving a continuous oil film over the entire surface of the instrument.
| % moisture expression at 20-22 ° C | Signs of change in untreated grenadillo | Recommendation |
| 51%> | Saliva can leave signs of action on the surface of the internal borehole. Flaps and cushions are relatively stable. | Oil 3-4 times a year, more if signs of saliva are noticeable. |
| 31-50% | Drying resulting in dimensional changes. (Barrel cannot be fitted) Wood is more prone to cracking and signs of play or jamming of the flaps appear. If the pads are not seated properly, leaks may occur due to drying out and changes in shape and size. | Oil after 3-6 weeks. |
| 21-30% | Regular jamming or greater clearance between the posts. Dimensional instability, drilling deformation, greater cracking and cushion leaks. | Oil every 2-3 weeks |
| 11-20% | Unpredictable changes of wood, unpredictable behavior of mechanics due to the movement of the columns, pressure on the axles. | Oil every 1-2 weeks |
| 1-10% | An environment that is absolutely not suitable for holding a wooden tool. | Oil, oil, oil, increase ambient humidity |
