polkat
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Posts posted by polkat
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I'll be keeping this one for myself. The measurements seem about right, but the neck still seems thick, so let me put this in another perspective; the cross section of this neck (including the fingerboard) appears to be a true "D" shape as in the attachment I've included. Could this be the reason for the feel?
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I have a nice violin here (not one of mine) with a neck that feels just too thick. It feels like I'm holding a log in my hand, and it's a bit hard to play the G string as a result! The fingerboard has standard sizing with the edges being around 5mm or a tiny bit more. The neck also looks visually too big (slightly). So my question is: can anyone remind me how thick a standard neck (board surface to back sans board) should be? And also, where exactly do you measure since the peg end and the heel end curve upwards and get thicker? I've been using 18.5mm and 19.5mm just at the flat sections on violins I've made, with the board attached. Is that correct? Thanks!
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What's on the packaging that identifies the older Zyex strings from the new formula? The ones I bought have the light blue/dark blue silks at the tails. Are they new or old versions? Thanks!
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These things are pretty big though. Makes me wonder about accuracy when trying to make one small enough for pegs. How well were the old Italian pegs fitted compaired to today?
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I have a good bridge on one violin, and the E string notch is cut right, but it sits about 1mm too low (someone's mistake in cutting the bridge-not me). Can I raise it this much using parchment?
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Thanks for the ideas guys. I'll experiment with them.
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What's the best or easiest way to get a little color in a new bridge? Thanks!
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duane88, I've talked to Mr. Herrin in the past when he advised me that there is a small amount of lubicant inside them (if I understood him correctly). I'd be lery of what heat might do to that lubricant. I've successfully installed these pegs in the past (without using any glue at all by the way) and I understand the thread directions, but thanks!
Don, sounds like the key word here might be acetone. I've actually used acetone in mixing colors for oil varnish, but I don't know what it might do to the black coloring on the aluminum of the pegs (or the surrounding dry varnish for that matter). Perhaps I can introduce a few drops from the inside of the pegbox to avoid color damage on the exteriors?
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I have an ok neck here that can from a smashed cheap violin, but, it has a nice set of Perfection Pegs installed that I'd like to reuse. I might want to reuse the neck sometime, so I don't want to break it up to get the pegs out. Unfortunately, it appears that super glue was used to install the pegs. I realise that they might just pop out with a little force, but what would you do here?
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What methods do you use to lay out the peg holes in the box? I have one violin here with the holes drilled so low in the box that the strings rub against the bottom of the box when tuning. I plan to bush (fill) the holes and re-drill. Just courious how others mark out the holes.
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I also do a lot of repairs (far more then what I make), and I've seen this a lot in even what might be called good intermediate violins (or at least not factory stuff). It makes you wonder why a maker would spend so much time getting things nice, and then overlook this. Even as little as 1mm off will make the bridge appear visually crooked if the notches are used to line up the bridge. I look to see if the stop is around 195 and if at least one notch is and the other is way off, I'll fill it and cut again.
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Tonight I took your (stradofear's) advice and popped the fingerboard, then plained down the body end of the neck a bit. I plained very little, as I don't want to disturb the overstand height of the neck above the plate too much. Then I fine sanded the surface flat again over it's length. Then I drop glued the fingerboard back on and measured. I use a gauge that has fixed pins for measureing with the fingerboard on or off. The pin for the 'on' side is 29mm (but the pin is fixed so, of course, it comes down to the plate at a slight angle). The pin now sits near the plate (centered between the notches) a tad less then 2mm above.
I think that with this, and Manfio's statement about using a slightly higher bridge until the neck settles, it should eventually come in right. Or is 2mm still too much?
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stradofear, do you mean off the back of the neck fingerboard surface? If I planed off the front (near the scroll), the board would sit even higher. iburkard, the neck is standard thickness.
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Good plan! I'll give it a try.
