Cleaning the violin neck?
Chris Hansen
I noticed that my violin neck has some gunk building up on it. Is
there a good way to clean it off?
Thanks.
Ib Th.
A few drops of Kerosene on a soft cloth should do it. Do not wipe the
strings in the bowing area.
Ib Therkelsen
suchenmeinanuiii
> Chris Hansen wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I noticed that my violin neck has some gunk building up on it. Is
> > there a good way to clean it off?
If you would stop farting so much when you practice ( although this
might he nard for such a namby pamby sissy man-girl such as yourself)
you might not have such buildup.
Oh, by the way, your man breasts are getting grotesque. Perhaps it's
time to look into a male support garment! And stay away from those
polyester shirts!
Steve
a while, one needs to strip the French polish off the neck, smooth it,
and repolish. No big deal. On new necks, I go from small spokeshave
to file to 240 - 320 -400 wet & dry paper. Once the shape is right, I
let amber-tinted TruOil soak in a little, buff like mad, then French
polish. Really nice feel, very fast, and looks great.
Steve
On 18 Aug 2002 18:26:40 -0700, ch...@bitstream.net (Chris Hansen)
wrote:
Tho X. Bui
interfere with shifting? My "normal" approach has using light rubbings
of oil (tung or linseed--real stuff, not "tung oil finish"). I do wet
the neck to raise the grain, and then sand with fresh fine grid paper.
Of course, being totally Abbey Normal, this practice may turn out to be
totally unique to me.
Tho
> steve wrote:
> I use Fantastic cleaner for the neck gunk during restorations. After
> a while, one needs to strip the French polish off the neck, smooth it,
> and repolish. No big deal. On new necks, I go from small spokeshave
> to file to 240 - 320 -400 wet & dry paper. Once the shape is right, I
> let amber-tinted TruOil soak in a little, buff like mad, then French
> polish. Really nice feel, very fast, and looks great.
Shaineleah
> I use Fantastic cleaner for the neck gunk during restorations. After
> a while, one needs to strip the French polish off the neck, smooth it,
> and repolish. No big deal. On new necks, I go from small spokeshave
> to file to 240 - 320 -400 wet & dry paper. Once the shape is right, I
> let amber-tinted TruOil soak in a little, buff like mad, then French
> polish. Really nice feel, very fast, and looks great.
>
> Steve
My private teacher once told me that I can use soap and water on the
neck, because the wood in the neck is treated with something (I guess
to protect from the sweat on the hands). Soap and water has worked
quite well for me.
Also, I think isopropyl alcohol works, but I'm not sure how safe it
is. Anyone?
Shaineleah
PeteSchug
scyu...@hotmail.com wrote on 8/29/02 5:37 PM:
[snip]
>
> My private teacher once told me that I can use soap and water on the
> neck, because the wood in the neck is treated with something (I guess
> to protect from the sweat on the hands). Soap and water has worked
> quite well for me.
>
> Also, I think isopropyl alcohol works, but I'm not sure how safe it
> is. Anyone?
>
> Shaineleah
Alcohol can damage a lot of violin finishes. I would be very, very careful
about it. Most inexpensive and even a lot of fairly expensive violins use
spirit varnish. Guess what the spirit is! In other words, alcohol is the
solvent for the varnish on most fiddles! It's true that some makers use oil
varnish, but they tend to be the guys who make fine violins, and even there
I would be careful of what I risked using anywhere near the varnish.
This may sound funny, but I usually make sure my hands are clean and dry
before I play my fiddle, and I never seem to have to clean it! My old fiddle
got wiped down after being played and except for when I first got it, I have
never cleaned it either, but I will wash my hands, especially in the summer.
If I am playing after work, I will clean my hands with isopropyl, since I
often have to work with a couple of types of ink as well as grease, oil and
just plain dirt.
Pete
--
Check out my fiddle making site
http://home.att.net/~PeteSchug/
Shaineleah
> in article 56000507.0208...@posting.google.com, Shaineleah at
> scyu...@hotmail.com wrote on 8/29/02 5:37 PM:
>
> [snip]
> >
> > My private teacher once told me that I can use soap and water on the
> > neck, because the wood in the neck is treated with something (I guess
> > to protect from the sweat on the hands). Soap and water has worked
> > quite well for me.
