Michael Darnton

Nathan, what are you using it for? For bow clambering? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cooking-Utensils-Set-Clearance-Backpacking-Stove-Portable-Stainless-Outdoor-Fuel-Stove-Lightweight-Brass-Spirit-Burner-Bbq-Camping-Hiking-Picnic-Stov/15109074142

For grafts I was taught that with a straight edge on the fingerboard gluing surface in the front of the neck, the head should be 2 mm away from the ruler at the top front of the head and that there should be 1 mm step at the end of the board/nut down to the face of the peg box

I see the butchers turned off comments. "I'm glad we were able to preserve this valuable machine" Butcher doing butcher work.

Too painful for me to finish. If I did something like that I wouldn't permit cameras and I certainly wouldn't put it on youtube!

A friend directed me to the idea of testing it when fresh by putting a drop between thumb and index finger tip and then repeatedly pressing them together and apart until it almost dried (just a minute or two is all it takes) to see how tacky it got, then testing that through the lifetime of that batch, throwing it away when it stops grabbing as much as it did initially. It can still look good and fail that test dramatically. I cap it up tightly while still hot and that seems to stop fungus death, mostly. If I can't do that a layer of alcohol on top after it gels seems to help. . . maybe.

You've got to start somewhere. For me, for a totally normal sized violin that's a 328 mm string length with a 130 mm neck . If the neck and stop lengths are indicating something else, I at least try to figure out what the person who set them there was thinking, and whether I agree with that strategy. If there's a question, I'll experiment to see if their idea both sounds better AND doesn't physically impede the player. If so, I might go along, if not on both counts I definitely will not go along. If it's something simply ridiculous, like a 130 mm neck and 220 mm stop, I totally ignore the stop with no regrets. Also noting that string length definitely and directly affects sound, so I do take all of this real seriously. BTW, I've noticed that a lot of larger Strads have a 197, 198, or maybe longer stop length, and most of those I've seen have a setup leaning more towards a normal neck/string/stop length. So I don't feel like my ideas are eccentric in this regard. Players have to be able to play the things, after all.

The only way to know if it's any good is to go play it. He was the restorer at the Warren & Son shop in Chicago for many years.

Maybe that's where the f-holes come from, a quick and dirty Gragnani copy, Brit wood, del Gesu form. . . . and no idea what an original head looks like. https://www.nipponviolin.com/en/instrument/detail/vn078/ I'm still think it is ebony purfling. Only OP knows for sure.

-solid black, unbleached out, wide purfling that doesn't deviate in corners in spite of elegant corners -wobbly, very wide grain, in spite of good quarter, back wood (sycamore?) -odd variation in top wood/varnish interaction across width of top (corduroy/no corduroy) -pin prick in center of button -wishy-washy f-holes with no clear inspiration, different concepts in top and bottom areas -harder yellow varnish -nice outline, maybe just grabbed a del Gesu form off the wall for this job? -corners resemble del Gesu corners in shape and end cut direction -or maybe it could be Alessandro Gagliano form and corners? Not quite.. :-( -four top corners show roughly equal wear -does NOT have a typical British arch So many choices! Anything else, anyone? @Blank face Didn't some early French makers use whale, too? I don't think it's French or Dutch, though. I think it might be ebony? edit: I had to start doing this exercise the first week I was at B&F--Bob would come back with a violin and pass out sheets of paper "Say what you know. If you don't know, say what you see." I had just started and knew nothing, and he said "Is it old? Write it down."

@Shelbow I still think it's British, but after these pix my maker has moved forward a century or two. Does no one else actually have any ideas at all???? Maybe people should start making a list of things they see that are unusual or possible clues?

For what it's worth, I was taught to French polish using unscented baby oil, which is a thicker mineral oil, because it has a really ideal texture and feel for that job, leaves a nice shine and is easy to get off. Kind of a useless task now since I don't French polish things anymore.

I often use mineral oil and 0000 wool to match the glow of retouch to original. It takes a very light hand but the effect is nice. Go light (!!!) and linear, not swirls. Linseed will leave an ugly surface residue. Beeswax polish would be fine but I'd use Renaissance Wax. If I were doing what you have I'd use my airbrush on very high pressure with very dilute spirit varnish from just a bit too far away, working dry, and not overdoing it, just barely take the shine off. This is basically coating the instrument with overspray. Then you can rub with your hand to bring it up to a natural sheen with matte in the low spots where it logically belongs.... underedges, deep in the scroll, etc. This isn't for airbrush beginners, maybe.

@Theghostis If you were in Chicago I'd invite you to stop by. I like stuff like this.

@Theghostis Where are you?

Does your endoscope see 1/10000"? Because a 1/10000" gap is essentially "100% not fitting". What I would do in your case is fit a post 10mm in from the outside of the bridge foot a little bit loose on the f-hole side, both top and bottom (a bit pointy, that is, usually a bit more on the bottom than the top), then pull it out to 3mm in, where where the arching will change a bit so that it fits, but it's a whole lot tighter.. That is: your post is way too loose (and it could probably use being pulled north somewhat, too.)