Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

I have heard that over time a lovely patina can develop from applying the facial oils frrom beside your nose.

Binding is probably the thing to do to hold back cracking.

I am pretty simple in that I don't bind unless I have a good reason, like a fine crack is beginning to show, and I use only walnut oil, mainly as an internal application but I give the skin a 24-hour ssoak before wiping it off again leaving a thin coat, I find the skin is very non-porous and absorbs next to no oil or water.

I like walnut oil, it has an earthy aroma and does not go rancid. It contains no accelerators and takes up to three months to harden right off. After I apply the oil I restrain myself from blowing for a week, at least long periods where breath moisture builds over the oil.

Kel.

Todd Frederick wrote:

I have a nice bamboo shakuhachi that is in it's natural color and has no external finishing. Is there something that can be used to condition the wood, protect it from cracking and such?

Although oiling a flute is a nice ritual, binding and/or proper storage in an air tight container is the best preventative measure against cracking.



A flute I'm working on today.
Best, Perry

Hi,   Todd,       I have been taught by my teacher to occasionally rub into my flute sparingly with tea tree oil.   He recommends the type sold by Japan Woodworkers, here in the US.   It is a fine oil used to prevent the rusting of expensive handmade Japanese woodworking tools and swords and rightly enough, to condition the outer skin of bamboo.  And it also prevents mold.     It gives the flute  a slightly darker patina over time and a beautiful luster.   I have looked on the Internet for  tea tree oil and there are ten million kinds, and most look suspiciously cheap for cosmetic use on the face.        At summer camp Michael Chikuzen Gould recommends carrying a small towel damped with tea tree oil in a zip loc bag in your carry bag , and wiping down the flute when needed to keep it conditioned.       Almost everyone in camp needed to use it,  what a dry group!       My main lesson flute seems to get dry looking everyday , overnight near the root end.         The upper 2/3 stays luscious.    So I am assuming the upper end has enough oil penetrating and the bottom end I will keep applying til it matches the rest of the flute.    If the oil was coming off onto the plastic inner bag liner,   then the oil would be gone from the upper 2/3rds every night, too,   but not so.        Lately , another thing I am happy with is oiling the flute before practice,  and working the oil in during playing.    My hands are shot and cracked and dry from over exposure to solvents, hard manual labor,  painting rooms, and too much handwashing.   Instead of using hand lotion for more than a year,  I find the tea tree oil less slippery, gives a better feel of sealing off the flute holes,  and my hands feel much better after practice,  rather than that lotion BP oil slick feeling.    Good luck,  you will really like the stuff,  and can preserve your tools and knife collection, too!           I believe Moran DuChump has been religiously using the oil on his tool every weekend due to his lack of maintenance.

You can also findo good quality Camelia Oil here: http://www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de/page/ho … detail.jsf

They have the japanese and the chinese quality... prices are good...

edosan wrote:

USA folks should stick with eBay, methinks.

This worked for me, and you will likely only need to order once in your life:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/came … 100ml.aspx

Last edited by rpowers (2010-11-11 19:08:36)

and i thought tung oil is the best oil sealer around...

Tea Tree Oil is also widely used as an antibacterial treatment. Health food stores sometimes have it. Where can one find the industrial variety, if different from the medicinal?  Thanks for the links on the Camelia Oil.