Violin Forum/Message Board

Geemac · Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:07 am Post subject: Tung oil as a finish.

Has anyone ever tried tung oil as a finish for a violin? If you did, how did it turn out? From what I have read, tung oil was new to the Cremona makers, but it may have been used by them on some insturments.
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GeeMac

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

In my tests it looks good, but isn't the kind of finish you can build up to any thickness. It's not tough enough... any moisture from hands, neck etc from playing will dull/matt the finish. Not successful, was my conclusion...

Leif Luscombe · Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:20 pm Post subject:

You can get good results by applying your ground/stain, then a few coats of tung oil, and varnish on top. Done well, it can give a very impressive finish. If the top varnish wears off, it will be difficult to wear through the tung oil, which is acid/alkaline/alcohol impervious. It is also quite thin and flexible.
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Leif Luscombe
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Geemac · Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:36 pm Post subject: Tung oil as a finish.

Okay _ think that the crisper a varnish is, the more it contributes to the sound of the instrument. I'll stick to tried and true then. Thanks for the replies folks.
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GeeMac

Andres Sender · Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:52 pm Post subject:

What's the basis for imagining that the Cremona makers even heard of the stuff?

It hasn't come up in any of the testing that I know of, which always shows linseed or walnut oil for Italian varnish of that period.

I've read of one or two makers who were using tung oil to make varnish and thought it was the bee's knees, but one can say that about just about anything you can imagine. Wink

Geemac · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:10 am Post subject: Tung oil as a finish.

I read it somewhere on the net a day or two ago.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFDF133FF935A25752C1A967958260
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GeeMac

Andres Sender · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 1:15 am Post subject:

Ah yeah, so he was apparently guessing about the tung oil as far as violins are concerned, and the dragon's blood thing is one of many 19th century violin myths that don't seem to know they're dead yet (Michael D. strikes it down now and again). Wink

That said, I think Tung Oil is interesting stuff in some ways.

Mat Roop · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:12 pm Post subject:

From the NYT article...."The Stradivarius was one of several prized violins made from about 1550 to 1750 in Cremona, Italy".. Wow, there must be someting healthy in building violins with Tony living 200 years! I guess if its in print it must be true!