Violin Forum/Message Board

Thanks Michael. I had no clue that mastic melts at hand temperature. Wow, that's low. I've never messed with it but I can see where the proportions would be extremely important with your recipe. I ...

I use a lot of Chinese violins for various experiments. As they come, the fingerboard does not make a slight rise at the end of the neck, which I like. Otherwise there seems a kind of "sad" ...

This may not be favored by purists, but irregular holes could be cleaned of peg compound and filled with a good paste epoxy. (the white stuff is very hard-drying and strong.

One could mix with sa ...

Years ago Howard Core sold "mousetail files." He does not usually drop discontinued items, and it is worth a look.

They were not very expensive. I recall they were pretty sharp at the ...

Nobody mentioned this, so I will. A good hobby shop sells all sizes of model train mini-lights. They are all 12 volts. Turns out the BIGGEST ones are only about a cm long and 4mm diameter. I take ...

That's great! I shall try that! Thank you so much!

-Gary

Be careful. I have Fulton type varnish in polyethylene bottles mad in 1985. Every so often, I make a sample and put it into new bottle ...

I agree with Michael except I look at things differently in some respect. He has seen an enormous number of violins (with problems) and his mind makes connections according to the experience. Nothi ...

John,

I am not ready to worry about the Harris formula. I am still trying to either support, or debunk, your formula. I expect to be getting 20 important data points in the next couple of weeks. Th ...

If that was for a back in my formula. I like 1.3-1.4 as you indicated for your data point. 1.1 is starting to seem like a weak back, but I do not have data for what was "good" or "ba ...

I am trying to either verify, or debunk the idea that the stiffness of the back, represented by kback, compared to the stiffness of the top, ktop, is a useful number to know.

To wit: The John Mast ...

[quote="J. Goldsmith Strings"]Ok, so the title says it all really. I'm 16, don't have much money and I want to start my first violin soon. What tools will I definitely need? Which can I make ...

I've never had this type of discoloration along a join line before.

The glue was freshly made pure hide glue and used immediately.

Hi Craig,

I always take an 1/8" slice over the ...

The conclusion was based upon chemical analysis, not appearance. Tung oil might theoretically be better, but linseed works fine. I've used both. Do you have documentation that says tung oil was availa ...

Some of the most recent research seems to show that Strad's ground was simply a coat of linseed oil. That's what I've been using lately with as good results as anything else I've tried. I don't recomm ...

Everyone else is stuck on the problem of "warmer"; I'm still back at "make them sound like something I want to hear".

Ha ! Me too. I have, at this point, made only one CNC vio ...