Evan Smith

oops,, That wasn't a pm was it?

How much would one can of this make?

Hey, how have you been? Have you tried to dissolve any of this? I often add some acetone to the mix to make it go further on furniture. Evan

This is the reason that many violins drastically change the way they sound during different seasons, or weather changes, or even when the barometric pressure rises or lowers. One day a violin can sound quite open and resonate and very clear, and then suddenly they become muted and dull and all of the high frequencies seem to disappear and the sound is inside of the box, and then after a while, they will change back again. for this reason when I’m finished with an instrument, I will continuously re-trim the violin numerous times during different seasons and humidity changes until it becomes stable throughout all the different changes, and it will become very stable if you re-trim it under all conditions. you do understand there are different dipoles for the top plate and the back plate also? I am also very curious why you are determined to explain this to all of these people who don’t seem to care and treat you so rudely. Blessings to you, Robert Evan

Wow, that was one of the most concise explanations I have ever seen. That was two rings away from a dead bull’s-eye. Like the headless Horseman streaking through the night, I think I see something, then it’s gone. Parasites, huh? I thought about that for a minute at first, it was a little repulsive, disorienting, almost confusing, almost felt a case of leprosy burning, kind of right below my left eye, big toe on the right foot was throbbing just to touch. then it dawned on me, that is the most perfect explanation for what is going on. If you chase those parasites in the B minus one through the neck and the in blocks and the neck block, you can make a violin bow amazingly. The bow becomes glued to the strings like they are one. But only when the parasites are gone. When you chase them around the c-bouts, along with the B minus one,you can get a tremendous amount of power out a violin. When you have the relationship between the top and back plate correct, and you chase them around between the upper and lower bouts, then the high frequencies become insanely brilliant, producing higher and higher harmonics, they become clear and clearer, and almost crystalline in nature, But never harsh. Part of the problem with all of this is it never stays the same, when you mess with the top plate, the back plate, all changes around, and rearranges itself. And when you mess with the back plate, the top plate rearrange itself. You just keep chasing these parasites everywhere. But as they are disappearing and they’re almost gone things stop rearranging, and it all becomes stable. Quantum violins You mentioned a while, back about repairing instruments, good ones, and how can they take it and not change? Once all the parasites are pretty much gone, you can actually do a lot to it, take it apart re-glue it put in a breast patch, a sound post, patch, change the base bar, and it will maintain its general personality and goodness and brilliance. I’ve actually done that too and broken up a few and patched them and you go wow They still work great. That’s not my opinion. I’ve had people that played ¥<£#%*^’s for a living try them out and they will say I can use this, and that’s good enough for me. Gotta go, running from the palsy.

I’d have to think about that one a bit, I’m not sure that the sound post is solely the moment arm, or just part of it. I’m really not that smart, but it seems to me. It’s an adjustable fulcrum related to the moment arm, you can enlighten me if I have the neurons to handle it. However, it is obvious that the sound post and the bridge do not move and the entire violin does bend around it. I’ve had that view of it sense the first time I wet a few violins and put them in the oven to see what they would do, and it was pretty obvious what was going on with all the Bending and deflections in all directions. I am cautious when using the word tuning, as it seems to cause instant mental paralysis, along with a simultaneous case of leprosy. I am not fond of leaving the world behind me, paralyzed and destitute.

You can use any angle for cutting edge if you like as long as it is sharp. I like 90 most of the time. You can put a burr on a knife edge, but it will be super aggressive, and that would be overkill for spruce. But no matter what angle you use it needs to be as sharp as you can possibly get it preferably even polished. Then when you roll the burr, the edge of the burr is also very sharp and clean. If the initial edge doesn’t start out perfect the burr will not be perfect. I just scraped the top of a nice old solid, walnut desk and refinish it. I left the edge of the scraper at 90° sharp and polished, and it does an excellent job of putting a super fine finish, it removes plenty of wood and just the right amount, about like 600 grit sandpaper. If I were to put a hook on the very same scraper, it would leave the finish rough and cut not nearly as smooth and that’s not what I want so I leave it at 90 but sharp. At this point I could still roll of burr on this large scraper and it would work excellent, but it would take a piece of carbide because this is a very large hardened steel scraper. I laid a scraper. I normally use for my violins next to it so you can see the difference in size.

