DonLeister

I agree with you about taking note of the inflection point on the arching. I see it as a helpful way to define or reproduce the overall arching scheme.

If I understand your drawing correctly, the arc going from the lower bout to the upper bout is the inflection point, right? I have observed and mapped the inflection points on some good instruments and they are not similar to your drawing at all. I have to ask, have you mapped the inflection points on good instruments and seen anything like what your plan shows?

I would disagree. Using electric (or flame, but I wouldn't) thin metal will have some very hot spots and thicker metal will be considerably more even.

I have been using it as a ground, one coat, really thin, it is indestructible. Make a paste with fumed silica, rub it on, wipe it off well until nothing shows on a rag, rub it with chalk, rub that off well and the instrument will look burnished almost and is practically dry at that point. It does need UV to cure though. The instrument will be sealed 100%, then you can put other really dark varnishes on. The sealing effect will happen with other oil varnishes too, it is the technique, rather that that particular varnish.

An asparagus pot works well, I use this one;

Put the fiddle in a box with a tray of ammonia and fume it for some hours or days.

Hi Frank, I have two, pm me and I'll get one to you.

I make and buy varnish, and I see that I cannot choose both selections for the survey, sorry. In both cases I have gained some empirical knowledge of the making, application, handling, polishing and aging properties of them. From the ones I buy, not only do I obtain a varnish but I also gain access to the maker's willingness to share their empirical knowledge of the varnish/process. From the varnishes I make I gain my own empirical knowledge. Something lacking in our times is having ready access to products from a continuous generation of varnish makers, not using modern 'improved ingredients'.

Something especially important about violin varnishes is how well they can be retouched and restored. It was almost mentioned by someone earlier in the thread. Laquers, urethanes, and most synthetic varnishes ( I have heard them referred to as bulletproof ) do not wear in an attractive way and are also difficult to repair and retouch compared to most violin varnishes.

Maybe the wet cloth isn't helping? Wash it before cooking, not after. Can you keep the oil warm while it if filtering, maybe with a light bulb of some kind-incandescent?

You didn't cook it with sandarac, right? If not you must have cooked it pretty hot, almost to the point where it starts to gel, I'm guessing. Steam appears at lower temps, smoke appears at hotter temps, are you sure it was steam? Got a thermometer? I have never had a problem with cooked oil passing through a filter unless I have added some kind of resin. Have you tried washing it in water? Not hot of course. I think if it is cooked so much that it is hot and stringy that you have gone too far. Even solvents are not going to prevent it from starting to congeal.

I haven't used mine in a while so I got it out, (Black and Decker actually, not Stanley) it looks a lot like yours Arglebargle. I'm glad you found something. I think the laser line is easier to view in a photo where as in real life it is an intense sort of line to look at.

This is using a Stanley brand laser from Lowes that projects a line along a wall or such, $30 or so? It looks good in that picture but up close the line is a bit fat and intense on my eyes. I like the shadow method for doing arching, it shows unvarnished wood well. Varnished wood shows pretty good too if you tinker with the setup.

I went to Best Bi so I could connect the bluetooth floor models to my phone and give them all a test run. I came away with this; SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker II It will really kick without distorting. the sound (highs) can be somewhat directional when close to it but further away it evens out.

Leaving the shop one day instead of taking one step I cleared three instead!