Janito

The difference is simple - mass production without good quality control versus the 1-man operation. This gentleman in Matsumoto City, Japan, made a knife for me (the one he is sharpening) - I can shave with it! ps In that same town (from where Mr Suzuki, of the method, hails), I also found a craftsman who made fountain pens from scratch.

I have experience of a variety of makes... I have ~ 12 Pfeils, 4 Ashley Iles and some Taylors , ~8 Japanese and probably 30 antique English gouges + a 4 German ones from a small scale maker (Herr S...) with a very long name that I cannot remember. Many have special scoops and twists etc. English steel (and tool making) went through a bad period in the 1970s and 80s. The Iles and Taylors I have are from the 1980s; maybe they have improved matters recently. Unquestionable the antique English cast steel ones are the best I have, but for delicate scroll work ,the Pfeils and featherlight Japanese gouges do a great job. I have carved figured maple back with a short-handled broad Pfeil and it did a good job, although I normally use a pair of longhandled heavy gouges by Herr S.... Hope my mini-consumer comparison helps! ps I have used an Stubai carving set - good steel.

I would not recommend Ashley Iles. They keep a poor edge. I would strongly recommend Swiss Pfeil gouges etc - Woodcraft carries a selection.

I thought you might be interested in this quote from Nov 1978 Strad (p606): ..."Another point of interest is that on a separate occasion Mr Apel took the instrument (H Amati II 1705) to Moenigs of Philadelphia because he was concerned about the large size of the peg holes. The remedy offered was to have them re-bushed or alternatively to have larger pegs especially made. Mr Appel did not like the idea of re-bushing and when he was warned by Mr Bill Moenig Jnr that larger pegs could crack the peg-box, he decided not to pursue this idea. Eventually Mr Moenig came up with the notion of scraping out all the putty and other matter that had been pushed into the peg holes, cleaned them out and painted them with white glue. He then inserted minute strips of sandpaper to line the holes. The pegs now fit perfectly and the operation can be repeated as often as need be without damaging the instrument..." Neat or what?

Also consider using multiple layers of kitchen towel on th wood and put on then a warm iron. This trick is used to wick off grease-oils from clothes, so its worth a try. The talcum also works well. When you have some sanity back, you should also consider solvents, if there are residues causing stains.

Apropos subliminal messages, this brings the art to a peak. Perhaps, substituting the skull for a violin in this composition...

Just starting to learn ether-babble. I've managed to decipher IMO, IMHO and BTW, but what's VSO? "Virtual Solar Observatory", "Verb subject object" or maybe "Violon sans origine"

How do you make the glue weaker for the use of gluing the plates on? Do you increase the % of water? If so what is the ratio? ---------------------------------------------- Here is a starting formula for the top plate: 1 part hide glue to 2 parts cold water. This can be achieved by weighing or by eye. Can be diluted further by dipping brush lightly in glue and then in the hot water of the bath before application to ribs etc.

An obvious point: the blocks should be 'sized' with glue and planed again before attaching the top. It is amazing how strong protein glues are: witness the tenacious bit of snot that will not come off the library book page or the clumped hair of the brush that was washed 'well'.

Window glass is a great UV filter. You are much better off putting the test strip or instrument in direct sunshire for a few hours (watch for over- heating).

MATT Does the varnish remain tacky after days in light, hours in a UV box? Does solvent alone leave a residue after evaporation? I meant to say 'chipping off', indicating poor adhesion to lower coats. You might also want to check the adhesion to the shellac coat. Some soft varnishes can be imprinted by the lining of a case, for example, so the balance of adhesion to these materials versus undercoats can mean the difference between ecstasy and despair! If you achieve a craquelure effect, this can look very attractive.

MATT You might consider experimenting on a test rib by dividing it up and applying progressively more coats to each section? 3 questions: - Does the orange terpene affect the rate of 'drying'? -Is there any residue that you can see in a clear glass container if you allow the solvent to evaporate completely? - In a section with multiple coats that is dry, can you indent easily with a nail or does it crackle off? Thanks

...including nail(s)...

Here's a thought sparked by recent discussions on sound analysis and tuning or plates. I have been reading some of the acoustics references and Hutchins works, and I find it intriguing that only rarely (never) do I see a qualification such as 'all this is based on a modern violin set-up, no responsibility is taken for disasters should you proceed a la baroque'. The point is that neck, tailpiece and bridge resonances etc are being discussed in their modern configuration, yet Mr S and Mr Del G produced astonishing sound in their pre-altered instruments. Has anyone created a 'fantastic sounding' modern instrument based on modern acoustic principles (whatever they may be) and then converted the instrument COMPLETELY to a baroque set-up. What does it sound like? I'm intrigued...

