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tobes - Posted - 07/05/2007: 13:29:12
I always clean the rosin off my fiddle after I have been playing - I was told once that it damages the finish if left on for a time. However to clean it off the top of the fretboard is very difficult to do without rubbing it off the strings as well
........so what do other people do - do you clean everything every time (strings included)
.......and how many out there clean the rosin off their bow everytime they have finished?
Toby
Edited by - tobes on 07/05/2007 14:24:30
Dick Hauser - Posted - 07/05/2007: 14:42:28
Some years ago I bought a bag of cloth diapers, then washed them to get rid of chemicals. Been using those diapers to clean my instruments for quite a while.
When I am finished playing, I wipe off my instrument and my bow. Old pantyhose will get old rosin off your strings. You should only have to rosin up once a session. If you are having problems, your bowing technique is more likely to be the culprit that lack of rosin.
Eventually, your bow will get really cruddy. When that happens, put together a mixture of water and ammonia - 50/50. Get two old toothbrushes, one for applying the mixture and one for applying clear water. When doing this, don't let the mixture touch your bow. Dip you cleaning toothbrush in the mixture, them slow run the brush up and down a few inches of the bowhair. Then, slowly do the same thing with clear fresh water. Then, gently press a paper towel or clean cloth over the area you cleaned. Do this to all the bowhair, and when it dries, it will look great.
Now your bowhair is clean. As you would have to do with a new bow, grind up some rosin, and using a rag, apply the ground up rosin to the bowhair. Now you are in business.
Rosin is made from pine pitch. The mixture of ammonia and water works better than just water.
gulfguy
Dick Hauser - Posted - 07/05/2007: 14:43:55
Some years ago I bought a bag of cloth diapers, then washed them to get rid of chemicals. Been using those diapers to clean my instruments for quite a while.
When I am finished playing, I wipe off my instrument and my bow. Old pantyhose will get old rosin off your strings. You should only have to rosin up once a session. If you are having problems, your bowing technique is more likely to be the culprit that lack of rosin.
Eventually, your bow will get really cruddy. When that happens, put together a mixture of water and ammonia - 50/50. Get two old toothbrushes, one for applying the mixture and one for applying clear water. When doing this, don't let the mixture touch your bow. Dip you cleaning toothbrush in the mixture, them slow run the brush up and down a few inches of the bowhair. Then, slowly do the same thing with clear fresh water. Then, gently press a paper towel or clean cloth over the area you cleaned. Do this to all the bowhair, and when it dries, it will look great.
Now your bowhair is clean. As you would have to do with a new bow, grind up some rosin, and using a rag, apply the ground up rosin to the bowhair. Now you are in business.
Rosin is made from pine pitch. The mixture of ammonia and water works better than just water.
gulfguy
OTJunky - Posted - 07/05/2007: 14:56:41
This is the first time I've ever heard of anyone cleaning the rosin off of bow hair.
Do you know other people that do this?
-OTJ
"Jeez, I can barely fiddle on four strings. Why would I want five?"
M-D - Posted - 07/05/2007: 15:59:41
quote:
Originally posted by tobes
I always clean the rosin off my fiddle after I have been playing - I was told once that it damages the finish if left on for a time. However to clean it off the top of the fretboard is very difficult to do without rubbing it off the strings as well
I'm not concerned with rosin on the finger-board as much as I am with it on the top. I wipe the top off with a flannel cloth, purchased in a package of three from Wal-Mart. They're yellow, and found in the electronics area. When they get dirty, I wash them.
Now, when I'm changing strings, then I'll clean the finger-board, using denatured alcohol -- very carefully. I also use sesame oil on the finger-board, a very light coat. Allow to penetrate for a minute or two, then wipe off. One application will last a very long time. Sesame oil will not migrate back out of the wood the way many oils will.
quote:
........so what do other people do - do you clean everything every time (strings included)
I wipe down the whole outside of the instrument every time. The strings I'll wipe on the legs of my overalls, whenever the rosin gets too built up to suit me. Depending upon the weather, that may be every tune. LOL
quote:
.......and how many out there clean the rosin off their bow everytime they have finished?
I wipe down the stick, yes, but sometimes am forgetful of that. No worries, as I have a coat of Renaissance Wax on it, so the rosin never sticks to it. Rosin will, however, stick to itself, so it can build up but wont adhere to the stick.
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M-D
Swing - Posted - 07/06/2007: 09:05:11
Rosin is a terrible thing to leave on both the fiddle and the bow as it chemically reacts over time with the finish.... using a soft cloth (like a diaper) works if you clean the instrument often. Wiping down the bow stick is equally as important.
In cleaning old built up rosin you can use a very mild solution of soap and water with a soft cloth and then wipe dry, but the best material to use ( this is on the advise of an art conservator) is your own saliva.... using your finger rub the area covered with rosin gently and it will remove the build up...repeat as required and then keep the instrument clean from there
Swing
krugwaffle - Posted - 07/07/2007: 22:23:17
You might wanna watch that saliva thing... if you been drinkin'! It'll take the finish clean off'n your fiddle. (Just lookin at your avatar, Swing ;-)
'Shenandoah Valley Jams' 2 hrs
