David Burgess Posted June 2 Report Share Posted June 2 3 hours ago, GerardM said: Dissolved some Benzoin in alcohol last night. This morning filtered it. Applied some to a cheap violin, one hell of a shine with one coat, really glossy. A bit too bling for my liking. It’s good to experiment. Super-shiny fiddle bling used to be a thing. Not so much anymore. I'll bet Liberace would have liked it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GerardM Posted June 2 Report Share Posted June 2 51 minutes ago, David Burgess said: Super-shiny fiddle bling used to be a thing. Not so much anymore. I'll bet Liberace would have liked it though. You’ve probably heard the term Shabby Chic. If Crap chic became a thing I could sell plenty of violins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Violin Beautiful Posted June 2 Report Share Posted June 2 4 hours ago, David Burgess said: Super-shiny fiddle bling used to be a thing. Not so much anymore. I'll bet Liberace would have liked it though. Funny you should mention this, because there was a violinist who played in hotels with Liberace before either of them took off and achieved fame. That violinist was an early experimenter with electric violins briefly, and having taken a few pages from Liberace’s book on panache, he kept two in a double case. They were red and blue respectively and decorated heavily with rhinestones. Thankfully he was a loving caretaker of his del Gesu. I know your comment was in jest, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCF Posted June 7 Report Share Posted June 7 On 5/31/2024 at 12:19 AM, David Burgess said: Too much water in the alcohol, possibly? Take 2, and beyond. The resin itself may contain some water which is complicating things. It's a natural sap or balsam so it's a complicated mixture. Benzoin is soluble in water, or some constituents of it are and soap makers dissolve it in hot water before adding it to their mixes. They claim it's not only useful for its fragrance but also because it is an antioxidant and stops the oils they use going rancid. That would be a caution for oil varnish making --- benzoin is also slowly soluble in oil. Purification of benzoin is a big topic area with many different opinions. One suggestion is to warm it until it soften then dissolve it -- suggested solvent ratio 25% etOH to 75% benzoin. I just heated some of mine on a teaspoon over a spirit lamp to test it and it popped and crackled as all sorts of things boiled off and oily components eventually caught alight with black sooty smoke. I probably went too far but what remained on the bottom of the spoon was a clear tough orange resin and a little detritus. I know, it's easier to buy from a big name vendor you trust, but where's the fun in that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uguntde Posted June 19 Report Share Posted June 19 Benzoin is part of many old spirit varnish recipes. It gives spirit varnishes a certain softness. It is part of Bisiach's spirit varnish formula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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