Michael_Molnar

Looks like something from the so-called "History Channel" on American cable tv.

I put a heat diffuser plate on the electric coils and this eliminated hot spots. You can buy these here.

Here is how I put the black edge on the scroll. I use a toothpick as a brush. The black ink is water-based, so it cleans up easily from a varnished surface when I make a mistake. I put this on after the clear coat varnish has dried. I use a 240 grit sanding stick to cut a sharp chamfer through the varnish down to the wood. When I am pleased with the final result I apply the first coat of colored varnish which seals the black ink. IIRC, and am not having a senior moment, this is what Strad did but he used lamp black in varnish. I bet he used toothpicks from fine Italian restaurants.

Here's an example using cover slides to make a wedge for studying dichromatic varnish. BTW, this sample is not mulled very well so it is not very transparent nor is it dichromatic. But I happen to have this photo on hand.

Well said, Marty.

I need to see what B&G and others say about this. Thanks. ----- OK. I was confused for sure. In B&G pp. 39-40, they make a case that the salmon fluorescence is due to the cooking method of the colored varnish making up Layer 4. This color is seen in Layer 4 regardless of the pigments. Thanks for alerting me. I will re-examine the fluorescences I see in my varnish system. I suspect that it is due to the roasting process. Stay tuned.

The Chimneys used a flat bridge for the length of the f-holes. I put the peak between the bridge and geometric plate center because this is what Chris Germain said.

Here is how I evaluate the color hue and chroma of cooked rosin. I fill a 4 oz. medicine bottle with acetone and dissolve 10 g of rosin or varnish in it. Here, is a lineup of some rosins. My initial take on the cooked rosin is that it is greatly misunderstood and has taken on mythical claims. It is undoubtedly an oxidation process. Depending on the rosin source, a red color develops with heat. B&G reported that they noticed a significant red color in Strad's varnish. I claim that this is due to cooked rosin, one possibility that they suggested. In fact, I find it a challenge to prevent this color development in making clear colorless varnish. I keep my rosin cooking to below 230 C. I know that Roger Hargrave and his colleagues use cooked rosin varnish without any pigments. They can do this because their ground is a dark brown made from equum stercore urina. If you do not have a dark ground but a light yellow or tan, the result can be a bland orange. Then, like Strad, you need to add pigments, not much, but some to darken and redden the instrument. Or, start with a dark ground. Pick your poison. I am using cooked rosin with pigments because my ground color is a yellow ochre. I need to pull the color to something close to burgundy. I find that fat varnishes seem to lose or dilute the red color. I also add lime to making varnish but not to cooking the rosin. The lime reduces the linseed oil acidity and gives the varnish better properties. My varnish is close to 4:1 to 3.5:1. Stay tuned.

I also use the cover slides to develop varying coat thickness from undertone up to the saturated masstone as the artists call these. The problem is getting them to dry without dripping all over the storage box. Notice how I set the box upright to eliminate that. Sometimes I put the slides under UV to dry them out completely. Get the slides with white label strips.

I hope I'm doing the right things. I still make mistakes. It bothers me something terribly when I repeat them. Yes, I use a UV inspection lamp. In some of the earlier photos you should find a fluorescent inspection lamp with a huge magnifying lens. I replaced the circular white light lamp with a UV one. I will report again about fluorescent colors, but for now I can say that my ground is a dark yellow with hardly any fluorescence. The clear varnish is bright white. And the colored varnish depends on the pigments, but I have to look more closely at the cooked rosin varnish. I find that the natural anthraquinone family produces that salmon glow. This will include madder and cochineal. There are other things too that could do this, but I would have to verify that. So, I need to do some more due diligence here. Edit: The salmon color is likely due to the cooked rosin. See below.

Q.E.D.

Musical style is a reflection of intellect and culture. The Internet has become the great equalizer for better or worse. Personally, I do not feel threatened. If you can play it on a violin, I love it.

How did you determine it fell? Therein lies your answer.

I used natural ingredients for my first three layers, but found that the 4th layer needed more control. Natural pigments are difficult to control. Madder as you know produces a cornucopia of reds, browns, and oranges. In the photo of the slide, PR206 (quinacridone maroon) is ascribed to brown madder. So, I gathered an extensive collection of pigments with known color characteristics for my testing. Stay tumed.