gregjones

There's been a bit of discussion about Dampits--the green worm like humidifiers that go inside the instrument through the sound hole.

A few of the Cafe members that I trust have posted about a customer who had problems with them---mold around the sound hole, cracked f holes or water spots.

I have yet to see any of the talented and helpful builders post of several customers having problems with the Dampits.

I don't think there is a product that some individual somewhere can't use wrong or fail to follow the instructions for that product's use.

I wonder if this is the case with the Dampit as posted by a few builders. They always say something like "I had a customer who...." then describe the problem caused by using Dampits. I wonder if the problem might have been caused by using Dampits and ignoring the directions.

I use distilled water and always squeeze out a bit of the water as I dry the tube very well along it's entire length. If the humidity has dropped to the low 40's, I use two Dampits. Usually by the next day one of the tubes can be removed.

My main source of humidification is a very slightly dampened sponge in a baggie with paper punch holes in it as described by Bryan Kimsey. It works great and is easy to use.

The best thing is it can be made to size---there isn't an abundance of room in a mandolin case.

I find the Dampits to be a great aid when the humidity starts to swing out of range. They are effective and very easy to use (even if you follow the directions).