varnish as usual

[A432]

Quote

Dichroism needs a molecular thin layer to produce an angle-dependent optical wave interference pattern of colors. The constructive/destructive wave interference produces colors. Oil films on water are the best example. Varnish layers are orders of magnitude too thick for dichroic effects.

Quote

https://www.gemselect.com/other-info/pleochroic-gems.php

One of the intriguing properties of many gemstones is an optical phenomenon called pleochroism. It refers to gems that appear to have different colors or depth of color when viewed from different angles.

Pleochroism is caused by differing absorption of light rays in doubly refractive crystals . . . Some pleochroic gems are said to be dichroic - displaying two different colors; kunzite is an example.

FWIW

[FoxMitchell]

On 5/10/2019 at 1:23 PM, joerobson said:

That's surreal! Could pass as modern art!   

[joerobson]

Many shades of the Stradivari Cochineal Varnish as executed by Texas violin maker Alkis Rappas.

[Michael Szyper]

Holy sh... Joe your varnish is incredible! Is there some brown added or is it all the cochineal? 

[joerobson]

2 hours ago, Michael Szyper said:

Holy sh... Joe your varnish is incredible! Is there some brown added or is it all the cochineal? 

Thanks Michael.   These are all just the Stradivari Cochineal and Base Varnishes in differing applications.   Nothing else added.

on we go,

Joe

[joerobson]

 

 

 

 

Hello all,

Our trade is full of repetitive tasks.  Repetitive tasks can become traditions and rituals.  One of my traditions is this book: The Nature and Art of Workmanship by David Pye.  For the past 10 years my preparation for varnish workshops has begun with re-reading this book.  So my prep has begun again.I will have 2 workshops this year:Practical & Artistic Violin Varnishing held April 25^th – May 2^nd at theChicago School of Violin Making.  This workshop is co-taught with Marilyn Wallin and Todd Goldenberg.

 

Fundamentals of Oil Varnishing held March 1^st – March 6^th at Learning Trade Secrets in Ashland, Ohio., which I teach myself.

For information on either please contact me at order@violinvarnish.com

 

 

 

 

 

[joerobson]

Registration for the varnish workshop at Learning Trade Secrets closes on Monday evening.  If you have any questions give me a call at 607 387 9280.

https://www.learningtradesecrets.com/workshops/fundamentals-oil-varnishing

on we go,

Joe

[joerobson]

My current project.

"Practical & Artistic Violin Varnishing" is ...hopefully...re-scheduled for August 15th - 22nd at the Chicago School of Violin Making.  Contact me for details.

on we go,

Joe

[Ken_N]

Now THAT is what I like Joe.  I'm a straight up varnish guy, the worn look does NOTHING for me, and that is a great look.  What are you using to get that color?  My last one, the 5 string,  finally came out nice; I needed WAY more prep work; probably even a better ground coat; it's transparent, with some color shift; but not much color.  

[joerobson]

1 hour ago, Ken_N said:

Now THAT is what I like Joe.  I'm a straight up varnish guy, the worn look does NOTHING for me, and that is a great look.  What are you using to get that color?  My last one, the 5 string,  finally came out nice; I needed WAY more prep work; probably even a better ground coat; it's transparent, with some color shift; but not much color.  

Thanks Ken.  The sequence is Balsam Ground with Aged Wood Gold,   strong separation coat of Stradivari Base Varnish,  thin application of Stradivari Cochineal Varnish....no pigments.

on we go,

Joe

[Ken_N]

Joe,

What do you use for filling?  The one I'm doing now is Walnut, and it has holes, so it needs it.  I always have a lot of texture on the belly, even the latest one I varnished, after wetting, and scraping smooth for weeks.  This older one (that looks cooler in person than it does in the photo that amplifies everything that you don't really see in person), gives an idea of how bad it can be.  I don't know if the varnish sinks in, or what.  Does the Balsam Ground take care of that somewhat?  

 

[joerobson]

1 hour ago, Ken_N said:

Joe,

What do you use for filling?  The one I'm doing now is Walnut, and it has holes, so it needs it.  I always have a lot of texture on the belly, even the latest one I varnished, after wetting, and scraping smooth for weeks.  This older one (that looks cooler in person than it does in the photo that amplifies everything that you don't really see in person), gives an idea of how bad it can be.  I don't know if the varnish sinks in, or what.  Does the Balsam Ground take care of that somewhat?  