You make a point here, in that almost anything reasonable will work to turn a burr on a scraper. For years, I just used chrome Phillips screwdrivers, even a chrome square shank screwdriver, which has an extra small radius on the corner can work quite well. The issue here might not be the burnisher itself, but I would dare to guess it’s the improper preparation of the scraper itself before turning the bur . The 90° angle if that’s what you’re using that intersects the side in the cutting face is a scraper. Should be sharp enough to cut you before you even roll a burr. I’ve cut myself many times on the backside of flat chisel’s because they were sharpened so flat and square on the edges that they will slice you like a knife. A scraper needs to be prepared just as carefully before any kind of a decent burr can be obtained. I will often sharpen the scraper and use it for quite a while before I even put a burr on it, once it quit skiing quite so clean lane. It’s pretty easy to put a burn on at that point because the edge is still sharp enough. But you’ll never produce a nice cutting burr on a scraper unless the edge is in really good shape. I will use the belt sander to clean up the edge of a scraper to fresh material all the way across and then hand flatten the sides and remove any bars, left from the belt, sander and hand lap, the sides, and the face and finish it up on an Arkansas stone charged with Munro oxide, which leaves it highly polished, and you can get a really nice per if you start there, and you have a nice tool to roll the burr with. yeah, I’m gonna leave this be as is, I think it’s rather quaint, sounds like maybe I live in northern Mongolia and I’m using a really bad translator, as in do not over tighten or blade is to break. If you don’t get the idea now, then forget it, fur FUR get GIT it. ha ha ha ha, it’s asking me if this is English what do you think?

I’ve tried everything I could find, chrome, plated, screwdrivers, chrome, steel files that are polished, and I was unsatisfied with all of them including the famous red handled burnisher. I still have that. What I don’t like about all those as you can feel the friction between the metal kind of a gauling sensation, even on soft, steel scrapers. So,,, As I really like thin spring steel for scrapers,Solid carbide rod is absolutely wonderful. It is smooth leaves a really nice edge and there’s nothing too hard for it to master. I have purchased a number of these and sent them to my violin, making friends, yes, I do have an occasional friend. They need to be perfectly straight these curvy ones to roll the burr for you are nasty. You can never tell what you got. I like to do the angle of my own burrs I like about a 3/8 inch diameter 12 inch long, solid carbide rod. It feels good in the hand, nice and heavy, and it’s great to swat flies with. I think those are about up to $100 apiece now. First one I bought they were around 20 bucks. Oh how time flies. I was refinishing some kitchen cabinets for someone, and my carbide rod just vanished, what a drag, had to buy another one. If I don’t have my solid, carbide rod, then I just don’t have a burnisher. Evan, never an opinion whatsoever.

It would probably help if you would throw up the picture with the measurements of the billet. Trying to visualize all of that and the numbers in the billet, and on the billet, and the stars in the sky, as the moon flies by is giving me great mental anguish. Or just patiently wait, and wait

Note No. two. I realize the really only correct way to set the neck is using a 158 angle gauge, 27 mm projection to the bridge, along with the proposed saddle height, and that will cover the bases. If a person makes the same models and same arching height over and over, you can use the same numbers over and over. I’m just being lazy, tired, old and grumpy, and wondered if somebody had taken notes so I don’t have to dig out my angle gauge, I don’t take notes,,, so take note of that!

Just a note here, I realize it’s all going to be in relationship to the total arching height of the top, so say what would it be with a 15 mm top arch, 16, 17, what is the relationship?

Is the neck over stand measured from the plate edge, or from the Perfling? I have always heard the numbers of 6.5 to 7 mm, and I’ve also heard discussion of from the plate edge or from the purple. I have personally done 6.5 from the plate edge for years and have never noticed a problem. However, upon considering this issue, I realize that depending upon the style of the plate, and which number you start with, there could be quite a large discrepancy in the final result. Just looking for a little clarity here or some opinions. Thanks, Evan

Yeah, I’ve done this a few times, if you start scraping on it and messing with the wood, it’s gonna really show, because after it’s been stripped and wet and cleaned and washed, the grain will be fairly fluffy, you start scraping on it. It’s gonna leave a scar everywhere you touch it.. it’s been a while, but I think I used to scrub it off with acetone after citrus strip, though I think they’ve changed the formula so it might not be the same as it was, used to be rather slimy to get off. I don’t remember if it was the older version or the newer version that was better but if you wanna scrape on it when you get done, you’re gonna need to throw some more ground on it. Take it back off. You have to do something to make the wood look like it hasn’t been messed with. A light thin ceiling with something like damar, resin and a very, super dilute coat of transparent watercolor can give a really nice even darker color for the ground. as you know, there are literally thousands of ways to do all of this stuff, and I could go on and on, and on, and on, and on about all the variables, but you have to be careful with the scraping and messing with the wood because it will show easily, and you’ll have to deal with that some lie and hydrogen peroxide mixed together, and do a light coat scrub it with a soft brush after you scrape it and mess with it will bring it pretty much back to one color if you do it too much the major raise in the maple will actually all bleach out white and then the wood starts looking rather plain so you don’t wanna overdo that but, good luck, glad it’s not me.

Be sure to seal that spot completely before you try any type of color. I personally like damar resin, I solve it in a little acetone and maybe a touch of limonine. Or if you want to use hide stop what glue or something, just make sure it is completely sealed before trying any color..