Violin #5 - Strad Body modes

[Peter K-G]

The mineral rubble is rather coarse, ne c'est pas?

Yes, you have to kind of slowly press it into the surface with your tumbs. The good thing is that it saturates all the pores in the wood. Diluted with a little bit of linseed oil helps rubbing it in.

[Peter K-G]

[David Burgess]

Peter, I think he's talking about the mineral rubble in the background of the photo in post #199.

[Peter K-G]

Peter, I think he's talking about the mineral rubble in the background of the photo in post #199.

Oh, that would be a challange, it's not allways easy to follow the humour in foreign language

Janito, maybe you would like to share your recipe for varnishing?

[Janito]

Janito, maybe you would like to share your recipe for varnishing?

 

Northern Renaissance 'Fulton's' varnish for the ones completed in the '90s (rubbed silica/varnish ground).

 

After a >10 year hiatus, I have several batches of my own colophony varnish that are maturing and some of Joe Robson's varnish - none of which have touched a completed violin yet in anger or in jest.

[Peter K-G]

A little bit of "nonsense" between varnishing stages.

 

At this stage I usually test the carrying power and base tone = kind of chord of the body modes.

(equalizer; Body modes as violin sound equalizer)

 

This by holding the violin with index finger under the scroll and knocking quite hard where the upper saddle is placed and down along the fingerboard. This exites more or less dBs of the modes, one at a time.

 

I do this both with and without fingerboard.

 

This violin really pops with a round, big and focused sound coming out of the soundbox. People are suprised of the powerful sound that can be heard. (100 - 150 m distance)

 

The method can't be done to the same extent with a stringed up instrument, because the driving force is then kind of opposite from the bridge.

 

And BTW there is no science behind this it's only listening and sensing

[Peter K-G]

Finished varnishing, too dark?

 

 

 

I have followed the simplest system from Old Wood
http://www.oldwood1700.com/sistemas_aplicacion.aspx (System 6)

 

1. Gelatin primer
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=30
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/videos/producto.aspx?id=30

 

2. Italian Golden ground A+B
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=2
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficheros/anexos/64_igggb.pdf

 

3. Doratura Minerale
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=4
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/videos/producto.aspx?id=4

 

4. Brescia Brown Varnish  - 3 layers, one without pigment and two with Walnut – Dark Brown
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=7
    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=21

 

Total 6 g

 

I do kind of like by hand application with vinyl gloves! You have all the time you need to work with the varnish.

If I had gotten rid of all dust in my workshop the violin would be ready for setup.Need to polish a little bit.

 

 

[Peter K-G]

This is the best stage in the project. You know the violin will sound absolutely incredible and nothing can change that, because the moment of truth hasn't arrived yet

 

[Marty Kasprzyk]

Finished varnishing, too dark?

 

VarnishFinished_2.jpg

 

I have followed the simplest system from Old Wood

http://www.oldwood1700.com/sistemas_aplicacion.aspx (System 6)

 

1. Gelatin primer

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=30

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/videos/producto.aspx?id=30

 

2. Italian Golden ground A+B

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=2

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficheros/anexos/64_igggb.pdf

 

3. Doratura Minerale

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=4

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/videos/producto.aspx?id=4

 

4. Brescia Brown Varnish  - 3 layers, one without pigment and two with Walnut – Dark Brown

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=7

    http://www.oldwood1700.com/ficha.aspx?id=21

 

Total 6 g

 

I do kind of like by hand application with vinyl gloves! You have all the time you need to work with the varnish.

If I had gotten rid of all dust in my workshop the violin would be ready for setup.Need to polish a little bit.

Is 6 g a typical weight gain for violins?

[Peter K-G]

Is 6 g a typical weight gain for violins?

I have no idea but I put 4 g on violin #4, the varnish layer is too thin and worn to the grounding in some places.

[Guest]

Looks good Peter. Nice varnish color and I like the fairness of the ladies neck. Can't go wrong with a fair skinned redhead. I've never tried the old wood system. From what I've read they make a primer similar to Koen's?

Can you post a picture after the primer application?

 

-Ernie

[Joe Swenson]

I've been following this thread for a while now. Very nice work.  How about a picture from the front? 

 

Cheers,

Joe

[Peter K-G]

This project has been quite a journey, fighting with heated wood, tuning at 0% moister content and struggling on the edge to failure.

 

(Joseph, here is a front view, sorry about the bad picture quality, I reallly have to get a new phone (Nokia))

 

 

There is still a lot of trimming and analyzing to do but every story must come to an end, how did it turn out?

 

The numbers (Humidity has been over 50 % for 1,5 weeks):

 

 

Total weight is 400 g without chinrest

 

The Sound:

 

It is pure and crispy and very even. I say no more

 

Thank you Patrick, without your help this project  would have ended up a total disaster. You really saved my work.

And I now posess a knowledge that I have been searching for over 15 years.

Great thing is that there is still a lot to learn and discover.

 

End of - Violin #5 - Strad Body modes

[Janito]

here is a front view

 

Great thing is that there is still a lot to learn and discover.

 

 

In that spirit, watch out for the peg axes as the reamer is turned (the D peg axis looks a little off from the rest).

 

I find it useful to have all the pegs in just a little to see how they align with themselves and the scroll - I can then make adjustments as the holes are enlarged. 

 

The pegs then act as a very useful visual 'leveling' gauge as the neck is being fitted.

[Peter K-G]

In that spirit, watch out for the peg axes as the reamer is turned (the D peg axis looks a little off from the rest).

 

I find it useful to have all the pegs in just a little to see how they align with themselves and the scroll - I can then make adjustments as the holes are enlarged. 

 

The pegs then act as a very useful visual 'leveling' gauge as the neck is being fitted.

Sharp eyes! I'm aware of my misstake there, should have payed more attention when reaming the holes.

[uncle duke]

This violin is about to get the neck attached. A very strong cup of Early Gray, took all the whiteness away.

 

TopEarlyGray.jpg  BackEarlyGray.jpg

 

Anyone has an opinion on gelatin as a sealer?

I don't have an opinion.  Just a few questions.  Shouldn't a sealer be a flexible material of sorts?  If yes, what could we add to sealers to make them flexible.  About the cleats you added-  did they change any of your plate numbers after glueing?  Me personally,  I think your one of the best in regards to the studying of the violin.

[Peter K-G]

Thanks uncle duke

 

This particular violin has been varnished with Old Wood system. Nowadays I use my own system documented on my web site.

If you look back in this thread you will find that I had a lot of problems gluing center joints due to heat treated dry wood and bad tools and skills.

 

By now this violin has been opened 3 times for retuning and all the cleats are gone. Cleats have no affect on sound or modes. They are just an insurance for peace of mind. Some use them some don't.

[carl1961]

On 2/25/2013 at 9:53 AM, Oded Kishony said:

You can download a very good program first developed by Oliver Rogers that measures density, stiffness along, across and diagonally on a plate. (top or back)

 

The link above is to Tom King's web site which has lots of useful information as well.

 

The density of your top seems on the high side. If the wood is extra stiff then it's probably ok, but if it's not then I would find a different piece.

 

Oded

link changed since your posting   http://www.fiddleheadstrings.com/wood density calculation.xlsx