Nick Allen Report post Posted December 6, 2017 Decided to start my own bench thread. Here, you'll be able to see all of the splendour and wond(our?) that is my "shop" and "work". I'll post some pictures later today hopefully. Sit tight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Report post Posted December 6, 2017 Bout time! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael_Molnar Report post Posted December 7, 2017 I'm getting sores on my butt waiting for the pixes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted December 15, 2017 Oh. Ha! To be honest it slipped my mind. Some pictures of my second attempt at a scroll. I hope it turned out less than obscene... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Report post Posted December 15, 2017 Nice! Turns slightly under cut at the top (second pic). Side view (3rd pic) of the scroll is fantastic. What model are you building from? -Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted December 15, 2017 Thanks! It's a loose approximation of a Del Gesú for the corpus, and a Strad inspired scroll. I had a casting of a Strad scroll on hand at the time to reference. I didn't go by exact numbers from the casting, only the large measurements. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Report post Posted December 15, 2017 Hi Nick, I know your not finished, but here's an old thread that I started a while ago (and you posted on) about the throat. The thread helped me a lot. You may not need the help there, but just in case here it is. Coincidentally, that thread was right before Christmas as well. Merry Christmas, Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 9, 2018 I'm not sure if this is faux pa or not... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 9, 2018 Need to clean the bench. For real. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rue Report post Posted January 9, 2018 Looks rather...er...well... Cozy? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Report post Posted January 9, 2018 Still a little open real estate between the rasp and spool clamps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 26, 2018 So I'm embarking on the perilous journey that is first time varnish. I'm using somma Joe's stuff. Real nice. I think I may have utterly wasted some really nice varnish. It's not turning out the way I had imagined lol. Could be worse I suppose. Here is the first layer of varnish with a little bit 'o color mixed in: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 26, 2018 Gave her a rub down to knock de nits and bubbles off. I think I'm gonna try a glaze coat or two next. But I'm not quite sure on how to approach it... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 26, 2018 Here's #2 getting it's handle: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 26, 2018 Why some folks choose to call the neck a "handle" is strange. It's not a suitcase. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Spencer Report post Posted January 27, 2018 All looking good Nick! I use Joe's varnish to and I'm a brush guy learning to be a hand applicator. I had good luck with applying colored varnish with hand and using the cosmetic sponge wedges. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stavanger Report post Posted January 27, 2018 Nice work, Nick! Love the scroll! Is this your second violin overall? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 28, 2018 8 hours ago, Stavanger said: Nice work, Nick! Love the scroll! Is this your second violin overall? Thanks! I worked really hard on that scroll. The one being varnished is my first. The one that got the neck is my second. The first is a commission of sorts. The second will probably be my personal instrument for a lil while. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 28, 2018 9 hours ago, Mike Spencer said: All looking good Nick! I use Joe's varnish to and I'm a brush guy learning to be a hand applicator. I had good luck with applying colored varnish with hand and using the cosmetic sponge wedges. The ground is a little complicated. It took me a little to grasp it, with all of the steps involved and little jars of slightly different colored goo. It does really enhance the wood by an order of magnitude once it's put on. Here is the first glaze coat. I used the Alizarin pigments along with some regular varnish mixed in: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 28, 2018 I used my hand almost entirely. I mixed the colours, then evenly glooped it all on with a very stiff bristle brush. Then I donned a loose-ish fitting nitrile gloves and slapped the colour around until it was satisfactorily distributed. It made a fun slappy sound the whole time. I think the key to me getting a sort of even coat was the loose fitting glove. It picked up varnish and fairly laid it down evenly along the body. I had to be careful as to not leave any fold lines from the glove as I went along. The ribs went well, untill the lower bout. The varnish was really starting to tack by then, and was lifting itself off of the surface as I went along. I almost tossed the thing out the window at about this point. But I persevered and got through it. For right in the edge crease at the ribs, I dry brushed the ever living Christ out of it. All in all I'm happy so far. It's a fair bit darker in real life. The pictures don't quite tell the whole story as we all know. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 28, 2018 Acquired some Lombardi Poplar today. At least I'm under the impression that it is. I have to say I'm not super impressed with it. But it was on clearance where I get my wood, so I couldn't pass it up. Both will become violas. Or comedically small cellos. Which would just be violas then I guess. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rue Report post Posted January 28, 2018 8 hours ago, Nick Allen said: .. Lombardi Poplar ... Both will become violas. Or comedically small cellos. Which would just be violas then I guess. LOL. Looks promising! I hope you post pictures of your progress! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Report post Posted January 28, 2018 9 hours ago, Nick Allen said: Acquired some Lombardi Poplar today. At least I'm under the impression that it is. I have to say I'm not super impressed with it. But it was on clearance where I get my wood, so I couldn't pass it up. Both will become violas. Or comedically small cellos. Which would just be violas then I guess. They look nice. What don't you like about it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nick Allen Report post Posted January 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Jim Bress said: They look nice. What don't you like about it? I suppose I just had my hopes up. One of the slabs is half quartered half flat sawn. Plus, the ribs that were supplied are all cut on the diagonal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Report post Posted January 28, 2018 17 minutes ago, Nick Allen said: I suppose I just had my hopes up. One of the slabs is half quartered half flat sawn. Plus, the ribs that were supplied are all cut on the diagonal. My stuff is slab cut. Just an FYI in case you haven't come across the information, from another thread somewhere in the past, Nathan Slobodkin said he always puts the heart side out. The logic being you don't want the sound post aligned radially through the wood where the wood most easily splits. When the time comes I may have to sacrifice one of my billets to get quarter sawn ribs. I'll worry about it when the time comes, which will be years from now. Sound wise, poplar and willow are suppose took be great for violas and big violas (cellos). Cheers, Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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