Humidifying a bowlback?

[Arto]

I just saw a "winter´s creeping in..." thread somewhere in MC and thougt I should straighten myself up in this matter.

I don´t have instrument cases with hygrometers nor humidified music rooms, nor does the modest amount or quality of my instruments warrant those. I have been using Dampits and perforated soap boxes unless I forget to use them, which happens most of the time.

The question is: is it safe to use Dampits in bowlbacks? When using one in my F-style, I have tried to be very careful to make the "snake" lie on the solid flat "floor" of the mandolin, not touching any seams. I´m scared of thinking some possible excess water getting on the wood joints. But a bowlback interior is full of rib seams, and these have paper or thin wood lining. A possible hazard - or am I just neurotic? (Could well be, in any case ;-)

Or should I switch to a hollowed-out saz? No seams...

Arto

[Bob A]

Some humidification is better than none, I suppose.

The only problem with dampits comes from not squeezing them out after you fill them with water. In that case, excess water can mess things up in your instrument. Of course, squeezing out excess water means you have to check them every few days, for them to be effective.

So far a a saz goes, having no seams does not prevent wood from shrinking and cracking.

A decent evaporative humidifier costs about $50, and is helpful for people as well as instruments.

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Arto,


I do not use Dampits in the bowl of my mandolin (perhaps if I had to use one I would put it in the mandolin case).

What I would do is first to find a good closing (waterproof) case for the mandolin and a silk cloth.

The silk cloth should be large enough to cover the mandolin completely.
Next thing to do, every time - that is always - when you put the mandolin away, is to wrap it in the silk cloth and put it in it´s case.

It´s best to make a habbit of this. Especially for the instrument you are playing every day.

But also for the ones you store away for a (much) longer period it is best. And if you do not trust the dry freezing winter periods (of your country) it can be best to put the in silk wrapped mandolin in it´s case ànd in a plastic sack that is closed with a knot.

One of the fine qualities of silk is that it absorbs the humidity of the air in dry periods like in Winter times and that it rejects too much humidity in wet periods like the Summer etc.

So here is a pure nature product dat regulates the humidity level for the mandolin in it´s case at times when this is needed most.


You probably have a hygrometer in the room where the instrument is stored so that you can act when necessary.
This is possible with lots of plants and water reservoirs against the radiator or - and that´s of course preferable considering our modern home central heating systems - with a more modern humidity regulator.


Many greetings,

Alex

[Bob A]

Alex, that's fascinating information. Is there an optimal amount of silk for this purpose? (Would a bag with several layers of material be significantly better as a humidity buffer than a single layer, for example?)