Books › Violin making and repairing, 1927 › scan 81
Scan 81
Violin making and repairing, 1927
8 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1by the aid of some medium other than water, which lifts the grain of the wood, thus necessitating glass-paper to smooth it again. This latter process affects transparency.
3The violin-maker should get these facts firmly fixed in his mind, for on their thorough appreciation depends in a great measure the success of the work. Much time will be saved and useless expenditure in the purchase of unsuitable colour and material if it be thoroughly recognised at the outset that the colour, first wash and varnish are all to be applied for the express purpose of aiding the figure of the wood to display its beauty.
5Oil varnish may be bought ready made, but owing to the lack of knowledge of the ingredients, the maker is recommended to prepare his own. First of all, however, he must prepare the first wash or washes according to the tint required. In this connection it must be borne in mind that any colour used in the varnish will be modified by this first wash shining through it; therefore, if a red varnish is required the yellow wash should be replaced by a red one, and so on.
7It will be supposed that the varnish-maker is preparing yellow, red and brown washes in connection with his work. Obtain 1 oz. of gamboge (in the lump or powder) and 2 oz. of alkanet root. (The brown is not used as a wash, its place being taken by the red or yellow tint, which warms the brown colour used in the varnish, where that colour is employed.) Now obtain one pint of oil of turpentine, which should be sticky to the touch. Do not be satisfied with that "oil of
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