 

Ken,

My preference is towards a lot of wood texture but minimal varnish texture.  I seal the wood but don't fill the pores.

I would need some information on what you did on the top before I could make an opinion.

on we go,

Joe

 

[Ken_N]

Well, it is just wood.texture. The wood was curly bearclaw. I like it, but I haven't seen many with it.  It was done 6 years ago, and I was worse then than I am now about notes.  So I have no idea what's under the.varnish. It would probably help to do things the same way.  I do know that I varnish when it just starts to feel like the next coat will cover it and not sink in.

[joerobson]

31 minutes ago, Ken_N said:

Well, it is just wood.texture. The wood was curly bearclaw. I like it, but I haven't seen many with it.  It was done 6 years ago, and I was worse then than I am now about notes.  So I have no idea what's under the.varnish. It would probably help to do things the same way.  I do know that I varnish when it just starts to feel like the next coat will cover it and not sink in.

Ken,

Was the color in the varnish tube colors?

Joe

[Ken_N]

The color on that is Greek Pitch Maroon over probably one coat of some varnish I made that looks dark, but is just a light amber, like this:

 

The original color was like the small photo, but it darkened, and the varnish was never polished up.  I polished it last summer.  It shows the flame nicely now, but it didn't help my edge work back then that was even worse than my work today.  I really don't see that except in photos.  Why is that?  Yes, I know; bad eyes.

 

I guess I should have smoothed up the base coat, and probably added another, and then put on the color coat.    How long does it take before you can polish?  I was in a hurry when I did that one.  Now I have nothing but time!  

What did I do to the color?

My latest has a few spots with tiny bubbles.  I don't use any solvents, so what could that be from? Most of it is smooth, and I never noticed them until today, several months later. 

The walnut one is finally getting glued up, and it will look cool, so I don't want to mess it up.

[Ken_N]

Well Joe, the best I can remember is that I varnished a viola with the Maroon first.  It came out red. But for that other one, I wanted more of a Venetian red.  So I think I put some blue-green watercolor in the ground to shade it down.  I don't remember putting anything else in the color coats.  It is possible that I thinned it some with a less viscous varnish, and something in that changed the color.  

Those darn kids; you never know what they're going to do.

This is the Viola 6 years later,  It isn't hideous:

 

[joerobson]

When the color is right and the halos are in place, I think I'm ready for varnishing.

[Jim Bress]

Joe what do you mean by “when the halos are in place “?

[MikeC]

yeah what halos?   And Joe what would you suggest to darken the inside of a violin prior to closing it up so you don't have stark white wood shining out through the F holes?   Do you have a stain or product for that purpose?  

[joerobson]

14 hours ago, Jim Bress said:

Joe what do you mean by “when the halos are in place “?

As observed in the Cremonese Ground...in both optical phases each stripe is illuminated...a dark streak in the middle sloping on each side through orange and yellow to nearly white.

[joerobson]

13 hours ago, MikeC said:

yeah what halos?   And Joe what would you suggest to darken the inside of a violin prior to closing it up so you don't have stark white wood shining out through the F holes?   Do you have a stain or product for that purpose?  

Yes.  Aged Wood Color Gray Green.

[MikeC]

59 minutes ago, joerobson said:

Yes.  Aged Wood Color Gray Green.

Thanks,  do you have a picture of what it looks like on wood?   Also I see you have a product called Linox,  what exactly is that?   

[Jim Bress]

1 hour ago, joerobson said:

As observed in the Cremonese Ground...in both optical phases each stripe is illuminated...a dark streak in the middle sloping on each side through orange and yellow to nearly white.

Thanks Joe. That's new information for me.

[Don Noon]

2 hours ago, joerobson said:

As observed in the Cremonese Ground...in both optical phases each stripe is illuminated...a dark streak in the middle sloping on each side through orange and yellow to nearly white.

  (Trick photo... but the only post-processing was to adjust the exposure a bit darker...)

[joerobson]

1 hour ago, Don Noon said:

  (Trick photo... but the only post-processing was to adjust the exposure a bit darker...)

Don,

The is the effect that is illuminated by the ground.  Nice photo.

on we go,

Joe