CARING FOR YOUR DIDGERIDOO

Maintaining the outside

You should not have to do a whole lot to the outside of a didgeridoo that has been properly crafted. However, you may want to reapply a particular finish to the outside if it is getting knocked about or starting to dry.

Or, if your didge has not been sealed previously and it is a non-traditional didgeridoo, you may want to seal it. Doing so will make your didge air tight, water resistant and if you like the cleaner look, should improve its general appearance. It may also help brighten the drone and make it a little louder and crisp.

However, it may not be the saving solution you are looking for if there are other inherently poor qualities in your didge, for example, if it has a poor shape or is made of a poor quality wood.

Essentially, treat exterior applications to your didgeridoo like you would any other piece of valuable timber furniture. Know what kind of result you would like to achieve, research the type of finishes you are considering, be aware of the results that are expected and apply the finish carefully and according to the instructions.   

If you want to seal your didge, this can be done with epoxy resins, varnishes or PVA wood glue mixes. The decision on which sealant to use is best left up to your personal requirements. This will depend on the type of didge you have, your preference for the finished appearance, the characteristics and qualities of the sealant, your budget and the availability of the sealant.

Be especially careful if applying coats to traditional didgeridoos as ochres can be sensitive to chemical and oil applications. Make sure you do test spots first before applying anything.

Once you have applied a finish to your didgeridoo, be careful not to expose it directly to the sun for long periods. UV rays can deteriorate resins and varnishes, causing them to crack and peel. This will only happen after a long period of constant exposure, so don't be worried about taking your didgeridoo outside! Just don’t leave it lying around in the sun for days on end.

Ideally, try to avoid doing anything at all to your didgeridoo by keeping it in as best condition as possible. Learn more about preventative measures that can be taken to lengthen the life of your didgeridoo in the section on caring for your didgeridoo.

While I have gone into some detail here and in other sections with regards to protecting your didge from moisture, temperature, humidity and other factors, don’t think that your didgeridoo is ready to start falling apart without immediate attention.

A good quality, well finished didge should still last a long time even if you treat it a bit rough. In fact, the character of a didge often comes out through its toughness, durability and ability to withstand all conditions. A didge like this will no doubt quickly become one of your favourites and you should allow this character to show itself.

Having an awareness though of maintenance issues will allow you to extend a little care and attention towards your didgeridoo that will keep it playing for a long time.

Cracks

Despite all the care and attention you dote on your didgeridoo, it still may develop cracks over time from adjusting to moisture changes, having weak spots at knots or deep termite grooves, or just generally from being knocked around.

Cracks may be superficial surface cracks, or deep cracks that penetrate through to the bore. The superficial cracks may not need any attention if they are only minor and are not allowing air to escape. You just need to monitor these to see if they are getting bigger.

The deeper cracks will allow air to escape from your didgeridoo. If air is escaping through cracks the backpressure of the didgeridoo will be lost. This will make your didge much harder to play, plus it just won't sound as good. If you have a didgeridoo right now that doesn’t seem to have good backpressure, check it for cracks; it may be the cause of the problem.

While deep cracks can be quite simply fixed, they need to be attended to quickly because they can seriously undermine the didgeridoos ability to be played. It could also crack further and become more of a problem.

To check whether air is escaping through cracks in your didge, block the bell end with whatever you can find, such as a towel, so no air can escape. With a good seal on the mouthpiece, blow into the didge. Run your hands lightly over the didge to feel for any leaking air.

It may be easier to get someone else to check for escaping air as you play, or vice versa. Any crack that is allowing air to escape should be marked and repaired quickly if you want your didgeridoo to keep playing well.

How to repair a crack

Don’t despair if your didge has started to crack. It can be easily fixed and once repaired the acoustic qualities and playability of your didgeridoo should be improved. See the simple steps below for repairing cracks in your didge.

  1. Stop playing your didge and allow it to completely dry out so there is no moisture around the crack on the inside or out.
  2. Lightly sand off any paint, varnish or other finish around the area of the crack with a fine grade sandpaper.  Remove any dust or other particles.
  3. Completely fill the crack with either a two-part wood filler product, a two-part epoxy glue or resin, or a home made mix of PVA glue and sawdust mixed to create a putty-like substance. What you use will depend on availability, cost and the desired appearance of the repair. Sawdust or wood filler has wood-like properties and is good for matching the colour and density of the wood. Ensure all of these materials are non-toxic.
  4. Wipe off any excess material and allow it to dry for the recommended time.
  5. Lightly sand the repair work until you have a smooth finish.
  6. If you can reach it, apply the same filler to the crack on the inside of the didge and sand back when dry.
  7. Touch up the surface finish on the outside by reapplying an appropriate paint or finish if required.
  8. Allow everything to dry nice thoroughly before playing again.

With this method you should be able to fix all kinds of cracks, large or small. The most important thing is that you fill the crack completely with a hard drying filler that will prevent air escaping. Don't be afraid to use this information to effect your own unique, custom repairs. Didgeridoos are very forgiving and any repairs to serious cracks will only help improve their sound quality.

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In summary

Didgeridoo tip Sealing the outside of a didgeridoo is not essential, but a good finish will keep it in good condition.

Didgeridoo tip Cracks in your didgeridoo will signifcantly affect its sound and ability to be played. They should be repaired as soon as possible.

Didgeridoo tip Cracks can be repaired quite easily using simple products.