Violin Forum/Message Board

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

when you make your tea for staining, neck or plates , (if you do) how many bags to a cup or water or what ration do you use.

question 2.
if you use a small hammer, to convince a plate to open with a plate removing knife , how small or what weight is it , thanks

Mat Roop · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:43 am Post subject:

I don't use a hammer... just work the edge of the knife in by hand at the easiest place to start. Be sure your knife is very thin!.. The thickest part of mine is 0.6 mm... and make sure it is very dull, otherwise you will cut into wood.
Cheers, Mat

ctviolin · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:49 am Post subject:

Michael Darnton · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:09 am Post subject:

The issue isn't the hammer, it's how hard you hit with it.

More important is to have a block of wood that fits the curve of the rib precisely, and is contoured to hit right at the rib level, not the outside of the edge.

[For those of you who haven't heard of this, the idea is to cleanly break a reluctant glue joint by striking a wood block placed against the underedge, so as to push the joint open via a quick but gentle shock. Glue is not very shock resistant compared with the wood, and will break relatively easily and neatly, too. It's a great way to open the joint without hurting the wood at all, unlike wedging with a knife. However, you have to be very aware of how much force to use, and where not to hit--near blocks or on the outer edge of the bouts, where you can easily snap off the edge. Like a lot of things in violin work, there's a way to do it and have it work great, a way to really mess up, and the need for the knowledge of when to give up.]
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ctviolin · Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:12 am Post subject:

Very interesting.

Well then, perhaps a photo of the block and where it usually goes, in order not to hurt the violin, rib assembly, or blocks, when starting a separation with this method?

This sounds like a method to force open the seam (or start the seam opening) without putting a potentially damaging force in one specific or one particular or concentrated spot.

I've not ever done it this way before - or ever even really heard of it being done like this.

Yes, interesting indeed.
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kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

any guesses on the tea bag/water ratio ? or does no one use the tea stain thing?

thanks for the hammer replies, k a little lite tapping wth the hammer on the back of the knife at the blocks has helped open them without damage, maybe I was just lucky.

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

the reason I am asking about the the one of my books courtnal maybe, uses it for the neck. i did find these links for those who are interested.

http://dans-woodshop.blogspot.com/2012/03/staining-with-tea.html https://www.violins.ca/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3551&sid=1f1425c113b7b6caf7b48785f05349ad

DonLeister · Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:51 pm Post subject:

Five or ten bags, more is what I like. How much you boil it down determine how dark it goes.
l don't strain it, the sediment will settle. After a while a moldy scum will form on the top and you just scoop it off with a q-tip. It makes a great stain. Walnut husks make a good one too, it has less yellow, but careful on spruce, like don't.

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

don are you using it on maple , but not spruce, , like neck , and back but not top .. ? thanks

MANFIO · Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 8:56 am Post subject:

I use 4 bags for a cup of tea and half and let it boil, it must be satureted. If you leave it for some months it will develop a mold in the surface and get stronger, I think. I just remove the mold and use it.

I use it in the neck too.

The resulting look can vary a lot. It goes well with my work that is not all that clean and neat. If I had a clean, precise work I would not use it.
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mikemolnar · Member Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 57

How do you avoid wicking too much stain by the spruce end grain? Also, how do you avoid getting a "burned" look in maple curl that wicks too much stain?

Mike

Chet Bishop · Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:58 am Post subject:

Tea is a very mild, gentle stain...it does not have a dramatic coloring effect. I have used tea, and sometimes coffee (slightly different color) for stain, and it is never a terrible change, but a gentle change. Also, you need to let it dry and apply another coat. The only thing it does that some folks don't like (but which I DO like) is that it raises the grain of the wood.
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ctviolin · Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 12:50 pm Post subject:

mikemolnar · Member Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 57

Thanks Chet and Craig. I like raised grain and I feel that white wood needs to be toned down to bring out the figure in maple and annual rings in spruce.
A UV tan is too slow and tends not to be strong enough to suit my tastes. I will give tea a shot. Stay Tuned.

Mike

Chet Bishop · Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:21 pm Post subject:

Mike;

you might try it on some scrap, first; say, tea on one end and coffee on the other, and compare colors after a couple of coats are on and dry. The colors are not the same, and you really may prefer one to the other.

Also, for those who do not like the raised grain, you can scrape or sand it (gently) to removed the raised portion of the reeds, and apply another coat. The wood will stop swelling, and the grain will be flat. (I happen to prefer some texture....)
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