Violin Making: As It Was and Is

[Frozen Run]

Eric Kettenburg says this is a fantastic reference for gun building varnish. Here is the book:

https://archive.org/details/cu31924022320216/mode/1up

[wvcruffler]

I have read this one and a few others as I mess about with oil and spirit varnishes. With repsect to musket and rifle finishes from the flintlock era most of what I can find is that largely they are most often a drying oil (linseed oil, tung oil), a resin that add hardness (pine resin, copal, colophony) and a thinner (traditionally turpentine - I usually use white mineral spirits).

I have 2 sets of "old school" oil varnishes - one set are copal varnishes where I melted copal then boiled to the point of heavy oxidation the mixture of sweidsh BLO (no dryers added) and the copal. One of these I alos added calcium oxide to raise the pH and raise the melting point of the mixture. One of these spent a short period of time on fire as I was unable to contain a small boil over that became a little flame up. Since this was planned for in advance I set a large lid on my gum pot and it went out without needed to grab the fire extiguisher (also handy!) mind you I run these gums in the gravel driveway on my farm away from buildings. The other resin varnish is colophony and BLO.  On all of them I used white mineral spirits because good turpentine is EXPENSIVE!

The best one so far is the one I caught on fire!! Its dark brown and dries in 24 hours. It's a little too thick but my wood testers are small so hand rubbing the finish is no problem.

I also have BLO+Rosin pentaeryhtritol ester (aka Permalyn). This one dries pretty slowly and TBH I don't love it. But its a modern more waterproof finish.

In the pipeline I have most of the gums for spirit varnishes that were reportedly used as an "sealing coat", often containing color like alkanet used on kentucky rifles. Again, pretty sparse information available. Shellac, gum mastic, sandarac, etc.).  I did this on my Woodrunner (tinted shellac under a commercial BLO) and it love how it turned out.

Anyway, if anyone reads this and would like a sample of the oil varnish to play with I'll send you some free. Would love to get some ciritcal input on it.

drPhil

[Leatherbark]

For what it is worth, I read where scientists figured out how to make a modern-day Stradivarius by reading directions from the maker from back in the day using the same wood.  But the newly made ones would never sound the same as an original.  Seems the original maker (Stradivarius?) left specific instructions but failed to leave the formula for the varnish he used.  Seems scientists figured out his varnish was what makes the Stradivarius violin sound unique.  They cannot replicate that varnish. Something about the way it dries and the sound waves and the varnish's dried texture.

[okawbow]

I’ve made quite a few violins and believe most of the sound that comes from Stradavari violins is due to them being over 300 years old and having been worked on and fine tuned by the best luthiers in the world. Most don’t retain the original varnish. Most have been modified and rebuilt several times. In blind sound tests; few people can tell the difference between the Stads and a really good modern made violin. Here’s one I finished this year, made from materials I harvested myself. ( except for the ebony) I use the same ground mixture and varnish on my flintlocks. Here’s one I finished this year.

[Martin S.]

I am continually impressed by the ability and talent of the people on this forum.

Well done on the violin.

[wvcruffler]

I’ve made quite a few violins and believe most of the sound that comes from Stradavari violins is due to them being over 300 years old and having been worked on and fine tuned by the best luthiers in the world. Most don’t retain the original varnish. Most have been modified and rebuilt several times. In blind sound tests; few people can tell the difference between the Stads and a really good modern made violin. Here’s one I finished this year, made from materials I harvested myself. ( except for the ebony) I use the same ground mixture and varnish on my flintlocks. Here’s one I finished this year.

Do you use a spirit varnish (shellac, sandarac etc) like a French polish or an oil varnish? Gorgerous either way. I thought about using rottenstone to smooth up my woodrunner but then decided the woodrunner isn't a hand rubbed finish gun. Its nice but not "too nice"

[okawbow]

Do you use a spirit varnish (shellac, sandarac etc) like a French polish or an oil varnish? Gorgerous either way. I thought about using rottenstone to smooth up my woodrunner but then decided the woodrunner isn't a hand rubbed finish gun. Its nice but not "too nice"


I use several coats of fresh mixed shellac and sometimes alcohol soluble resins over a propolis wash as a ground. The top coats are colored oil varnish. I use a similar system on flintlocks but normally stain the wood first.

[Daryl]

drPhil how about some pictures of your Woodsrunner?