joerobson

True. If flax is grown in rotation with rape seed [canola oil] the oil will have drying problems. on we go, Joe

The food grade oil is grown from genetically altered flax....altered for antioxidants....and seek oxidation ie drying. on we go, Joe

Was your flax oil intended for food consumption or the paint industry? on we go, Joe

Jackson, Correct on all. I am fortunate to have enough raw colophony for several lifetimes. For those who have not heard the story..... When the Condax research was being done they purchased a large amount of a very fine colophony. It is a "bottom resin"....the material from the bottom of the huge pots the Hercules Co. used to cook in. I ...through a long story...purchased this resin This resin is the color of garnet before I begin to work with it. The point is: If you want to be in control of your product,find a resin you like....buy a LOT...and get to know it! on we go, Joe

Pine resin, Rosin, colophony....whatever you have is an amazing material....capable of a myriad of outcomes as you cook it. Keep in mind that different raw products will provide differing outcome...even if the label says they are the same thing. One can manipulate color, hardness, and flexibility according to cooking procedures.

Iron added has a tendency to blacken as it ages. I do not see this from cooking in cast iron.

The addition of iron to the Rosin cook is quite different from cooking in cast Iron. on we go, Joe

YES

I use the ceramic coated pots for initial low temperature cooking. So far, so good. on we go, Joe

I process linseed oil in stainless steel...only because I had the right pot. Pine resin gets both ceramic lined cast Iron and regular cast Iron. Varnish is cooked in stainless steel. on we go, Joe

Here is the current status of our project. After I finished the exterior of the plates, the back and rib assembly went to Joe Thrift. Joe finished the graduations and glued the back to the ribs. He sent it to Jackson Maberry who is graduating the top and installing the bass bar. Jackson will do the finish assembly on the body and send it to Julia Felix. Julia has the neck and will set it and return the instrument to me for varnishing. Jay Van de Kopple is doing an inventory of the remaining contents of Mike's shop. I have proposed a silent auction at the upcoming VSA convention. The funds from the sale will go the the VSA scholarship fund. No response as yet. Our hope is to have a finished violin for VSA and present it to a worthy player as Mike's family requested. on we go, Joe

Staining the wood directly often results in killing the optical properties of the wood...the Zebra effect. Rather you can enhance these properties and get some deep reflectivity on we go, Joe

He's not a Strad?

I finished scraping the plates. Now on to assembly. on we go, Joe

Don, Not torrefied, but sun tanned. The remaining tops are being inventoried with all Mike's stuff. Joe