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Scan 289
Old Violins And Their Makers, 1883
4 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 275. See the scan on archive.org.
1Violin Varnish.
3adulterated it is of course with inferior kinds generally. It has been used for hundreds of years in the making of varnish, as has also East Indian or Hepatic, but Socotrine is the best for the above sizing. When it is falsified with ochre, common resin, &c., which is also sometimes the case, it will not be difficult to detect the fraud. Two coats of either of the sizings should be sufficient; but if a third is thought to be necessary, it would not do any harm. It would, of course, be easy to dissolve more of the resins in the alcohol, but there would then be some difficulty in laying on the solution without making blotches. If in any case these are produced, they can be lessened by rubbing lightly with moistened linen those parts which have been too heavily charged, and the slight shades of difference remaining will be partially masked by the varnish. These resins should be dissolved in alcohol, although they are partially soluble in water, because the latter only dissolves the gummy parts, and the resinous portions, which are preferable, remain in suspension and give to the liquor a dirty aspect, while the alcohol only solves the resins; and besides, it volatilises more rapidly. Where the yellow tone is not wanted, a sizing may be made with 12dr. of sandarach, between 3dr. and 4dr. of benzoin in tears, or elemi, to one gill of same alcohol, proceeding in the manner indicated for the other two sizings. This last is somewhat similar to a sizing which was actually in use in Italy about 200 years ago, and for which a recipe was given by a Jesuit father, in a "Treatise on Varnish," published in Rome in 1713. Sandarach is a resin which is frequently adulterated. When powdered, it is sold as pounce, and used for
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