Books › Violins and other stringed instruments : how to make them ; with numerous engravings and diagrams, 1906 › scan 73
Scan 73
Violins and other stringed instruments : how to make them ; with numerous engravings and diagrams, 1906
10 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. Printed page 69. See the scan on archive.org.
1VARNISHING AND FINISHING.
3smooth down with very fine glasspaper and linseed oil, and bring up the polish again by well rubbing with jewellers' rouge and oil; finishing off with wheat flour and the palm of the hand.
5The art of imparting an aged appearance to a violin without impairing its tone is not a very desirable one, and can be acquired only by experience and a knowledge of the chief characteristics of violins of the old school. Using coloured varnish of various tones, holding the violins in a smoky flame, sprinkling them with spirits or liquid ammonia, scratching and bruising the varnished surface, sprinkling the softened surface with powdered resin and shaking a mixture of sand and carbon in the inside, are all dodges used with more or less effect. The f holes must also be indented so as to give the sound-post the appearance of having been frequently set, and due regard must be paid to the colour of the instrument so that it shall accord with the varnish used by the maker whose goods it is intended to represent.
7Returning to the violin whose construction has been described in the previous chapter, it should be varnished, with the exception of the "handle" part of the neck, and when the varnish is perfectly hard it will be ready to have the neck cleaned. This done, glue the finger-board on the neck again—this time quite fast. When it is set, wash all dirt and glue from the neck, and polish it up with the finest glass-paper and linseed oil. Take care not to injure the varnish in doing this. With a fine rat-tail file cut in the nut the four grooves in which the strings are to lie. Mark the positions of the outer grooves 1 in. from each end of the nut, and, with the spring dividers, divide the intervening space into three portions. Make all the grooves free from sharp edges, which would cut the strings. Free the peg-holes from varnish, and file a set of pegs to fit.
9The bridge should be fitted to its position: between the V's of the sound-holes. The feet could be cut with a No. 1 gouge (see Fig. 22, p. 17). The top of the bridge should have nearly the same curve as the finger-board
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