I was a little excessive in spraying the inside of an oud with a disinfectant called Lysol. It has an alcohol and water base. I expected a
mist, but a stream came out. I sprayed the inside of the bowl, but some probably splashed on the soundboard.
The oud has dried, as well as it can in 80%+ humidity, and the original odor problem is solved, but the soundboard rose over 5mm (?), and the strings
slap on the edge of the sound hole. Where I normally live humidity varies, 25%-60% is common. Here in Central America, on the sea shore, the
hygrometers read 80%, but it feels like more, dewpoint 73 deg F. The temperature averages 30 deg. C.
The photo shows the braces that I can see. There might possibly be one hidden past number 7, and maybe one before number 1, but I doubt it. The braces
are a soft, light, long grained wood, unfinished, about 1 cm high, about 5 mm wide. The soundboard stayed in place at 5 & 6, the greatest rise is
visible at position number 4, and the strings slap at the edge of the sound hole, at position 2.
The question is 1) whether I can expect the braces and soundboard to spontaneously return to more or less their original shape in a more dry
environment, and 2) whether I should do anything to help improve the recovery. With harpsichords, people use spring-loaded devices to push and pull a
wet soundboard towards the desired shape.
fernandraynaud - 6-13-2010 at 10:28 AM
I hope one of our knowledgeable luthiers can advise what a person should do under these circumstances. I don't even know if the Lysol is the cause, I
only wet the ribs. The soundboard might have buckled anyway just due to the heat and humidity. Is there a defense? Dr. Oud - 6-13-2010 at 11:45 AM
You may have strung it up too soon after wetting the inside. If the face is softened by excessive moisture, it will bend more than if it is dry. The
fixed bridge will twist the face around the braces forward of the bridge, causing the face to rise up at brace #4. This is a common condition in ouds
that do not have the face set in a concave curve, especially if the face wood is green or wet. (Most Turkish and some Arabic ouds have concave face
designs)
I would apply some water to brace #4 to soften it again, then clamp a compensating fixture on brace #4 only. You'll need to make a long cleat with
blocks at the ends or carved with clearance in the center. The end blocks of the cleat must be under the brace ends inside the face. Clamp a smaller
block at the center on top, so that pressure forces the brace flat.
Or set some weight or clamp a block on brace #4 (not too much, no more that 1 pound or 1/2 kilo - like a small bag of flour or sugar), then then let
it dry with the weight in place for several days and see it it re-sets.
Another method would be to carefully clamp a long board with a block over brace #4. Clamp it on the neck next to the neck block but very carefully! -
just enough to put a little pressure on the brace. Too much pressure might pop the neck loose.
If not,you might have to remove the edges, loosen the brace ends and trim down the top rib edge at braces 3, 4, 5 and 6,. then reglue the brace ends
and replace the edge.
Good luckfernandraynaud - 6-13-2010 at 03:39 PM
Thank you, Ricardo, amigo (if I hear "amigo" one more time I'm a gonna york). This is great info. Strung it too soon? I never unstrung it. But now I
can glimpse an approach.
Alfaraby, we can't "poossy-foot around". Can't be "candy-asses", or our ouds won't respect us.
Basically treat the oud like it needs to be treated, and it will bend to the stronger will! Take the strings off, take it in the shower, wash the
inside of the bowl with deodorant soap, rinse, then take it out on the beach, put a half kilo rock on its stomach so it cannot run away, and leave it
in the sun, face up. You were worried about that shamsa, well, rip it out, there are much stronger ones now, and better ones too, made of shiny white
plastic! Hear that Alfaraby? We were afraid to get our smelly ones wet! Is like an old cat, Amigo, he afraid of the aqua, he say "me-ow" and hide
under the bed, but he need a swift kick in the ribs, a BATH and some discipline, senor! Clamp him, tie him to a board, and if after some time in the
sun he still bent, open him like a can of beans and shave his guts! Olé!
Dr. Oud? All kidding aside, your explanation gives me a lot of insight into what is flexible on the
oud. So it's not mostly "wood stretches when wet", it's mostly that it's "softer when wet", so you think the likelihood that things will significantly
return to their old shape when they are fully dry is very close to nil?
Never (yet) having built an oud, there's lots I don't know. What is "the edge" that you would "remove" and "replace"? I thought the edging consisted
of little pieces of alternating colored wood, glued in behind the topmost rib. What am i misunderstanding? Can you explain and/or mark it on the
photos, please?
Dr. Oud - 6-14-2010 at 05:41 AM
No, the face will not return to a flat shape when it dries out without some corrective measure. First, remove the strings. Next try one of the above
techniques to flatten the #4 brace.
The clamp is the safest, you will need only a single small clamp, but you will need to make a cleat to support the ends of the brace inside. It mus
have at least 1/4 inch of clearance at the center so the clamp can bend the brace a bit beyond flat. I will spring back somewhat. Wet the brace only
before clamping it and leave it alone for atleast 48 hours on the clamp and another 24 hours after removing the clamp before stringing it up.
If you put a weight on the face, try it gradually until you see a slight movement of the face. Too much weight may loosen the brace ends from the
body, and you'll have a bigger problem.
You might take it to Hank Levin in San Rafael. He is an experienced oud technician and I'm sure will fix it properly. http://www.musicaravan.com/ alfaraby - 6-14-2010 at 08:32 AM
I hope the "Oud Adani" was involved. I would have followed your steps &/or advise & even soaked the beast in Formalin after being stuffed
properly ...
Now more seriously : Heat the face where it is buckled, then push it underneath a stick forced under the bottom of a table, for an hour or two . Make
sure the stick is being cut exactly not to push the soundboard more than needed.
How heat ? With a hair-dryer, or iron it under a thick cloth .
