Violin Forum/Message Board

J. Goldsmith Strings · Member Joined: 09 Oct 2013 Posts: 26

Further progress on my first violin scroll.

DonLeister · Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 6:31 pm Post subject:

I like it that you jump right in! I wish I had started at your age. How is the tool sharpening going?

J. Goldsmith Strings · Member Joined: 09 Oct 2013 Posts: 26

I've got a friend popping down to where I live to show me how to sharpen soon. I already know how to sharpen chisels and plane blades, but he's giving me an advanced lesson in all tools.

And thank you. What do you think of the scroll so far?

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

your scroll looks very good, keep posting pics.

DonLeister · Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 9:50 am Post subject:

I think your scroll looks good so far. It is hard to tell from photos but perhaps still needs cleaning up.

J. Goldsmith Strings · Member Joined: 09 Oct 2013 Posts: 26

I've only used a gouge so far. The eyes are a bit messy because I carved the last turn too low but I think I can clean it up. I need to figure out how to sharpen a scraper then I'm good to go!

Thanks for the nice comments, I appreciate any feedback.

DonLeister · Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 2:13 pm Post subject:

It would take me a long time to explain what works for me and then it may not work for you. You have a friend that makes violins? That would be ideal.
Michael Danton has a book partially written with excellent advice, it is online and free, I just don't have the link handy. Violinmag or something.

Mat Roop · Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 2:41 pm Post subject:

Here is the link... http://violinmag.com/

Cliff Green · Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 7:45 am Post subject:

Totally agree concerning looking at Michael Darnton's Violinmag.com,
You mentioned scrapers. Another tip from Mr Darnton. Spring steel shim stock makes wonderful, cheap, and flexible scrapers. .012 or .016in 6"x 50" spring steel shim stock is available in the US from McMasterCarr for around $20. It can be cut to shape with tin snips and a 45 degree bevel ground on as Michael recommends in Violinmag. 50 inches will last a lifetime. If you can't find shim stock in the UK I'm sure a care package could be shipped to you.

DonLeister · Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 5:04 pm Post subject:

I set up this today. It is the first from the Sloan DG.

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

very nice , i like that color a lot.

ctviolin · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 12:11 pm Post subject:

ctviolin · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 12:40 pm Post subject:

DonLeister · Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 11:29 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys. It looks a little darker than the photo but still a pleasant dark orange.
It is a similar method as the last, scraped and smoothed with horsetail grass or micro mesh for the front, some fine paper on the maple in between coats of dark colored varnish.
At least this time the horsetail grass smoothed and burnished the spruce at the same time which helps preserve some texture but keeps it down some if you know what I mean.
Sometimes it seems like the texture of the wood keeps coming back, or rather the varnish sinks down as it cures, often a little too much for my tastes and my customers tastes. On this one I smoothed the varnish between most every coat, I usually don't but I wanted a polished look on this one, and it still has some texture of the wood as you can see.
The varnish is some of Joe Robson's combined with some I made.
For the final rub down it was first gone over very lightly with a scraper to get the nits off then wet sanded very lightly and then polished with oil and a couple drops of alcohol.
Oh, also I gave it a couple thin glaze coats of artists oil colors in between some of the last coats.