Christian Bayon´s bench

[Evan Smith]

I varnish this way also,,

[Guest]

Gorgeous Evan, Please tell how you varnished this one, pigment color?. I should have sent you a PM, sorry.

[Doug Cotterill]

Christian, do you ever get distortion from varnishing parts when the violin is not fully assembled? I've had warping in the past when I have varnished protective coatings on backs and bellies, so I now finish make my violins in the white before varnishing. Maybe you are adding something to the inside too, to stop the distortion?

[christian bayon]

You touch an important point IMO, I like to release all the tension from varnish before to glue the plate together. It's , maybe, something help the old instruments to be more free, they have been open and disassembled several time and the tension of building and varnishing are gone.

My technique of varnish maybe help. Many musicians have been able to play important concert less than 24h after have my new instruments.

[tango]

Thanks Chrietian , very interesting alternative. TANGO

[christian bayon]

After a small cello, a small viola (15 1/2)

[Doug Cotterill]

Very nice. I admire your work very much.

[Janito]

Actually, I start to work this way to avoid the white mark in the ground, on the ribs, left by the glue soaked in the wood when gluing the back and the belly.

 

I have found similar 'lightened' areas where there is no glue (eg scroll turns), suggesting to me that there is a surface tension component to the drawback of varnish. 

 

For the ribs, it is noticeable that there can be plenty of varnish deep in the angle between rib and plate, with lightening beyond - almost as if varnish is being pulled from the nearby coat into the angle.

 

Oh...and nice  viola!

[christian bayon]

A violin from 2010 passing in the shop. Nice to see the natural wearing mixed with the artificial one!

[Berl Mendenhall]

So nice Christian, beautiful work.  Looks very convincing.

[Michael_Molnar]

I like that varnish job too. Nicely done.

[christian bayon]

Top and scroll of the same.

[Húslař]

I think that it is maybe secret but I must ask : Can You tell us more about varnishing - special about Your excellent ground. What type of pigments - in tubes, liquid or powdered? How long dry varnish layer? Have You UV chamber-how strong, what type of light?

Thank You very much!

[christian bayon]

For the ground I continue with natural colours, no chemical product, mainly on maple for not "kill" the flame . Gambodge, aloe and catechou and ivory black  (just a little)

I don´t use pigments in tube, there is a lot of not interesting stuff in them. I prefer in powder. I have a UV cabin (Black UVB), but I use it very shortly, only for start the polymerisation, when it start, you don´t need to keep the UV on, the reaction keep going by itself. This summer, very sunny in Portugal, I used the 6pm sun for dry it even better. I can varnish every 5 days.

[Húslař]

For the ground I continue with natural colours, no chemical product, mainly on maple for not "kill" the flame . Gambodge, aloe and catechou and ivory black  (just a little)

I don´t use pigments in tube, there is a lot of not interesting stuff in them. I prefer in powder. I have a UV cabin (Black UVB), but I use it very shortly, only for start the polymerisation, when it start, you don´t need to keep the UV on, the reaction keep going by itself. This summer, very sunny in Portugal, I used the 6pm sun for dry it even better. I can varnish every 5 days.

Thank You very much for sharing!

Have You some photo from grounding? And how is using Your natural colours - it is diluted in water or spirit? How You protect wood (special spruce top) before much infiltration?

[christian bayon]

Diluted in alcohol and, for the top, I size with light hide glue.

[Húslař]

Diluted in alcohol and, for the top, I size with light hide glue.

 It is an excellent work!

Can You give me instructions for making this type of grounding-if it is not transgression from me . It is really beautiful!!!

Thank You!

[christian bayon]

Like I said before: Gambodge, aloe , catechou and ivory black  (just a little) Try on piece of wood,maple without flame and spruce for find the right colour. If it´s nice on plain wood, it work, many makers use beautiful maple for experimentation, it´s useless! any varnish is nice on a piece of rib made in flamed maple!

[Húslař]

Like I said before: Gambodge, aloe , catechou and ivory black  (just a little) Try on piece of wood,maple without flame and spruce for find the right colour. If it´s nice on plain wood, it work, many makers use beautiful maple for experimentation, it´s useless! any varnish is nice on a piece of rib made in flamed maple!

 

If I understand rightly it is a mixture of this 4 components in ethanol? Or every of components are apply separately? And apply with what - brush or cloth?

[christian bayon]

I mix the components in alcohol and I brush it.

[Urban Luthier]

Your results looks fabulous Christian.

 

i've tried messing about with stains dissolved in alcohol, but each time i do it soaks right thought the wood!

[christian bayon]

Mine are not stains but resins, they have color and "body", I size the spruce with hide glue. The rule is: your ground can´t be darker than your varnish, and if it soak a little bit, it´s not bad.

[christian bayon]

Less wild than usual,

 

[Guest]

I like this very much. Beautiful even color.

[Urban Luthier]

the varnish looks wonderful as well!. Do you make it yourself Christian?