Violin Forum/Message Board

Dave Chandler · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 4:58 pm Post subject: Squirrel Talk

The topic title might make one think it belongs in another category, but nevertheless here goes.

I was reading Marchese's book "The Violin Maker" and in it Sam Zygmuntowicz is using an squirrel hair brush he's had for years because of its ability to hold a lot of varnish. Sounds good to me, so I went on-line and looked for squirrel hair brushes, and it seems they're popular for detail work, for instance long neat stripes, like pin-striping on autos, for signs etc. BUT, the hair on the brushes are all about 3" long and 1/8" wide. Not good. I'm looking for something more like 1 1/2" to 2" wide brush and bristles an inch to inch and a half long.

Well all summer long, on any given day, I've passed many suicidal squirrels laying "tango uniform" (belly up) on the road (actually its probably because they're so indecisive, they can't decide whether to run away, or stick their head under the tire). On my drive to work about 2 miles away, I could count on two or three successful, suicidal squirrels. So why not take a few squirrel tails, bundle them together and make a brush? After all, the tail's skin would keep the hair from shedding in the varnish, and the fleas don't hang around after they've cooled off. So about two weeks ago I got a nice sharp hunting knife and put it in the pocket in the driver side door, so all I would have to do is pull up next to the donor, give it a quick "whack" and throw the tail back into the pocket in the door panel -- 5 seconds, not even get out of the car.

I have not seen a squirrel on the road since.

Go two plan two. My bird feeders. Any given day, squirrels take turns getting onto my bird feeders, and I sneek out a side door with my bb gun, and aim for "center of mass" which might usually get them to do the "squirrel dance" and worst case is a broken rib. Plan two involved aiming for the head instead. Two weeks ago, the squirrels all decided to go into hiding for the winter.

Go to plan three. Keep using my ox-hair brush.

Maybe next year.
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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

Michael Darnton · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:03 pm Post subject:

For many years I used these: http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product.cfm?item=39968

They're dirt cheap and work great. The oval end is perfect for varnish, and this is a good size for violin. For retouch, I have a 1/2" of the same type. Utrecht has other squirrel brushes: just search "squirrel". Here's the same thing, 1.5": http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product.cfm?item=39960

Recently for oil varnish I've just been using my fingers, though.
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Lemuel · Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:28 pm Post subject:

Michael N · Junior Member Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Posts: 9

No doubt he's serious. Brush, fingers/palms and if you thin it enough you can create your own wiping varnish. Wipe on effectively gets rid of the dust problem although it does take many wipes. Be warned, I've only recently tried the wipe on, so I don't know if all that solvent will cause problems in the finish.
I don't think I'll try the fingers with Spirit though. . .

Many years ago I bought a Squirrel haired brush - it was of the lollipop handle type. The hair seemed very soft, more so than the few Ox brushes I've come across. It was a 2" and I intended to lay down thin Shellac on a Guitar. It was hopeless. The length of hair was mighty long and I lacked any control over the flow. Real floppy. In a vain attempt to salvage matters I took a 2" plane blade and gave it a severe hair cut. It went in the bin not long after. I regret throwing it away. The mistake I made was not in the hair cut. At the time I simply wasn't aware that the next step was to dip it in Shellac, allow it to harden and then shape, feather and filbert the thing with sandpaper.
Young and ignorant. Now I'm old and only marginally wiser.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:10 am Post subject:

Serious. It works great.
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Mat Roop · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:08 pm Post subject:

I mostly do restoration which is really touch up... Oil based varnish, a brush to lay it on and the trusty finger does the most to get the final blend and fill.
Never could get used to working well with spirit varnishes though.
Cheers, Mat

Lemuel · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:11 pm Post subject:

Ah...yes. I just recalled today, something I experienced years ago, renovating my basement. I was getting better results with my index finger in applying polyurethane varnish on my trims than using a brush. However, my finger felt very raw after that and I never did it again.

By the way, what actually happens when you do it with spirit varnish?

Mat Roop · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:24 pm Post subject:

Dries way too fast.. cant push it around.... and usually affects the varnish you are trying to match to.
Cheers, Mat

Michael N · Junior Member Joined: 23 Sep 2009 Posts: 9

Here you are Mr. Chandler. Some handy tips for when you finally capture your Squirrel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h2hmprpcc0

Dave Chandler · Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:08 pm Post subject: Squirrel talk

Must be long hair squirrels, not the little grey "sxxts" that come to my feeders. Re: the video -- also not sure whether she just has harry arms, or he has his nails done. Either way, that was really informative, and does give me ideas. I was just going to cut off a few tails and wrap them with some duct tape attached to a piece of dowel. Now I need to rethink.

I'm really pleased that this thread got so much attention, it was 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

rs · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:39 pm Post subject:

Michael, EXCELLENT tip on the fingers. I just finished the first coat. Made sense as I was using my fingers a third of the time before just wiping the edges and the ff's after brushing. The texture already looks rubbed and I only needed a brush for the pegbox interior and the volute. I still rubbed them afterwards; it just was a matter of getting the varnish in those areas to begin with.

I VERY much appreciate it.

All the best.
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Randall Shenefelt