Antiquing from New

[joerobson]

19 hours ago, jack london said:

Joe--- could you be more specific and give an example of what you mean?   Thanks!

Jack,

The issue I am thinking about is color and contrast.  When we fully varnish an instrument and then "antique" it the original color of the instrument is often too pale.  Not because it is a bad or insufficient color, but because the antiquing demands a lot of contrast between the the dark and light areas of the varnish and wear.  Also the areas left untouched will appear too even in color.

Joe

 

[Jack Devereux]

Quote

The issue I am thinking about is color and contrast.

Joe, do you think this could be mitigated by applying colored varnish and then removing it? Or just loading up on ground color in the areas where varnish would be worn away?  

[joerobson]

20 minutes ago, Jack Devereux said:

Joe, do you think this could be mitigated by applying colored varnish and then removing it? Or just loading up on ground color in the areas where varnish would be worn away?  

Jack,

Both.  Adding varnish in the least worn places. The ground color in the worn areas should be grayer and browner than the ground under the varnish.

Joe

[Jack Devereux]

Thanks Joe, that makes a lot of sense. How does the edge of the worn away varnish interact with the greyer ground underneath- do they correspond exactly along the edge  where the varnish is gone or kind of overlap within a range? Trying to figure out how to lay on and then remove color- with hard chipped edges or like it had gradually been worn away and has a soft transition into the lighter areas. Does the ground behave differently under those different circumstances, or is it basically bare wood is bare wood, no matter how it got uncovered? 

 

You're back in the shop tomorrow? I need to restock on a few things.  

 

Happy New Year everybody.