Violin Forum/Message Board

[ChameleonMan]

I ordered the fittings yesterday. I decided to stick with ebony, as I thought it would be most reliable/best looking.

[Dave Chandler]

I think its great what you've done. I know the excitement -- anxious to hear how it sounds, and you hurry a bit through the final phase (finishing), but this is exactly where you need to slow down (but I did the same thing on Opus #1). You need to put the same patience and exactness in the finish that you gave the other steps in the process.

Practice makes perfect. I have just finished my 8th violin, and stripped it twice because I wasn't happy with my finish (I really need to take a course in finishing -- would save me a lot of time). I presume you used oil varnish, in which case I'd get a small can of paint stripper from Home Depot and give it another go. Put it on thick with a 1" brush, wait a minute or two, and before it sets up, scrape it off with the varnish. The stripper won't hurt the violin as long as you get it all off Don't let the liquids go into the "f" holes, stay away a bit, and scrape off that which remains around the "f" holes carefully. I'd scrape it down but not quite to the bare wood (try not to go through the ground). I scrub the violin with turpentine before starting the finishing again.

You'll be much happier with it in the end.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

[Dave Chandler]

I was again reading this thread and offer another hint (or two)--

The oil finish drys in two ways, on the surface from evaporation while under the surface it hardens through chemical processes. So, the surface can feel dry, when in fact it hasn't hardened below. When you put the next coat down it rehydrates the surface and if its not hardened, will disolve the previous coat and start dragging it back up.

I put mine out in the sunshine if weather permits, to let the UV rays harden it all the way through. At least a full day (or two if not sunny all the time) since you probably don't have a UV drying box to put it in. Give yourself a couple weeks to do the finish, in the meantime, start on Number 2.

I find if I have more than one fiddle going at a time, I won't be as tempted to disturb the one that's going through the finish cycle -- keeps my mind off of it. If nothing else, get another neck block/scroll started. And by the way, look back through Manfio's scroll-carving tutorial.

Have fun.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

[John Cadd]

Can you hear the round of applause for all your good work? Just amazing! Here`s a little thing you can make to help with the soundpost job. I made a gripper out of some curtain wire.They use it for net curtains.It is a coiled springy wire with a hook screwed in each end.
Take out the screws .Cut about 6 inches long.Get some straight fairly springy wire to fit inside the curtain wire.One end of centre wire you curve around so you can use your thumb to push the wire in and out.(A bit like a syringe) That`s the control end .The other end ,unravel a short bit of the coil and make it into a curve which will fit round the soundpost.The straight centre wire can be turned back on itself to make it "blunt".
The centre wire will act like a springy thumb if you can shape it right.
When the post falls down it is easy to reach in with your gripper and slide the"thumb" to close the circle and pick up the post.
I made the centre wire by vandalising a wire eggwhisk (from the Poundshop).
I saw three makers in Newark Violin college once all holding a cello up in the air trying to get the post out.
The curtain wire is safer if it`s covered with smooth plastic.No chance of harming the edges.
By the way never think you had no life when doing important stuff like violin making . Respect!

[John Cadd]

Can you hear the round of applause for all your good work? Just amazing! Here`s a little thing you can make to help with the soundpost job. I made a gripper out of some curtain wire.They use it for net curtains.It is a coiled springy wire with a hook screwed in each end.
Take out the screws .Cut about 6 inches long.Get some straight fairly springy wire to fit inside the curtain wire.One end of centre wire you curve around so you can use your thumb to push the wire in and out.(A bit like a syringe) That`s the control end .The other end ,unravel a short bit of the coil and make it into a curve which will fit round the soundpost.The straight centre wire can be turned back on itself to make it "blunt".
The centre wire will act like a springy thumb if you can shape it right.
When the post falls down it is easy to reach in with your gripper and slide the"thumb" to close the circle and pick up the post.
I made the centre wire by vandalising a wire eggwhisk (from the Poundshop).
I saw three makers in Newark Violin college once all holding a cello up in the air trying to get the post out.
The curtain wire is safer if it`s covered with smooth plastic.No chance of harming the edges.
By the way never think you had no life when doing important stuff like violin making . Respect!

Just an addition As I remember I think I left one of the hooks in the end and twisted the coil so the centre wire came through a short way from the end .That`s the correct way,and easier.