Violin neck very dry

[2blink]

My daughter's violin; the neck feels very dry.  Difficult to describe; but it feels like it's gonna grow splinters sometime soon type of dry.  Aside from adding water to the humidi-bar inside the case; what else can I do about it?  Any potential oils I can put on it that won't harm it?

[duane88]

If the neck is varnished or finished it won't take any oil. You could lightly dampen a paper towel with a bit of olive oil and rub it into the neck. Let it sit for a few minutes, then do it again. Finish by burnishing it with a coarse cloth or very fine steel wool. Avoid getting oil anywhere else, and if you see a gap between the ebony of the fingerboard and the white wood of the neck, do not use oil as it will possibly interfere with the glue joint between the two.

A violin maker wouldn't charge much to make the neck smooth and shiny...(says the violin maker)

[Shunyata]

Use a little carnauba paste to polish the neck wood.  You can buy this as a wood polish.   Stay away from automotive carnauba waxes as they can have soaps or solvents in them.

[RobP]

On 5/23/2022 at 10:26 AM, Shunyata said:

Use a little carnauba paste to polish the neck wood.  You can buy this as a wood polish.   Stay away from automotive carnauba waxes as they can have soaps or solvents in them.

Johnson's floor wax.  It's widely available at most big box home stores and it's made for wood.