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pmccombs
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Joined: 15 Jan 2013
Posts: 87
Location: Utah
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 Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:58 pm Post subject: Inlaid violin back |
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Hi,
I'm new to the forum and thought I'd post a picture of my latest project. This is a violin I've just finished and, with the help of a local violinist, have been busy tweaking the setup to make it sound good (finally made a breakthrough just last night). I inlaid the rose pattern on the back using ebony. What do you think?
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ctviolin
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Joined: 07 May 2009
Posts: 961
Location: Roswell
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| Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:24 pm Post subject: Re: Inlaid violin back |
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| pmccombs wrote: | Hi,
What do you think?
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i've got to say, I absolutely love the design, location, and the colors. Great design work!
It absolutely fits the violin proportions well. IMO.
Very cool modern style work!
ct
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Lemuel
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Joined: 12 Aug 2010
Posts: 515
Location: Mt. Elgin, Ontario
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| That's pretty good artwork, and is the first time I've seen something like this. Thanks for posting. |
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actonern
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Joined: 15 Aug 2007
Posts: 444
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:46 am Post subject: |
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| Better there than on your butt!!! |
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Chet Bishop
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
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Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:49 am Post subject: |
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So...if the black parts are ebony, what is all the pink and green? Did you just dye the natural maple in those areas? Not my cuppa, but very nicely done.
There is a maker (can't think of her name right now) who paints scenery, wildlife, etc. inside all her instruments. Her customers love it.
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Chet Bishop
https://bluefiddles.com
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Cliff Green
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Joined: 01 Apr 2007
Posts: 111
Location: Amissville, Virginia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:51 am Post subject: |
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| It looks like you varnished first, then cut a channel for the ebony outline, and then used ebony mastic for the outline. Am I close? |
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pmccombs
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Joined: 15 Jan 2013
Posts: 87
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Chet Bishop wrote: | | So...if the black parts are ebony, what is all the pink and green? Did you just dye the natural maple in those areas? Not my cuppa, but very nicely done. |
Yes, that is a dye on the maple. I asked my wife's opinion, and she hated it and made me do it over.  The problem was that the first time I mixed the dye with some denatured alcohol, and it reacted with the wood filler used in the gaps causing little pits to form. Plus I had some hide glue slop from the inlay that took the dye darker than the surrounding bits. So I redid it with a little water color and got a better result.
I'm at that phase where I have to redo most of my work at least once! I go through eight pegs to get four good ones, for instance. True story. |
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pmccombs
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Posts: 87
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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| actonern wrote: | | Better there than on your butt!!! |
Let us hope this tattoo ages better than most. |
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pmccombs
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Joined: 15 Jan 2013
Posts: 87
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Cliff Green wrote: | | It looks like you varnished first, then cut a channel for the ebony outline, and then used ebony mastic for the outline. Am I close? |
You know, I took detailed pictures of my process. I'll blog them along with some comments and post a link! |
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pmccombs
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Joined: 15 Jan 2013
Posts: 87
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Cliff Green wrote: | | It looks like you varnished first, then cut a channel for the ebony outline, and then used ebony mastic for the outline. Am I close? |
Alrighty, here is how it went down: http://amberlethe.com/blog/?p=85
BTW, What is ebony mastic?
I totally made this up as I went, so if you guys know of how I can do this work more easily, let me know. I suspect it isn't a common thing for violins, though. |
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Cliff Green
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Joined: 01 Apr 2007
Posts: 111
Location: Amissville, Virginia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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ebony mastic is fine ebony dust mixed with a binder such as hide glue or super glue. Its easy to fill small defects on inlays etc using this and was used by the early violin makers on decorated instruments such as Strad's Hellier.
I notice you have a scroll saw. Why didn't you use that to cut your pattern. The throat on your saw is a bit large, but you can overlay the table with some thin stock such as plexiglass with a small hole for the blade to give your stock better support. |
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pmccombs
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Joined: 15 Jan 2013
Posts: 87
Location: Utah
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:54 am Post subject: |
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| Cliff Green wrote: | | ebony mastic is fine ebony dust mixed with a binder such as hide glue or super glue. Its easy to fill small defects on inlays etc using this and was used by the early violin makers on decorated instruments such as Strad's Hellier. |
Did Strad do his decorations after he varnished?
| Quote: | | I notice you have a scroll saw. Why didn't you use that to cut your pattern. The throat on your saw is a bit large, but you can overlay the table with some thin stock such as plexiglass with a small hole for the blade to give your stock better support. |
I thought briefly about using the scroll saw, but I was afraid my blades were too big and wouldn't negotiate the really fine parts of the design. I probably could have used it on the larger holes, and actually did use it to cut around the outside shape. |
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ctviolin
Super Member
Joined: 07 May 2009
Posts: 961
Location: Roswell
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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| pmccombs wrote: | | Cliff Green wrote: | | It looks like you varnished first, then cut a channel for the ebony outline, and then used ebony mastic for the outline. Am I close? |
Alrighty, here is how it went down: http://amberlethe.com/blog/?p=85
BTW, What is ebony mastic?
I totally made this up as I went, so if you guys know of how I can do this work more easily, let me know. I suspect it isn't a common thing for violins, though. |
"The devils own"
Hah!
Great logo!
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Jacob
Junior Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2013
Posts: 20
Location: Cape Town
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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I see Craig exhorts us to "look, listen, learn".
I've looked at this inlay. Can't listen to it. Learn't "how" - seriously impressive.
I know I'm halfway crazy (or perhaps beyond that), but I can't help myself, so I'm going to ask: "why"? |
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ctviolin
Super Member
Joined: 07 May 2009
Posts: 961
Location: Roswell
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| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Jacob wrote: |
I know I'm halfway crazy (or perhaps beyond that), but I can't help myself, so I'm going to ask: "why"?
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Perhaps simply, artistic impulse?
Accomplishment?
I've got to ask, why not?
(By the way, good to "see" you here Jacob.)
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