- for a few days next week, and I'll be bringing the (cheap student) fiddle along. I'm not planning to leave it in the snow or anything, but it might have to stay in the car for a bit, and I'll be transporting it back and forth between buildings and cars a few times. Is there anything I should know? I anticipate that tuning will be an ordeal, but is there any risk of permanent damage to my instrument?
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
We bring our instruments out to the session on very cold nights in Montana, and i've asked the same question to a couple veterans here. Cold temperature doesn't seem to be a huge problem unless you are careless. If you only spend a few minutes outside walking to the car and to the building you should be fine. Some people like to leave the fiddle in the case for 15-20 minutes after coming inside, to minimize the sudden temperature change of bringing it into the room. If it's super cold, heat the car first for a few minutes, and carry the rosin in your pocket so it doesn't crumble.
In grade school I had a student violin that developed a hairline crack near the end button after a couple winters of carrying it to school and back. It may have been due to low humidity rather than temperature. But damage is possible.
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
A friend in Canada, who had a harp worth thousands, made by another friend, left it out in their car overnight in Winter, very, very minus, dry minus, at least 20 below... The wood opened up ~ everwhere...
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
Ceolachen has cut to the chase. Low humidity is the biggest danger in cold weather (freezing or below). Get an inexpensive humidifier such as a dampit.
A lacquer or french polish finish can check (get damaged) if you take a cold instrument into a warm room and take it right out of the case. Let it sit 20-30 minutes or so, the added mass of the case slows the warm up.
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
I suspect wrapping the fiddle in a thick cloth inside the case would help as well.
When I finally bought a piano here in subtropical Brisbane I was amazed to be told to avoid imports from foreign countries. Apparently pianos are specially constructed for the sub tropics (in our case because of too much humidity, not too little), and the ones from dryer climates don't fare too well. I've never had a problem, but further north (95% humidity) I'm sure you would. I also store my instruments underneath the house to minimise the daily cycling of temperature which I'm sure would cause some kind of problem in the long run.
P.S. Never, ever, get drunk on Paddy's Day then fall asleep under a palm tree in your frony yard while waiting for your mates to get back from the pub and start a session. You end up looking like boiled sweet and all the varnish melts on your fiddle...
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
I have a lot of guitars and ran the local store out of humidifiers, so I made my own by cutting a sponge...the dishwashing kind about 3 X 5, no scrubbie side, in half. I wet it and wring out until moist but not dripping and put it is a baggie with a twist tie and a few holes at top, or if the instrument lies flat, just with the baggie partly open. You don't want drips inside however you do it.
I found these makeshift humidifiers outlast dampits by far. You can cut them as small as you need for a smaller instrument.
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
Damn, I wish I'd read all this advice on makeshift humidifiers before buying a dampit the other day. Ah well.
Anyway: consensus seems to be that the real danger comes not from the cold, but from the humidity. Fiddle will stay in its case for a few minutes after entering the room; with minus 40 degree temperatures on the horizon (yikes), I'll probably stay in my coat for the same period...
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
Well
Timely discussion. I live in a remote area of Australia and play concertina. Its 40 degrees C today and RH of about 25%. So the concertina is hiding in a cool dark place inside its case. Can anyone advise about what is the appropriate RH the instrument (and any other wooden instrument for that matter) should be kept at. And then any ideas on how to keep the RH there, given the cases are small with little room for any bulky additions. Cheers
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
kiwi
Your question is also good for wood box players.
In Chicago during the winter indoor RH can be as low as 6% to 10%.
On the instruments, the humidity is the problem but it is tied to the temperature and dew point. Montana folks and Canadians probably have it worse than in Chi-Town. We have a few weeks of the extreme temps with alot of cold, clammy periods in between (that can cause instruments to swell). So you have to remember to take the silica compound out your when it gets really cold
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
I destroyed a fiddle a few years back forgetting to take it in out of the car. Split all along the bottom, cracked up that back, it was in bad shape. Very sad.
Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
I'm going to be here -
http://weather.ca/weather/cities/can/Pages/CAMB0244.htm
- for a few days next week, and I'll be bringing the (cheap student) fiddle along. I'm not planning to leave it in the snow or anything, but it might have to stay in the car for a bit, and I'll be transporting it back and forth between buildings and cars a few times. Is there anything I should know? I anticipate that tuning will be an ordeal, but is there any risk of permanent damage to my instrument?
