Jerry Lynn

That's because I took your recommendation on them...

I'm a fan of Reserva Escoda brushes. The points bounce back nicely and hold their shape for a long time.

I wouldn't call it weak. It was the absolute hardest thing I've ever had to turn down. I was sick to my stomach about it for months. Same grain bushings certainly work very well. I've had the best luck making them on a small lathe and lightly finishing them in the peg shaper. I think standard end grain of good quality boxwood or plain maple work fine for most situations

I'm not sure if I'm the one best suited to expand if there is a current concern or not. Jerry P or Jeffrey might have a better understanding of the current wide spread view of that topic. I think in general, as the industry has gotten more conservative, we've come to view repairs as having lifespans (at least that is what you, Jeff, and others have drilled into me). So, if a bushing comes loose, no big deal - replace it. I think in the past there was a "this repair is going to last forever" mentality. Speaking from experience: The main problem i've encountered involving pegs drilled into the center of end grain bushings involves them flaking or breaking off in chunks as you either true up the hole, or ream for a larger size peg, and get close to the outer wall of the bushing. This can also happen when the end grain bushing meets original wood where the hole is offset from the bushing. Also speaking from experience: At the large firm I just left, we did a lot of bushings. Most of them involved moving the peg holes. Often it had little to do with the holes being too large , and more to do with string clearance, and having pegs that were drilled at aesthetically pleasing angles.

David's response is what I was thinking when I read your question, Julian. Other reasons to move a peg, and therefore bush, include creating comfortable space for tuning. Sometimes pegs can be bushed and holes moved to avoid having the peg directly on the path of a crack.

I recall hearing the phrase "there's a lid for every pot" described when selling violins. Back when I worked for "the firm" we tried to allow most instruments to be themselves as much possible. Generally this included fairly vanilla set ups, known but not too exciting string choices, etc. As the number of "lids" decreased per given price range the more we were apt to try to target elements of the set up for a client if we had an inclination of their tastes.

You bought yours is in '55, right? Seriously though, the Tormek pays for itself. I've seen the knockoffs, but I think if you are relying on your edge tools to make a living it's worth the price.

Pretty country up there. I probably haven't driven up that way in 10 years. Grafts don't necessarily mean much in terms of dating a violin. It's one of those things that gets pointed out as a means of identifying age or quality, both of which may have little to do with the presence of a graft.

The top pic looks promising for the graft to be legit. Shunk, PA? You might be the only person in Shunk to own a violin.

I'm not terribly far from Sunbury (1/2 hour or so) I've not come across that name before inside a fiddle. You might want to check with the Northumberland County Historical Society.

If I'm remembering correctly a colleague in Chicago puts a small amount of oil (not sure if its a light weight machine oil, or mineral) on the gaskets of his airbrush after flushing with and thoroughly cleaning with alcohol. The oil keeps the gaskets in good shape, keeps any varnish from solidifying, and gets flushed out before the next use by shooting a small amount of alcohol through the brush.

When I was researching airbrush compressors a few years ago I was directed that my criterion be that it had a tank and a moisture trap. I settled on the Iwata Power Jet. It's very quiet and highly portable, it sits under my bench and I can easily talk on the phone while it fills. I searched eBay for months till I found one sub $300. A colleague in Atlanta has recently had good luck with the Microlux twin-cylinder portable airbrush compressor. It's not as quiet but he seems to think it does a really nice job. Aside from having a good compressor, having an airbrush holder and quick release adapters for the hose are super nice. I have two airbrushes - a Richpen Phoenix 213B and 213C. If I'm retouching a heel I'll have one loaded with color and the other with retouch varnish. The holder and quick release make doing that easy.

Kremer carries it.

It's got loads of uses on violins. Myself and quite a few others were introduced to Lapointe RD at Oberlin 5-6 years ago by one of the better British restorers. In general you make a gel out of the stuff and use it any place you wish to use moisture in a very controlled manner to aid in the removal of glue/debris. I have not noticed any ill effects in removing the gel before it has dried, and very gently "washing" the area with DI or distilled water. Here are some pics I produced for a VSA presentation a few years ago that might help: You can also get a small amount of solvent to incorporate into the gel which can also be useful. Jeff, I just saw you posted... Liz Perry said she was going to experiment with the poultice method on some stains. Should be interesting to hear her results.

The violin side is most definitely wait listed. It's gotten more and more popular every year... I was just in contact with Jenelle and there are open spots for Bow Restoration! It's a great opertunity to learn some great techniques, meet new people and generally have a good time. If anyone is interested in attending pm me for Jenelle's email address.