Michael_Molnar

I was not referring to the Sgarabotto sample. Thanks for the heads up, nevertheless..

As to your second point about linseed oil in place of proteins, I am researching historic methods, not the best methods. That is an important point. Your LO layer could produce superior results and so could rosin infusion. But I am not focused on better techniques. If you read the research papers cited in Bucur, you realize that this is not contamination.

I encourage you to read the literature. Start with V. Bucur, “Handbook of Materials for String Musical Instruments” (2016). Therein you will see how many researchers have detected proteins in Strads and other Cremonese instruments. Read the recent work by the Italian researchers at the Arvedi Lab for more work on proteins (2017 and more recent). Echard’s (2010) failure to detect protein in the Sarasate (Strad 1724) may be a red herring for two reason. Given the variability in Cremonese work, it is possible that this (one?) instrument has no protein, but maybe instead a polysaccharide which he did not look for. The other reason could lie in a problem with his experiment. In any case, Echard did not refute the use of proteins. Does anyone know if Echard still stands behind this null detection? The amounts of proteinaceous layers does not look like accidental. My hypothesis of a tempera is based on well documented historic artist practices.

It is pretty obstructive. As I said, boycott the advertisers.

The hotel charges help pay for the facility use, which are enormous for a VSA competition. Cleveland is very convient because I can drive and load the car up with purchases from the vendors. I can't do that economically with a plane flight.

How many attended as compared to the last Cleveland VSA?

Actually, these additional ads makes the site more profitable. Ka-Ching.

Clicking an ad only encourages more. Ignore them.

Way too many ads, but this is what we get for something "free".

Right. My reading points to polysaccharides such as gum Arabic. Lots of linked sugar molecules.

Maybe she said xanthophyll, not chlorophyll. My gaffe.

I was told by a poultry scientist that free-range chickens lay orange yolk eggs because they nibble on plants having chlorophyll. Another factoid from my vast warehouse of worthless knowledge.

I am NOT in the casein sealant camp. However, I make a casein tempera with success. It is purely water based. (I also make an albumin white egg tempera.) This is Layer 2. It soaks into the wood fibers. I wipe off any excess, so there is nothing on top of the wood. On top of this is Layer 3, a 1:4 lean clear colorless varnish which seals or encapsulates the ground. On top of that is Layer 4, the colored varnish. The tempera colorant is golden yellow with some red highlights in thick areas such as in pores (dichromatic). I am experimenting with other historical colorants. I will start exhibiting examples soon, but color photography is problematic. Stay tuned.

I am prepared to be wrong. I have nothing to lose. I will bring examples of my work to shows and workshops for feedback.

Again, I think you are making an invalid equivalency. Look at her photos and tell me that this is unintentional mishandling.