FiddlinJim Posted May 8, 2002 Report Share Posted May 8, 2002 What do you use to clean a bow that wont take off the finish. I've got one that I am refurbishing and it has some black crud (probably old rosin) along the stick and was wondering how to safely remove it. FiddlinJim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
administrator Posted May 9, 2002 Report Share Posted May 9, 2002 Use Dr.Dralles Birkenwasser! Good stuff, I'll get you the recipe if you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiddlinJim Posted May 9, 2002 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2002 Thanks for your reply, is this stuff safe on the finish? What is it and where can I get some? is there anything else that might work? I appreciate your help! FiddlinJim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
administrator Posted May 9, 2002 Report Share Posted May 9, 2002 Your cannot buy per say, you have to buy the ingredients and mix it yourself. so here they are; 1 part distilled water 1 part medicinal turpentine oil 1/2 part kamphor oil 1 part kamphor spirit 1/2 parafin oil Put them in a bottle and shake it all about! You can clean the violin family, bows, and can give the bridge a slight treatment with it. Plus Dr. Dralles Birkenwasser will not affect your finish! It smells wonderful to! Put a little on a clean cloth and give the instrument a wipe. This isn't really directed to you fiddling, but if other people use this don't clean your violin with it everyday! But please, please be careful in your restoration of the bow. It take time to work that caked rosin off. Be paitent, proceed slowly. Whichever treatment you chose use it in moderation! Ciao Toadster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbear Posted May 9, 2002 Report Share Posted May 9, 2002 I have heard of Dr.Dralles Birkenwasser as an odoriferous hair tonic/hair pomade that has achieved joke status. Is Toad is playing games with you? On the other hand, those aromatic oils do have a reputation for being efficacious as cleaners. There must be something simpler and less smelly! On previous threads there has been strong recomendation for a product called "Goo Gone". I don't know where it can be obtained though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbgilm Posted May 9, 2002 Report Share Posted May 9, 2002 I have a bottle of Goo Gone, and use it for cleaning strings only. It contains a petroleum distillate and thus I would be very cautious about using it on any wood finish. I think you can get it in hardward stores, K-Mart, and lots of other places. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie Brown Posted May 10, 2002 Report Share Posted May 10, 2002 Does Kolstein still market that cleaning kit with the two bottles? It's probably toxic as ****, but it really cuts through the rosiniferous plaque. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeune_Celliste Posted May 10, 2002 Report Share Posted May 10, 2002 Toad, does that recipe really work? I'm interested because I have a few bows that need some serious "de-crud"-ing... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
administrator Posted May 10, 2002 Report Share Posted May 10, 2002 I know it sounds rediculious, but yes Dr. Dralles Birkenwasser actually works! When my instructor first showed it to me I wasn't quite sure what it was, and OH THAT SMELL. Then when he told me the name I laughed and laughed, almost cried. I had an old Russian vioin that had been polished for a long time with commercial cremes, then left to sit in a closet for 30 years, not good in my book. Well, this stuff took it off, you need some of elbow grease though! It really takes alot of rubbing to get the old rosin off. This stuff is not a silver bullet and it takes some time, everything does. If you use it make sure you throughly wipe the instrument/bow down after words, heavy cleaning can leave alot of the oil behind and that isn't wonderful either. So clean with one cloth, changing occansionaly, then wipe up with a totaly clean one to get rid of any access oils. I know it sounds strange, but it's true. As alwyas, test it somewhere unnoticiable first making sure it doesn't damage the finish. And as Oldbear noted you can give you head a little treatment too, get the slicked Elvis look happening, though seeing s it takes rosin off of things I am not to apt to rubbing it on my head! Furthermore, use the exact ingredients! It has to be medcinal turperntine oil, it would be best to go splits on the mixture as I am sure some if not all are expensive. I can try to get the cost for you here and then do the conversion. And as always, if you don't know what your doing don't do it! Ask or take it to someone who does know! I won't give the little speech about cleaning your instrument as soon as you have finished playing though becasue we all know that one and are just cleaning Ebay junkers! Now saying that I have just opened myself up to all of the violin makers on the board who can now duly tell me there theories as why it isn't good to use Dr. Dralles Birkenwasser. It will blah, blah, blah, what about blah, blah, etc...ad nauesum, fire away. If you think this is strange I know of a shop in London that cleans its instruments will Olive Oil, some special medicinal kind though, so don't go running to your cupboards. Happy Cleaning Toadstool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiddlinJim Posted May 11, 2002 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2002 Thanks for the information, I definatly want to give it some thought before I try this concoction on my bow. btw besides being the guy with the recipe who is Dr. Drazle Brokenwasher anyway? FJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
administrator Posted May 11, 2002 Report Share Posted May 11, 2002 I have no idea who Dr.Dralles Birkenwasser was but he must have had great hair! If you in doubt try buying a few really old crudy bows from some where, ebay comes to mind, and give them a go. It works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Maurice Posted May 14, 2002 Report Share Posted May 14, 2002 I use mineral spirits for cleaning bows and bow hair. It works very well and I have never had any problems with it affecting finishes. It should be used in a well ventilated space. Rosin is very soluble in it, but varnish or shellac are not. When it dries it is odorless and leaves no residue. It works very well for rejuvinating bow hair by removing the built-up rosin. I have also used it with good success to remove rosin and grime that has built up on instruments. Chemically speaking, unlike alcohols or similar solvents, it is not a very polar solvent and so will not affect varnish. It can be bought in most hardware stores, don't confuse it with turpentine spirits which are oily in nature. Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edi malinaric Posted May 15, 2002 Report Share Posted May 15, 2002 I've been using burnishing compound for the better part of 50 years. No problems. This is used as the last step in giving your re-spray job on your car that "as-new" look. Just take a plastic 35mm film canister to the nearest car re-spray shop and explain why you want a couple of teaspoons of the stuff. They'll probably be only pleased to fill it for you. Dab a bit on a yellow duster and rub the rosin build up away. Be careful to keep the compound away from the hair as it contains oil. Finish by vigourously rubbing the entire stick with a clean corner of the duster and that's it. Then - remember to wipe away all rosin and sweaty finger marks off the stick before you put the bow to rest - everytime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiddlinJim Posted May 16, 2002 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2002 Thanks for all the idea's, I think I'll try the mineral spirits and see how that works. I happen to have a big can of it in my shop which makes it convenient, although I might soon be back asking how to refinish a bow! FiddlinJim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BABIK Posted May 18, 2002 Report Share Posted May 18, 2002 "La Popotte pour archets" is a new cleaner made by the bowmakers Jacques & Monique Poullot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiddlinJim Posted May 19, 2002 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2002 Thanks, I'll look into it. FiddlinJim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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