3fiddles - Posted - 01/10/2010:  18:13:43

what sealers are used on bare wood prior to varnishing

voodoo - Posted - 01/10/2010:  18:34:06

Good question. Many answers.

Vernice bianca (egg albumin - honey- probably other things)

Gum arabic

Shellac

Rubbed in mineral over sealer or part of sealer

Potassium silicate

Propolis

Probably other things have been used.

There are suggestions that the old violins were sometimes/often varnished in the Byzantine sequence evident in paintings:

1. Sealer (e.g., vernice bianca) to keep subsequent coats from soaking in
2. Ground (e.g., mineral powder in binder) to prepare the surface for color
3. Color coats (e.g., colored powders in oil varnish) to build color & depth
4. Clear coat (e.g., uncolored varnish)

Many systems. Might just get a basic set of materials from International Violin and go to it.

3fiddles - Posted - 01/10/2010:  18:41:30

quote:

---

Originally posted by voodoo

Good question. Many answers.

Vernice bianca (egg albumin - honey- probably other things)

Gum arabic

Shellac

Rubbed in mineral over sealer or part of sealer

Potassium silicate
thank-you ...
Propolis

Probably other things have been used.

There are suggestions that the old violins were sometimes/often varnished in the Byzantine sequence evident in paintings:

1. Sealer (e.g., vernice bianca) to keep subsequent coats from soaking in
2. Ground (e.g., mineral powder in binder) to prepare the surface for color
3. Color coats (e.g., colored powders in oil varnish) to build color & depth
4. Clear coat (e.g., uncolored varnish)

Many systems. Might just get a basic set of materials from International Violin and go to it.

---

MANFIO - Posted - 01/11/2010:  05:54:27

My current approach is this:

1 - My oil varnish diluted in turpentine: 2 coats.

2 - My oil varnish in a paste with pumice burnished into the wood (no pumice residue left on wood's surface).

But I may change it next week.

As a matter of fact the ground varnish is one of the most controversial issues in violin making, it's also the subject of many scientific researchs.

brian bishop - Posted - 01/11/2010:  07:08:18

Roger Hagrave gave a lecture at the VSA convention some years ago and asked who used the same ground on their current violin as their previous. Almost no one said they were using the same ground. LOL I must say something about violin makers but I'm not sure I want to know what!

I use a caein/gamboge solution dissolved in water and clear ammonia followed by several coats of fairly thin spirit to more completely seal the wood, it helps to build up the ground color as well.

Greetings Luis, I see from the pictures of you violas here and on Maestronet you are using the back wood form our mutual friend Elon Howe. Elon lives a couple of hours drive from me and I bought 30-40 backs from him some time back - lovely stuff. Elon is also such a nice guy and an excellent violin maker himself.