Books › An encyclopedia of the violin, 1925 › scan 133
Scan 133
An encyclopedia of the violin, 1925
26 lines. Read by computer on 26 September 2026. Printed page 109. See the scan on archive.org.
1following this should be poured carefully into another bottle. The lac and the dragon's blood, well crushed, are then added, together with the remaining half of the spirits of wine (10 2/3 ounces) which has been reserved. The substance used being essentially inflammable, the dissolving process by application of heat should be made by means of a water bath.
3The varnish thus obtained is applied by means of a pad on the sticks of the arches. The process of applying by pad is carried out by laying the varnish on the piece of wood to be polished, using a rag or pad of cloth soaked in oil.
5The process is as follows: a piece of white linen cloth is taken and folded back tightly on itself several times. This pad is covered with a piece of old linen on which a drop of drying oil has been placed. The surface of the cloth is then dipped in the varnish, a little being taken up at a time and the pad is then passed lightly along the stick, from one end to the other, thus warming the varnish.
7As soon as it is evident that the pad sticks to the wood, it is once more dipped into the varnish, as before, and, changing the linen coverpiece, another drop of oil is placed upon it and the frictional process is resumed and continued, the varnish being distributed in the most equalized manner possible.
9PRELIMINARY OPERATIONS
11Before concluding the subject of color and varnishes, a word should be said anent the condition of the instrument which is to receive the coat of varnish.
13Before the varnish is applied a well-edged scraper should be taken, and all exterior surfaces of the wood lightly scraped, to remove any small rough places or inequalities which may remain, as well as any particles of glue or other substances which handling may have left. This operation completed, all the exterior parts of the instrument should be polished with sandpaper.
15A very clean sponge should then be taken, moistened in water, and the violin should be lightly wiped with it and allowed to dry.
17Finally, these various operations should be repeated until the wood, perfectly smoothed, presents a dully varnished appearance.
19When this is the case, some very clear glue should be prepared, and the instrument should be given a coat of it, and, when this coat of glue is perfectly dry, the wood should once more be polished with emery paper. The instrument is then ready to be varnished.
21APPLICATION OF THE VARNISH
23A special brush should be provided for each variety of color. The brushes used for varnishing should be made of very fine pig's bristles.
25There should be placed in the orifice of the tailpiece of the violin a bit of wood long enough to make it possible for the violin to be held in an isolated position, when it is grasped in the left hand; it is while holding it in this position that it is varnished.
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