Trouble in Paradise

Should it surprise me. No. This violin has taken forever to do. I noticed it the other day when I got around to smoothing up the first coat of varnish after it dried. A crack. Never saw it before. Didn't appear to be much, but it was there. So I had to pop the belly off and put a couple studs under the crack. While pulling the top off I smelled pine....uncured varnish. A small bit got in an area on the bottom block, must not have been perfectly flat. So I ran a plane blade over the area on the block and the belly. Didn't seem bad. The crack doesn't go all the way through to the inside, except for the overhang area, and that is going to be cut away for the saddle.






I decided to put two studs on it. One right at the block and the other right near the end of the crack that shows on the outside, right at the end of the bass bar. I imagine both areas are high movement areas (relative to a violin) and better to be extra cautious. I'll glue the belly back on tomorrow. This time maybe I'll remember to put the pins in too, to fill the holes. Oh yeah, I have to make 'em, that's why they never got put in the first time! Where do you buy 3/32" dowel rod?

Hello color

Did it again! Hit enter after putting my title in. OK, here's what's going on today. Varnish. Glued it up yesterday and this morning took one last shot of it before putting a light coat of Joe's Rose Greek Pitch varnish on.







I start with the scroll first. There is no way to hold it if you do the scroll last, and I like to get it out of the way because it is the hardest to do. Next on the hard to do list is the ribs. I do those next. My method for the whole process is to put a little varnish on a few places with a brush and blend it all in with my fingers, or palms. I did the back next and the belly last. I don't think it matters much at that point which side you do first. The varnish has a lot of color in it so the hardest thing is to get the coating even so it isn't blotchy. I don't see too many blotches. When I smooth it up after it is dry with some oil and tripoli (or pumice, I always forget which one is finer) I can smooth out any blotches I see then.








A few thin coats is what I'm aiming for. Nice color Joe! I think 3 coats will look real nice. It's been out on the porch all day, mostly cloudy though (been that way or raining for more than a week), but the varnish mostly not tacky already.










My homemade varnish took forever to dry. Well, weeks anyway. Oh, by the way I forgot to publish the post before this one! Please check it out.