I have a small room in which I overwinter some plants, and a gallon humidifier. I put my fiddle in the room occasionally, in a corner out of the sun. Should I take the bow out of the case and keep it somewhere else? Should bows ever be humidified? Doesn’t humidity adversly effect bowhair? Any thoughts?
Less humidity will actually make the hair shrink a bit... humid air conversely, expands the hair slightly ... you may notice a few more breaking during the cold dry months, but as long as you can fully loosen it when you're done, there shouldn't be any damage to the bow... the stick is brazil wood or pernambucco... it's very strong and fiberous... but if you don't loosen the bow all the way, it can warp.
It's really not a good idea to store the bow in the case, unless you take it out to play every day. The bow needs to be exposed to light (doesn't have to be much) to prevent a bow bug infestation.
Don't store the bow in direct sunlight, just somewhere where it will be protected and exposed to a little indirect light daily.
Anyway, I should mention the room gets pretty steamy – condensation beads the window and last spring I had to bleach-wash a bit of moldy windowsill. Hygrometer reads 45 – 55, a bit low for the orchids but the fiddle seems to like it.
Yep, those bugs are nasty. I've had the hair completely ruined by them. My wife thought a moth ball in the case would help. Maybe it did, but the smell lasted for two years after I took it out. I occasionally leave the case open out in the sunshine to discourage the bugs.
that's unbelievable... do you guys play outdoors a lot? If I ever saw crabs on my bow, I'd be thankful they were there and not in more difficult places... but my solution would be to cut it off, burn it and then go get the bow rehaired.
They're also called case beetles or carpet beetles. I had a cheap fiddle as a child which I kept unopened in a cupboard for years. I pulled it out a few years ago to find that the hair had been chewed through at both ends of the bow. It looked like someone had snipped through it with a pair of scissors. There was a pile of tiny beetle shells under the fiddle too. They normally just spend their lives chewing through carpets, but if you get them in your case they're almost impossible to get rid of.
Humidify the bow, too?
Humidify the bow, too?
I have a small room in which I overwinter some plants, and a gallon humidifier. I put my fiddle in the room occasionally, in a corner out of the sun. Should I take the bow out of the case and keep it somewhere else? Should bows ever be humidified? Doesn’t humidity adversly effect bowhair? Any thoughts?
# Posted on March 4th 2007 by fidkid
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
You may want to put some leave-in conditioner on it. You wouldn't want it to go frizzy on the damp now would you?
# Posted on March 4th 2007 by bowburner
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
PS That was a joke before you go and try it!
As for a serious answer, I'm sorry I haven't a clue. Where's Lazyhound when you need her?
# Posted on March 4th 2007 by bowburner
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Ha, I wonder how Trevor will feel about the gender assignment...
# Posted on March 4th 2007 by fidkid
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Trevor?? Ooops!
# Posted on March 4th 2007 by bowburner
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Anyway, I realize it's probably no big deal (the bow/humidifier thing), but I wonder.
# Posted on March 4th 2007 by fidkid
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Less humidity will actually make the hair shrink a bit... humid air conversely, expands the hair slightly ... you may notice a few more breaking during the cold dry months, but as long as you can fully loosen it when you're done, there shouldn't be any damage to the bow... the stick is brazil wood or pernambucco... it's very strong and fiberous... but if you don't loosen the bow all the way, it can warp.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by pastrings
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
It's really not a good idea to store the bow in the case, unless you take it out to play every day. The bow needs to be exposed to light (doesn't have to be much) to prevent a bow bug infestation.
Don't store the bow in direct sunlight, just somewhere where it will be protected and exposed to a little indirect light daily.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by Marklar
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
I leave mine soaking in a flower vase when I'm not using it. I feel it lends a watery, mysterious feel to my playing.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by Ger the Rigger
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Many a day I've traveled a hundred miles or more...
...but bow bug infestations, I've never seen before...
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by pastrings
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
I'm not making it up. Bow bugs. Seriously.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by Marklar
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Yow, I thought you were joking about the bow bug stuff, Screetch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpet_beetle
Anyway, I should mention the room gets pretty steamy – condensation beads the window and last spring I had to bleach-wash a bit of moldy windowsill. Hygrometer reads 45 – 55, a bit low for the orchids but the fiddle seems to like it.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by fidkid
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
...so, is it like lice? or like bed bugs... or ... worse???
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by pastrings
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Yep, those bugs are nasty. I've had the hair completely ruined by them. My wife thought a moth ball in the case would help. Maybe it did, but the smell lasted for two years after I took it out. I occasionally leave the case open out in the sunshine to discourage the bugs.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by Bob himself
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
that's unbelievable... do you guys play outdoors a lot? If I ever saw crabs on my bow, I'd be thankful they were there and not in more difficult places... but my solution would be to cut it off, burn it and then go get the bow rehaired.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by pastrings
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
They're extremely tiny and they infest your fiddle case. You have to have to wipe them out or rehairing is just giving them a fresh food source.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by Bob himself
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
They're also called case beetles or carpet beetles. I had a cheap fiddle as a child which I kept unopened in a cupboard for years. I pulled it out a few years ago to find that the hair had been chewed through at both ends of the bow. It looked like someone had snipped through it with a pair of scissors. There was a pile of tiny beetle shells under the fiddle too. They normally just spend their lives chewing through carpets, but if you get them in your case they're almost impossible to get rid of.
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by Ger the Rigger
Re: Humidify the bow, too?
Sure it isn't a Dow bug?
# Posted on March 5th 2007 by nicholas