# Posted on February 2nd 2007 by Tall, Dark, and Mysterious
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
We bring our instruments out to the session on very cold nights in Montana, and i've asked the same question to a couple veterans here. Cold temperature doesn't seem to be a huge problem unless you are careless. If you only spend a few minutes outside walking to the car and to the building you should be fine. Some people like to leave the fiddle in the case for 15-20 minutes after coming inside, to minimize the sudden temperature change of bringing it into the room. If it's super cold, heat the car first for a few minutes, and carry the rosin in your pocket so it doesn't crumble.
In grade school I had a student violin that developed a hairline crack near the end button after a couple winters of carrying it to school and back. It may have been due to low humidity rather than temperature. But damage is possible.
# Posted on February 2nd 2007 by polkageist
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
A friend in Canada, who had a harp worth thousands, made by another friend, left it out in their car overnight in Winter, very, very minus, dry minus, at least 20 below... The wood opened up ~ everwhere...
# Posted on February 2nd 2007 by ceolachan
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
Ceolachen has cut to the chase. Low humidity is the biggest danger in cold weather (freezing or below). Get an inexpensive humidifier such as a dampit.
A lacquer or french polish finish can check (get damaged) if you take a cold instrument into a warm room and take it right out of the case. Let it sit 20-30 minutes or so, the added mass of the case slows the warm up.
# Posted on February 3rd 2007 by Snakefingers
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
I suspect wrapping the fiddle in a thick cloth inside the case would help as well.
When I finally bought a piano here in subtropical Brisbane I was amazed to be told to avoid imports from foreign countries. Apparently pianos are specially constructed for the sub tropics (in our case because of too much humidity, not too little), and the ones from dryer climates don't fare too well. I've never had a problem, but further north (95% humidity) I'm sure you would. I also store my instruments underneath the house to minimise the daily cycling of temperature which I'm sure would cause some kind of problem in the long run.
P.S. Never, ever, get drunk on Paddy's Day then fall asleep under a palm tree in your frony yard while waiting for your mates to get back from the pub and start a session. You end up looking like boiled sweet and all the varnish melts on your fiddle...
# Posted on February 3rd 2007 by bc_box_player
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
and what do you recommend for fluters??
# Posted on February 3rd 2007 by Matt_Celta
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
A potato inside the case is also said to humidify!
# Posted on February 3rd 2007 by Adahl
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
I have a lot of guitars and ran the local store out of humidifiers, so I made my own by cutting a sponge...the dishwashing kind about 3 X 5, no scrubbie side, in half. I wet it and wring out until moist but not dripping and put it is a baggie with a twist tie and a few holes at top, or if the instrument lies flat, just with the baggie partly open. You don't want drips inside however you do it.
I found these makeshift humidifiers outlast dampits by far. You can cut them as small as you need for a smaller instrument.
# Posted on February 4th 2007 by irisnevins
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
Damn, I wish I'd read all this advice on makeshift humidifiers before buying a dampit the other day. Ah well.
Anyway: consensus seems to be that the real danger comes not from the cold, but from the humidity. Fiddle will stay in its case for a few minutes after entering the room; with minus 40 degree temperatures on the horizon (yikes), I'll probably stay in my coat for the same period...
# Posted on February 4th 2007 by Tall, Dark, and Mysterious
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
Well
Timely discussion. I live in a remote area of Australia and play concertina. Its 40 degrees C today and RH of about 25%. So the concertina is hiding in a cool dark place inside its case. Can anyone advise about what is the appropriate RH the instrument (and any other wooden instrument for that matter) should be kept at. And then any ideas on how to keep the RH there, given the cases are small with little room for any bulky additions. Cheers
# Posted on February 5th 2007 by kiwi
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
kiwi
Your question is also good for wood box players.
In Chicago during the winter indoor RH can be as low as 6% to 10%.
On the instruments, the humidity is the problem but it is tied to the temperature and dew point. Montana folks and Canadians probably have it worse than in Chi-Town. We have a few weeks of the extreme temps with alot of cold, clammy periods in between (that can cause instruments to swell). So you have to remember to take the silica compound out your when it gets really cold
# Posted on February 5th 2007 by zippydw
Re: Instruments in harsh climates, care and feeding of
I destroyed a fiddle a few years back forgetting to take it in out of the car. Split all along the bottom, cracked up that back, it was in bad shape. Very sad.
# Posted on February 10th 2007 by fiddle85