Violin varnish treatise

[Kermit]

Nothing else to do, so I thought I'd see if I can set off a firestorm of opinion and informed/misinformed/ignorant conjecture. Maybe not. 

Keith Hill has written fair bit on violin varnish, how he makes it, and what it does. I found the part on color change with age particularly informative, enough so that it has caused me to wonder if the steps we take today to make new-made guns have the "right" color are based on our viewing of 200 year old guns that have changed with time, and whether we are missing part of how some of these appeared when fresh from the bench. As I said, it's a slow Sunday afternoon.

The challenge is to actually read this before commenting.

http://www.instrumentmaking.keithhillharpsichords.com/hillviolinvarnish.html

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks for posting.   I have made red violin varnish from the traditional early 18th century recipe.   It is a spirit varnish with lots of variations and not nearly as time consuming to make.   It would have been used over a AQ stain for the best color.  It would be too red otherwise.   I think some old longrifles were definitely finished with some variation of this spirit varnish as you can see where it has chipped or worn off.   I think this is most appropriate for the Lehighs.   

As to the varnish in the article, that is a much more specialized varnish specifically designed for musical instruments.   I wouldn't, and I don't think the old gunsmiths would have gone to that much trouble just to put a little finish on their rifles.   Linseed oil was commonly available, and think that is what most of them put on their rifles, perhaps with a little resin and dryer(white lead) added.    The recipe in the article seems very hazardous to make.   I wouldn't bother with it given that it is intended to do things I don't need.   

[whitebear]

Where could I find that recipe?

[Mark Elliott]

Here is the link to the violin varnish recipe that I use:  http://www.leroydouglasviolins.com/varnish.htm  I use the one with mastic and sandarac.   I also add some dragons blood for color.    I think regular old shellac was used a lot, also.   I have lots of orange shellac that I mix up 4oz at a time as I need it.   It was used on just about all the wood trim in my house and on the solid wood paneling in my office.   I touch up with the same.  I know that at one time, the gunshop at Colonial Williamsburg just used seedlac to seal and finish their guns.   

[Mark Elliott]

By the way,  I don't take weeks to dissolve this stuff.   I just swirl the the contents of the jar until it is all dissolved.   It takes maybe 20 minutes as long as you keep swirling.     I guess a magnetic stirrer might be faster if you have one.   

[rich pierce]

Mark, which one in that link?

[Kermit]

He's talking the second spirit varnish recipe, if I understand him correctly. That one's pretty simple. Some of these are fun to mess around with and try out.

[Mark Elliott]

Kermit is right.  It is the second one that I have used.   It was the easiest to try out.   One thing about spirit varnishes,   they are quicker to apply, although I have never had what I felt was an appropriate gun on which to use it.   I have a Lancaster project coming up and I might try it on that. 

[Chris Treichel]

How about some varnish recipies from 1824...

http://books.google.com/books?id=dC5RAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA159&dq=wood+varnishes+17&hl=en&sa=X&ei=JqpuUpvKBJit4AO674H4DQ&ved=0CEwQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=varnish&f=false

[Chris Treichel]

The decorative painters' and glaziers' guide By Nathaniel Whittock 1828

http://books.google.com/books?id=NCoBAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=wood+varnishes+17&hl=en&sa=X&ei=N65uUvL0HovE4AOiiIGYCw&ved=0CE0Q6AEwAjg8#v=onepage&q&f=false