rottrunner Posted March 19, 2015 Report Posted March 19, 2015 This is my first go at finishing a white violin, and I think it's going as well as could be expected for someone who's right at the starting line of experience. I tanned the wood with a tea stain since I don't have a functioning UV box and a suitable space for sunlight, and have sealed the wood, and put on the first layer of clear oil varnish. Another few days and I think it will be ready for color. Any tips from the masters before I embark?
saintjohnbarleycorn Posted March 19, 2015 Report Posted March 19, 2015 i have put the color on before the clear. not a master
Craig Tucker Posted March 19, 2015 Report Posted March 19, 2015 wow, interesting graining on that back wood rotrunner. what kind of maple are you using? Nice start. Nothing wrong with tea or coffee for a stain... I've used tea before also, but the New Mexico sun is also always out for me to use, also.
rottrunner Posted March 19, 2015 Author Report Posted March 19, 2015 i have put the color on before the clear. not a master Yes, I intend to put another thin layer of clear on after all the color is said and done. I read somewhere that doing one very thin coat of clear before starting the color can help it to go on smoother. It sounded logical, so I gave it a whirl. =)
rottrunner Posted March 19, 2015 Author Report Posted March 19, 2015 wow, interesting graining on that back wood rotrunner. what kind of maple are you using? Nice start. Nothing wrong with tea or coffee for a stain... I've used tea before also, but the New Mexico sun is also always out for me to use, also. Hi Craig, Honestly, I straight up lucked out with a white violin that I ordered online. The violin was made in China, so I'm not certain what source of maple they use -- but I think the grain is really interesting and pretty. I was prepared to be a little disappointed with the instrument I received, but it's really rather nice, and quite well made as far as I can tell. I'm in Chicago, so while we've had a few awesome days of sun, it's still a little cold and unpredictable for any real sun use. Hopefully this summer will yield some bright days for tanning (me, as well as the violins).
MikeC Posted March 19, 2015 Report Posted March 19, 2015 I'm always interested in finishes so I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it
Craig Tucker Posted March 19, 2015 Report Posted March 19, 2015 Yes, I've had the same luck myself before... Yaaaay back - when I bought a violin just to do something like what your doing (from China) what I received was amazing.... and made me re evaluate what I was charging for my own handmade violins. Interesting, is it not?
Craig Tucker Posted March 19, 2015 Report Posted March 19, 2015 I'm always interested in finishes so I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it Yeah, me too. Looks like you're on the right track.
not telling Posted March 19, 2015 Report Posted March 19, 2015 I would suggest having the ready source of uv before you put on the color coat, because you'll need it to cure the varnish...at least, it boosts the process a great deal to have heat and uv light. Good luck. Looks very nice so far. (Not a master)
JBertholdo Posted March 20, 2015 Report Posted March 20, 2015 That's looks really great. Are you gone make only the varnish, or are you planning to (re) tuning the plates and/or others acoustics tests? Keep posting.
rottrunner Posted March 20, 2015 Author Report Posted March 20, 2015 That's looks really great. Are you gone make only the varnish, or are you planning to (re) tuning the plates and/or others acoustics tests? Keep posting. Right now, I'm only going to be varnishing it, and then I'll set it up and see how it sounds when it's finished. I just don't have the knowledge to know how to re-tune plates so far, although that's something I find really fascinating. This is my first foray into the world of luthiery, so I didn't want to get too far over my head. A local luthier recommended getting some experience with varnishing before starting to craft my own instrument from scratch, so I'm trying to be patient. =)
rottrunner Posted March 20, 2015 Author Report Posted March 20, 2015 I would suggest having the ready source of uv before you put on the color coat, because you'll need it to cure the varnish...at least, it boosts the process a great deal to have heat and uv light. Good luck. Looks very nice so far. (Not a master) Thank you! I'm pretty excited about it, although I'm sure that lets my amateur side show. I do have several UV curing lights and a mounting for them, so I'll be able to speed up the process a little. Sometimes working for an industrial supply company comes in quite handy.
Renée Posted March 20, 2015 Report Posted March 20, 2015 It's great to see more beginning luthiers here! What did you seal the wood with?
rottrunner Posted March 20, 2015 Author Report Posted March 20, 2015 Have you decided what varnish to use? I'm using oil varnish that I purchased online from Metropolitan Music, just to get a feel for the process. It's actually quite nice, and seems to already be thinned to a perfect viscosity (at least as far as I know). It's easy to work with. Once I get a few rounds under my belt, I'd really like to try making my own.
rottrunner Posted March 20, 2015 Author Report Posted March 20, 2015 It's great to see more beginning luthiers here! What did you seal the wood with? Thank you! I used diluted hide glue for this one. Although I have two others as well, one of which I'll use VB on, and the other I'd like to try a waterglass treatment (I know it's controversial, but I'm curious). I'd like to really see the differences first hand.
Christopher Jacoby Posted March 20, 2015 Report Posted March 20, 2015 Looks lovely. Not a master; but the best advice I have is to go for it, color bravely, and take any disasters as blessings. You'll be handed a repair mess at some point that your own darkest hours of finishing mistakes will lead you through.
rottrunner Posted March 20, 2015 Author Report Posted March 20, 2015 Looks lovely. Not a master; but the best advice I have is to go for it, color bravely, and take any disasters as blessings. You'll be handed a repair mess at some point that your own darkest hours of finishing mistakes will lead you through. Thank you! Yes, I've already decided that if I end up with an ugly duckling, I'll keep it around for another 10 years and then fix it up when I know what the hell I'm doing. Count no losses.
Arthur65 Posted March 20, 2015 Report Posted March 20, 2015 What did you use to seal the wood before the varnish ? Did you by any chance varnish the entire neck ?
rottrunner Posted March 20, 2015 Author Report Posted March 20, 2015 What did you use to seal the wood before the varnish ? Did you by any chance varnish the entire neck ? Hi Arthur, I used diluted hide glue to seal this one. I did tan the neck a little and put a layer of clear over it, but I won't be putting any color varnish on the neck at all.
rottrunner Posted March 22, 2015 Author Report Posted March 22, 2015 Here's the first layer of color for anyone who wanted to see. It went on really well, and much more evenly than I was expecting. I'll post again once I'm closer to having a finished product. Please excuse the blotchiness of the top -- there were a few waves in the spruce that just wouldn't take color no matter what, and I have no idea how to remedy that just yet. Does anyone have suggestions or sources where I might be able to find information about layering color patterns? By that I mean how many violins are lighter in color near the corners and darker down the center, etc. Or is it not worth trying to achieve a "well-weathered" look, and better to stick with one solid color, allowing time to do that for itself? Any thoughts are much appreciated.
MikeC Posted March 22, 2015 Report Posted March 22, 2015 That's some rough looking woodwork on the scroll.
jezzupe Posted March 22, 2015 Report Posted March 22, 2015 Meh' call it patina, looks great, everyones got their way of "doing it" I would suggest you work on "clean" varnish at first, then step up to "antique" , it's not really harder, just different ways to get there and different levels....take a look at member "curious1's" maker gallery, he does excellent antique jobs.
uncle duke Posted March 22, 2015 Report Posted March 22, 2015 That's some rough looking woodwork on the scroll. She tried to make it Italian.
rottrunner Posted March 22, 2015 Author Report Posted March 22, 2015 That's some rough looking woodwork on the scroll. I suppose that's what you get for a relatively cheap white violin online. But now at least I know what bad woodwork looks like.
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