spar varnish on a violin?
wb...@nyx.net
Folks,
I have an 80+ year-old friend with a talent for regluing
and repairing violins in pretty bad shape.
However, he also likes to remove existing varnish and replace
it with some "fifty year old spar varnish" he has.
He says the clear spar varnish dries such that it will not
crack or check from vibrations as the flex of a yacht's spar
will not check or crack it....
Besides the question of esthetics, I would think such a varnish
would muffle tone somewhat...
Any comments?
Bill Boas
731 Grant Street, Apt.C
Wray, CO. 80758-2156
Tel: 970-332-4282
E-mail: wb...@nyx.net
website: www.nyx.net/~wboas
GeoLane at PTD dot NET
>However, he also likes to remove existing varnish and replace
>it with some "fifty year old spar varnish" he has.
>Besides the question of esthetics, I would think such a varnish
>would muffle tone somewhat...
>
>Any comments?
>
>Bill Boas
Spar varnish is non-traditional, but the proof of the pudding is in
the tasting. How do they sound? Some times theory is astounded by
reality.
RWL
Jon Teske
are as apart as night and day.
This is not only an question of esthetics, it is also one of ethics.
If he is removing original varnish he is violating one of the
prinicaple tenets of violin repair. About the only thing permitted is
French polishing,,,a delicate art in itself.
Spar varish has resins in it unknown to the old violin makers and not
used by current violin makers. It also has UV inhibitors which are not
needed for violins. A violin stored in a case as opposed to exterior
boat wood which is exposed to the element 24/7/365 are very different
applications.
If work got out to the violin community on what he was doing, he would
be instantly boycotted.
I really can't condemn what he is doing in too strong of terms.
Jon Teske, concert violinist.
On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:53:59 -0700, wb...@nyx.net wrote:
Giovanni Corazzol
Fishtowner.
I think one can choose many different varnishes when he/she is
finishing a new instrument, and varnishes can be made at home, with
traditional recipes or simply bought ready-made. But when one repairs
or restores an old instrument, choices are very narrow. In general,
it's better to save the old varnish and just retouch the areas where
original varnish has been lost. For retouching a simple (natural, raw)
shellac varnish with some plasticizer (castor oil, elemi resin etc.)
is fine, and fine (transparent) artist's pigments are used to match
the color (alizarin crimson, indian yellow, blue, raw umber etc.).
This is because the original varnish is an important part of the
instrument's "look" and is also a clue for its authenticity. But,
retouching is not easy at all.
I know there's a difference between violins and guitars in speaking
about varnish, and it's that guitarists will inevitably wear off all
the varnish if it's a natural one, and in a very short time. So now
many guitarmakers have switched to synthetic (polyurethane) varnish.
Guitars need a harder varnish than violins for a better sound. I think
that's the same for mandolins.
Violin varnish is a different one. A good violin varnish is quite soft
and technically "worse" than any modern industrial varnish. It is
simply made by dissolving a natural, high-temperature cooked resin in
hot linseed or walnut oil, by cooking the mix for the right time and
at the right temperature and then mixing some turpentine in. Classic
Italian varnish (Cremona, Venice...) was made with pine varnish,
sometimes mastic and amber resins were added. Varnish was different in
different towns and violinmakers probably were buying it like other
craftsmen did. I make mine at home but it's becoming easier to find a
good commercial violin varnish.
I have read some old varnish recipes that were intended for boats.
Copal varnish (fossil, pirogenated copal resin and cooked linseed oil
plus lead dryers) could be similar to violin varnish but it has more
oil in it. In violin varnish, resin content is always equal or higher
than oil content.
I would say that one should never remove an old varnish completely
without a very good reason, and generally there is no need to do that.
If the original varnish is very dull or covered by dirt and old rosin,
a good (time-consuming) polishing job will be very appreciated. For
inexpensive, factory-made student violins, I would not consider
"complete stripping" a crime, but only for post WWII mass-produced
instruments.
Have fun ... maybe by varnishing your OWN violin! it's really a sexy
experience...
Giovanni - violinmaker - Syracuse Sicily