sabaugher
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Wow guys, thanks for all the responses! I'm very grateful for all the information. Also, thank you to Mr. Pacewicz for responding as well! It's great to glean a few gems from the leader in bow re-hairing in my geographic area Yaay, thanks to everyone! You've all been a great help! - Sarah
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Hi All, I'm thinking of learning how to re-hair some bows. I have a number of warped cheap wooden bows to experiment on, and I've been able to gather a fair bit of data on the process. However, does anyone have any recommendations for a good horse hair vendor? Or can anyone endorse a particular type of hair? I've heard that white hair from a stallion is the best for a violin bow (though I wouldn't mind experimenting with some cheaper hair first, just to have a test run so I don't ruin something really good). Thanks so much for any and all advice! - Sarah
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Hey guys, Thanks for the responses! In answer to Fred, I'm going for a ruby red varnish. Chris, thanks for the perspective and ideas! The hide glue method would be really convenient for me, since I already have some mixed up. If I used a thin, dilute coat of hide glue, should I add a colorant? What would you recommend? Also, the violin rosin in alcohol sounds interesting. Would you recommend light or dark? I have a range of scraps left over: dark brown, orange, golden and light yellow. Which do you think would work best as a base for a red varnish? Thanks so much! You guys are the best!!!! Yaay!
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Hi guys! So, I'm getting ready to varnish a fresh, bare patch of spruce on a violin top. But, it's my (shaky) understanding that one must first coat the bare wood with something to "seal" it-- meaning, something that will 1. Protect the wood if the upper layers of varnish are ever worn off, and 2. keep the varnish from soaking all the way through the wood and stiffening it, thus diminishing its tonal qualities. I'm about to do my first varnish, a simple spirit varnish (with some pre-mixed varnishes.... because this is a rush-project for a friend of mine who needs to violin soon)...... what would be a good ground coat for a beginner? I have hide glue at my disposal, but I've heard that diluting that and using it as a ground coat tends to muffle the tonal qualities of the wood. I also have tripoli powder, sandarac, and methylated spirits at my disposal. Could I rub tripoli powder into the wood as a filler/sealant? Or could I use a VERY dilute coating of sandarac dissolved in spirits? Advice is very much appreciated! I've not been able to find a lot of background on this topic that is geared toward beginner varnishers (rather, I see a lot of writing arguing about Cremonese techniques .....). Thanks, guys!!!!! - Sarah
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BOOKS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN WRITTEN
sabaugher replied to Will L's topic in The Pegbox
An encyclopedia of resins, woods, minerals, and other substances as used in violin making. From ancient times to contemporary times. ;D I would buy that book so quickly!!! -
Hi guys! So, I'm about to re-glue a top plate to a clunker violin I opened up recently. I noticed that there's lining/ chamfering that helps support the glue joint where the ribs meet the back plate. I also noticed that I might have cut through some kind of lining between the ribs and the top plate when I removed the top plate. My questions are 1. Am I correct in thinking that when a violin box is initially closed up construction, there is lining/chamfering (of willow or spruce) installed to re-enforce the connection of the top plate to the ribs? 2. If so, any tips for installing that lining? 3. When re-gluing the top plate, must I first do something to prepare the lining/ chamfering? Is is acceptable to not pay attention to the lining when re-gluing a top plate? (I'd rather err on the side of caution and *pay attention to it*, that way the repair is done as well as possible ;D ) Thanks for the help, guys! I really appreciate it! - Sarah
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Thanks to everyone for your great suggestions! You guys are awesome! Doug, I think you're right. It's been a while but I used to paint with oils, and I can see how getting the right color from combining layers of color... not just mixing individual colors in a single coat... will be challenging. And just mixing many different starting colors to get a final color will be interesting too. But it sounds like fun! Jerry, thanks so much for the dry brush technique link! It makes a lot of sense. Thanks for giving me a head's up so I don't get that runny look! Michael, PERFECT link. Thanks! Now I can get a couple different colors and try to mix them as needed. The price is great and will allow me to get a grab-bag Again, you guys are great! Thanks!