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Just finished a violin and, placing my fingerboard (neck) angle gauge on the fingerboard (or even on the neck itself using that side of the gauge), the tip sits about 3mm above the top plate. I've been lucky to have the gauge sit flush before, and never had this happen before (I must have overlooked something). It's like the neck needs a pull down (rather then a pull up). Otherwise the neck joint looks great. Can I cut a bridge 3mm higher without effecting tone, or must I reset the neck? What would you do?
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jezzupe said "But,but how will you figure it out if you do not try?"
That's always been my approach, and I'll easily admit that I've made a lot of mistakes that way. But I've always felt that you learn just as much from mistakes as from success. Actually trying something, even if you don't fully understand the concept you are working with, can help in that understanding. As Orville Wright said, "If we don't at least try, it will never fly!"
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Well, turns out that I didn't have any terps left, and the local hardware store is many, many miles away. But I did have some acetone. I took about a 1/2 inch bead of both Windsor Newton allzarin crimson and indian red, and dissolved them in just barely enough acetone to work. I was a bit afraid of using acetone, but I held my breath and filtered it through a coffee filter right into about 3 oz of Tru-oil. It mixed just fine and produced a dark reddish color in the oil. Applied the first coat this morning and noticed that the coverage was okay but the color rather weak. I plan to level with 4/0 wool and apply the second coat tonight. Hopefully the color will build up a bit with the coats.
Note; If anyone tries this, don't use a synthetic hair brush (even if you have one you like). I never thought about this but learned just in time that even the smallest amount of acetone in tru-oil will eat such brushes.
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Thanks for the tips guys. I'll let you know how it goes!
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What can I use to color or tint Tru-oil? I was thinking of maybe dissolving some artist oil pigments in a small amount of terps, and filtering this into the tru-oil. Would this work or would I have fading problems later?
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Vernice Bianca....strange...I once knew a woman at a truck stop named Bernice Vianka...
Anyway, is there a general concensus of the use, or lack of use, of honey and sugar in it? I've heard arguements for both sides. I'm getting ready to make a new batch and would like to hear opinions again. Thanks!
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As was just mentioned, helicores can saw into the bridge. I cured that for myself by putting a tiny drop of superglue into each groove and letting it soak in. Worked for me and didn't seem to effect tone any.
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I'm as much a player as a maker (perhaps more so). I started playing bluegrass and used Perludes a lot. Never had much trouble with them. Then I switched to Helicore (which I feel are the best steel strings out there). In recent years I've been playing swing jazz, and, like Grappelli did, I use a gut G and D, and steel A (usually Helicore) and E.
Fine tuners are pretty much useless with gut strings, and it's been my experience that they don't help much with most synthetics either. In recent years I've switched to Precision pegs and don't use tuners at all. Someone here mentioned plastic tailpieces. I've always had trouble with them as they tend to flex (particularly the cheaper ones), which can effect tuning.
Up until less then a century ago most new violins were strung with gut, and I wonder what changes luthiers experienced when switching to different kinds of strings on new violins?
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I usually use vernice bianca myself. I like the tonal change I get. Others who have posted about it here seem not to notice much change, but I do (of course, that could just be me).
Okay, last night I whipped up some egg white, like you would for making VB, and this morning I tried mixing equal portions of the white with orange shellac. Well...heh...the concoction turned sort of marbley, with shellac and clear streams floating around in it. In other words, it didn't mix well (for me anyway). Perhaps if I had used a blender! Well, what can I say. I guess you learn by trying even the simplest things.
Manfio, is it because of that questionable opacity that you don't use VB anymore?
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I'll try tomorrow and coat some wood and report back.
Neck thickness?
in The Pegbox
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DBurns, neat idea and I saved that one.
Well, eventually I compaired it to my better violins and found it to be roughly 3mm too thick up the full length of the neck. I re-profiled it today and gave it a kind of "V" shape (French?). Played it tonight and it's much nicer to play! Thanks all for the tips!