[baryshawn]

I recently bought sweet almond oil for my baritone Lebayle wooden mouthpiece. However, i don't know how to apply the oil on the mouthpiece. Please help!

Also, i was wondering how to get rid of that white residu on the mouthpiece...any suggestions?

Thanks!

Baryshawn a.k.a. Shawn R.

 

[MojoBari]

For calcium deposits from dried saliva, try rubbing with cloth dipped in some vinegar.

 

[Henning1]

I´d say you´d treat it as if it was a wooden flute or a clarinet. Add oil with a swab, a piece of cloth or a paper. Then let it soak. You can let it dry for 24 hours (I oftenly do so with clarinets). Then take of the surplus with a piece of paper and you´re done. Be very careful with the inside of the mouthpiece.

 

[Stephen Howard]

As mentioned, vinegar is the answer. There's an article here which might be of some help:

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Testing/Cleaning_mouthpieces.htm

You might have to put up with the taste of vinegar for a little while, so it might be worth hunting around for one that's a bit more palatable than plain malt vinegar - a wine vinegar perhaps. I haven't tested balsamic vinegar, but if it works it would probably be your best bet. You should carry out any cleaning before you oil the mouthpiece.

Applying to oil is easy enough, just dip your finger in it and rub it gently into the wood. Use a cotton bud to apply it to the bore, tip and rails though - the less you handle these areas the better.
Allow to soak in for an hour or so then carefully wipe off the excess with a soft cloth.

Regards,

 

[Blowhard2]

As mentioned, vinegar is the answer. There's an article here which might be of some help:

http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Testing/Cleaning_mouthpieces.htm


Applying to oil is easy enough, just dip your finger in it and rub it gently into the wood. Use a cotton bud to apply it to the bore, tip and rails though - the less you handle these areas the better.
Allow to soak in for an hour or so then carefully wipe off the excess with a soft cloth.

Regards,

Hi Stehen

Would pure Olive Pil be OK as well?

Blowhard2

 

[milandro]

I would strongly advise AGAINST balsamic vinegar! As much as I would like to recommend it (my brother has a Vinegar company making Balsamic Vinegar of Modena !) Balsamic Vinegar contains wine must which is a sugary heavy sort of heavy grape syrup , so to speak, more or less concentrated according to the ageing of balsamic , so by cleaning with Balsamico you would lightly coat your mouthpiece with a sugary substance and I do not think that that is a good idea. Ordinary Vinegar would do, I doubt that it would make much difference to the taste if you use Spirit Vinegar ( from fermented alcohol ) , Acetic Acid diluted (cleaning Vinegar ) or any other common vinegar (Wine, Malt, Cider) , I would also stay away from Raspberry vinegars for the same reason.

About the oil, I think that the addition of a few drops of Lemon Oil to your almond would leave your mouthpiece nicely scented.

 

[Henning1]

I agree with Milandro in his first part, but the lemon oil is, as far as I know, not calcium solvent. It, on the other hand, is good for removing bad smells. For heavy calsium deposits I am using a liquid presented here http://www.herdins.se/ovriga-rengoringsprodukter__243. The text says it is suitable for removing calsium in the bathroom and at the bath tub. Not exactly certain how it works along woth wood in the long run. But most likely it will go along nicely with grenadilla or similar hard wood (for not a too long time) and eventually somewhat diluted. I.e. a similar product available for you in your country. I have been using the above mentioned product with metal and HR mouth pieces.

regards

 

[Stephen Howard]

Cheers for the info Milandro - looks like balsamic is out! Of course I'd need to test this ( cough ), and I think I'd need some fine balsamic vinegar with which to do so ( cough cough, ahem )....

I would be very careful with anything labelled 'lemon oil'. Unless you're certain that it's the proper natural oil it could actually be practically anything at all. There are several 'drying oils' ( they set like a varnish ) called lemon oil, and it would be a mistake to use them.
The stuff you buy from health food shops as 'essential oil' is the kind you want - and adding a few drops of this, or any other kind of essential oil ( I like wintergreen and bergamot myself ) is, as Milandro says, a nice way of adding a little zing to the wood oil.

Olive oil? For this purpose it'll be fine, though sweet almond oil seems to have slightly better penetration.

Regards,

 

[milandro]

I didn't think of using leon oil to descale the mouthpiece, that we leave to the vinegar! the lemon oil I was thinking of is the real stuff from the lemons used in aromatherapy I also use it to deodorise the occasional instrument previously owned by a smoker


some balsamic vinegar will find its way to Frankfurt...........

 

[domo]

I use lemon oil on pads as well

 

[Isle of Jazz]

I'd strongly recommend one of Omar Henderson's products for oiling the bores of wooden clarinets, either "Bore Doctor" or "Grenad-Oil" (expensive!). These oils are specially prepared to penetrate deeply and not turn rancid.