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Hi guys! So, I'm doing a retouch on an old trade violin that has spirit varnish. I know that it's somewhat futile to discuss colors without actually showing an example (I'll be approved for pictures soon!), but I'm looking for a varnish that's deep cherry red... much more red than brown. I've thought of making my own 1704 varnish and adding dragon's blood.... but then I saw that one could also use henna, or cochineal, or madder root.... or I could just buy red pre-made varnish from Kremer pigments, and maybe some brown in case I need to adjust the color. So basically, now I'm overwhelmed with choices. Does anyone, from experience, have some endorsements for a nice deep but vibrant red? Anyone know what would typically be used to color a cheap varnish red.... so maybe I can use the same thing or something close to the original? Also.... how much variance is there in the types of reds the common red colorants yield? This is where some first hand experience or advice from those with lots of experience would come in handy! Thank you much for any thoughts you all may have!!!! -Sarah
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Hey guys! Thanks for the suggestions!!! I agree with you that oil varnish is much better, and I am excited to try some out in the future. But, as was said above, I think making a batch of 1704 spirit varnish will be a good first step for me, especially since I want to do some retouching on some old trade instruments hanging around my house. Thanks again for the advice!
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Hi guys, I'm going to try and mix my own batch of 1704 spirit varnish. Does anyone know a good place to order the individual resins and coloring agents? Thanks! -Sarah
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Repairing gouges in top plate on exterior of instrument
sabaugher replied to sabaugher's topic in The Pegbox
Thanks, UG Fiddlesmith -
Repairing gouges in top plate on exterior of instrument
sabaugher replied to sabaugher's topic in The Pegbox
Hey guys, Thanks for your advice, especially Brad Dorsey. I'd love to hear more from David Burgess! To answer your question, my skills are untried at wood working beyond bridge making, but I am a quick and attentive learner. And that is what this violin is for... to learn on. So, sock it to me! What method would you propose? I should probably also mention that I've already taken the top off this instrument and stripped the varnish off the whole thing. I'm also experimenting with some edge doubling where the the edging is really beaten up. When I said I was cutting my teeth on this instrument, I was serious And, John Masters, what skills would you recommend I work on first? I am already practiced in fitting, shaping, and tone matching a bridge to the top plate, installing the sound post, and taking care of the other aspects of violin/ viola set up. I thought that this clunker instrument would be a good opportunity for me to delve into some more serious issues of wood working and repair, focusing more on creating structural stability in the instrument. I plan to re-varnish the violin myself in the coming weeks, and I of course want to achieve a pleasing cosmetic finish, but this is a secondary goal and one that I won't be terribly worried about missing on my first go-round with serious body repairs. Taking into consideration my mindset as stated, I'd still love to hear any advice you have for me. -
Hey guys! I have an old trade instrument that I'm cutting my repair teeth on (don't worry, it was long gone as a functional instrument when it got to me). One of the things I'd like to do is to repair a couple of deep gouges on the exterior o the top plate. In some places, the gouge is about 1 mm deep and covers a surface area about the same size as a quarter. I was thinking that I could sand the area down and patch it, like one would do to make a soundpost patch on the interior of the top plate. But, before I did that, I wanted to ask if there is any existing, accepted method for an exterior gouge repair? Or does anyone have some war stories they'd be willing to share? Thanks in advance, guys! -Sarah
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Robert, thanks for the heads up on the pictures! I do have a tumblr to record my repair adventures (Zombielins), and I'll try linking some pictures from there. Doug, thanks! I'm going to try and get my hands on it (once I get my next paycheck.... ). Yaay, thanks for all the advice, guys! I think I might try the french polish, if I can get my hands on some pumice, and if the remaining varnish is thick enough to stand a little buffing down. I'll let you all know how it goes and post some pictures!
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Oh..... my dear fancy moses... !!!!