> >
> > Also, I think isopropyl alcohol works, but I'm not sure how safe it
> > is. Anyone?
> >
> > Shaineleah
>
> Alcohol can damage a lot of violin finishes. I would be very, very careful
> about it. Most inexpensive and even a lot of fairly expensive violins use
> spirit varnish. Guess what the spirit is! In other words, alcohol is the
> solvent for the varnish on most fiddles! It's true that some makers use oil
> varnish, but they tend to be the guys who make fine violins, and even there
> I would be careful of what I risked using anywhere near the varnish.
Certainly, but I don't think the neck is varnished, is it? My
understanding is that anything that the hand normally touches in the
process of playing the violin doesn't get varnished. Instead, it's
treated with something else to protect it from rotting...
> This may sound funny, but I usually make sure my hands are clean and dry
> before I play my fiddle, and I never seem to have to clean it!
Yes! This is great advice, and it is what I do myself. Clean hands are
the best way to preserve your violin, as well as wiping off rosin dust
after every practice with a clean, dry cloth.
PeteSchug
> PeteSchug <Pete...@att.net> wrote in message
> news:<B994104C.FF1%Pete...@att.net>...
[snip]
>>
>> Alcohol can damage a lot of violin finishes. I would be very, very careful
>> about it. Most inexpensive and even a lot of fairly expensive violins use
>> spirit varnish. Guess what the spirit is! In other words, alcohol is the
>> solvent for the varnish on most fiddles! It's true that some makers use oil
>> varnish, but they tend to be the guys who make fine violins, and even there
>> I would be careful of what I risked using anywhere near the varnish.
>
> Shaineleah's comment below.
> Certainly, but I don't think the neck is varnished, is it? My
> understanding is that anything that the hand normally touches in the
> process of playing the violin doesn't get varnished. Instead, it's
> treated with something else to protect it from rotting...
No, the neck is not varnished, but the heel of the neck and the pegbox are
and alcohol can run from the neck in either direction and get on those parts
and even the body if you are not careful. It is not worth the risk. (and if
you were inclined to be careful the fiddle would not need to be cleaned!)
Pete
Craig Wisted
"Shaineleah" <scyu...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:56000507.0208...@posting.google.com...
> My private teacher once told me that I can use soap and water on the
> neck, because the wood in the neck is treated with something (I guess
> to protect from the sweat on the hands). Soap and water has worked
> quite well for me.
>
>
Along with all the advice about alcohol and the finish, don't forget the
fingerboard is held on with hide glue and there is always a change that
water could soften the glue and the next thing you know the fingerboard will
be in your lap!
Craig
Maarten Brink
> understanding is that anything that the hand normally touches in the
> process of playing the violin doesn't get varnished. Instead, it's
> treated with something else to protect it from rotting...
>
I did just varnish the neck of my new violin with some stuff called 'grip
polish'.
It is a spirit varnish, smooth and fast, and dirt can be easily wiped off
with a dry cloth.
Maarten
Derek Tearne
scyu...@hotmail.com (Shaineleah) wrote:
> My private teacher once told me that I can use soap and water on the
> neck, because the wood in the neck is treated with something (I guess
> to protect from the sweat on the hands). Soap and water has worked
> quite well for me.
I'd be a bit wary of soap and water on a wooden instrument. Even if the
fingerboard is treated, the designers wouldn't be expecting the wood to
be regularly soaked. If the treatment is oil based soap will probably
remove it as well as the grease.
I use furniture polish on various instruments - this is, after all,
designed to be used on a variety of wood finishes.
> Also, I think isopropyl alcohol works, but I'm not sure how safe it
> is. Anyone?
Isopropyl alcohol is an extremely good solvent for oils and grease -
this includes many varnishes. Be very careful with full strength
alcohol near varnish.
--- Derek
--
Derek Tearne. --- @URL Internet Consultants --- http://url.co.nz/
Some of the more environmentally aware dinosaurs were worried about the
consequences of an accident with the new Iridium enriched fusion reactor.
"If it goes off only the cockroaches and mammals will survive..." they said.
