Category: Varnish & Finishing
Controlled Randomness and the search for a good, honest violin finish.
November 29, 2022
Antiquing. Why it is attractive, and what's wrong with it. I normally antique my instruments and I do it for two main reasons: for visual […]
Dimpled Viola, an Etude. Part 2, Finishing
June 15, 2020
In the first part of this study I constructed a viola emphasizing a part of the construction process, the carving, which is visually very interesting […]
My father’s wood carving
June 1, 2020
My father was a sculptor who worked in everything from marble and bronze to sintered sand and telegraph poles. in some of his wood carving […]
Sealing violin f-holes with foam before varnishing
September 20, 2017
When varnishing an instrument it is nice to seal off the f-holes. This stops accidental drips getting inside, and it stops wood dust and such […]
Cello end-hook for varnishing
February 17, 2017
Drilling the end pin hole before closing the box avoids some time consuming cleanup of wood chips later. When drying varnish outside it's nice to be […]
Ultra Violet LED Light box for curing violin varnish
May 4, 2015
A letter from Stradivari to a patron blames the lack of sunshine for his inability to fill an order for instrument in a timely manner. Oil based varnishes require ultra violet (UV) light to cure and apart from being evidence that Strad’s varnish was probably oil based, Strad’s message is also a comment on the unreliability of the sun as a UV source.