Colledge Should we make these one-offs 'pay-per-view'?

Of course, no offense taken. I was simply pointing out the reality of most amateur photoshoots!! The Boys at the Academy probably took some great pics with the instrument out of the case.

A few points regarding amateur photography of intruments. Many folks' like myself, have point-and-click digitals. We have not read the instructions regarding setting changes (ie we don't know our ISOs from our ELBOws). I find it hard to take flash photos when the instrument is in a reflective (glass or polycarbonate) cabinet. The auto-focus function plays havoc in these circumstances, and it is impossible to tell how the photo will look from the microscreen on the camera. The instruments are frequently in poorly lit rooms with little natural light, so cancelling the flash is not much help. The Cannone lighting was a good stroke of luck, but, alas, I only had my 5yr old Canon Powershot! ps I wish I could use Photoshop, but I was introduced to the world of personal computers when the Windows OS was contained in a 51/2 floppy, and I have n ot been able to keep up since.

The Royal Academy exhibition in Feb 06 was rather special. It centred on Paganini memorabilia - violin, bows, music, letters etc. Amazingly, they also had the 1709 Viotti Strad, Andrea Guarneris etc, plus some of their own instruments (see Rattray's book). Unfortunately, I was not well prepared and most intruments were not in good natural light, so the pictures are poor. Here is another photo of the Cannone. The only other 'good' one features me and a friend (who is one of the restorers/curators of the Academy instruments) standing by the glass case! I was shown some photos of the inside of the Cannone the last time the table was removed (I think by Cesare Candi).

An article in the March 1978 issue of the Strad on the Newark Violin Making School has the following: "The first year is spent in making several violins on the current school pattern which is Stradivarius' Messiah. The School is indebted to the Ashmolean Museaum, Oxford, for allowing the intruments to be measured last year." Apropos of violin photos, you may be interested in this one that I took at the Royal Academy in London when they exhibited the del Gesu Canone last year. The late afternoon sun caught the colours well. All deficits are due to my poor digital techique (fingerprints excepted)!

In 2004 there was a brief thread on use of linseed oil on the bridge. It was not clear whether it was being used for aesthetic or tonal reasons. I have occasionally used tung oil to 'stiffen' the wood after polymerization. The instrument sounds rather poor for a couple of days and then improves considerably. Have others had similar experience or is this another of my delusions?

Mike I rarely use Micromesh below 3200 - I use scrapers and paper for this grade of work. For varnish, I use 3600, 4000 and 6000 to go beyond fine pumice and rottenstone. For metal, I go to 8000 and 12000 to get a good shine. Softer metals can leave deposits that can dull the next polishing job (and will transfer to soft materials such as varnish). Regards

I have used Micromesh quite extensively on varnish, metals, glass, polycarbonate and acrylic. Some experiences: I gave up trying to polish out a scratch on a Rayban glass lens - I lost patience, as I seemed to be getting nowhere because it needs to be used very lightly. I ruined a pair of polycarbonate reading glasses because the 12000 produced a clear-looking lens, but there was a disturbing very fine sheen when sunlight caught the lens at a certain angle. Also, polycarbonates are multi-layered - it is very difficult to repair the top 'scatch-proof' layer. Works great for varnish - can be bought in rolls for prolific users. As only a few grades are needed, this can be more economic than the kits. I also use old and well-worn pieces of 1200 Swiss paper for burnishing wood.

This is an interesting thread. I am a strong advocate for exposing and stopping dishonest behaviour in the Ebay market where buyers are particularly vulnerable because of the long range nature of the transaction. I have: (i) reported to Ebay and bidders various fraudulent sellers who have used violin photos from other auctions in selling scams or where I have found other disreputable behaviour. (ii) bought violins etc on Ebay with good and bad experiences. (iii) read the Harvey and Shapreau book "Violin Fraud". This is an interesting, but dry book. The verdict in these cases is clear...

Thanks for the replies. Terpenoid is a proprietary solvent available from art shops that is used to clean brushes. It is supposed to be an alternative to organic solvents and smells of oranges! I have used it to clean my varnish brushes. I chickened out because the violin surface started to feel tacky. In retrespect, and unless I hear otherwise, the tackiness was probably due to the rosin being softened. Regards

Has anyone had a bad experience using Terpenoid solvent to remove rosin gunk etc off violin oil varnish? I tried it recently and it worked well...but I chickened out quickly!! ps - apologies if this topic has been tackled before