Violin Forum/Message Board

[Dave Chandler]

Anyone use the powdered JOHA varnish colors? I recently added some "brown" to a varnish to deepen the color a bit, and it was so full of small bits of trash, like I shook my bench duster over it, I ended up taking it all off with turpentine on a rag. I then put a coat without the powdered JOHA varnish color, and it was clean with no specks at all. So its clearly in the varnish color. Is there a method to using this stuff that I'm missing, or is this the way it will always turn out?
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Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

[L P Reedy]

I'm not sure it is JOHA, but I have a couple of powders from the old International Luthiers Supply. The maker is not identified, but it does have a certain amount of insoluble residue. More significantly, I have found it to be not very light fast so I don't use it any more.

I would recommend testing for light-fastness before anything else. If it passes that you might be able to allow the crud to settle before use.

[Dave Chandler]

I got an email from the manufacturer, and now I know why they put "soluble in Turpentine" on the label....you're supposed to dissolve it in Turpentine first, then add it to the varnish. I suppose you can let it settle if it doesn't disolve. They recommend balsam turpentine.

so that answers the question!
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo