Violin Forum/Message Board

Mat Roop · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 8:52 pm Post subject: wood age matching

In case you have not seen this here is a short video posted by Stew Mac. Although it is about old guitars, the technique would also work on violins...
http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0202.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ts0202
Cheers, Mat

FiddleDoug · Member Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 227 Location: Hilton, NY

I've used Potassium Permanganate for various things in the lab, over many years. One of the mechanisms of the brown color, is formation of insoluble Manganese Dioxide as the permanganate is reduced. MnO2 is kind of blackish, and this gets into the surface of the wood to form the brownish color.
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DonLeister · Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 8:41 am Post subject:

So it is not solely oxidation of the wood right? I have never used it before, what does that look like on spruce? Has anyone used it?

Michael Darnton · Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 10:58 am Post subject:

OK on the inside, as she's using it, to hide something that will only be looked at in bad light with a mirror, but you wouldn't like what it would do in context on the outside. That type of chemical treatment tends to darken the soft wood disproportionately, resulting in a dirty wood look.
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ollieken · Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 2:40 pm Post subject: oxalic acid

I have used oxalic acid in crystal form to kill mites in bee hives .

I can tell you that when it is heated to go into a vapor it is very
bad I used a mask & gloves you don't want to inhale it Mat Rope may know what I am saying as he was a bee keeper till they got at his
family Jule..s Ha ha

I don't think it is something to have laying in a shop so if you decide to try it be careful don't heat it to go in a vapor Ken

Michael Darnton · Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2013 2:46 pm Post subject:

Something that I learned a few years ago about cleaning: distilled water works great. The pure stuff, expensive, is deionized, but distilled is functionally the same. It works because water normally contains minerals, etc, chemically locked into it. In distilled/deionized water, those handles are free to grab anything that comes along, and the various things that we perceive as darkening cracks qualify. Use it hot--like, boiling.

For something stronger, use strong hydrogen peroxide from the beauty supply shop. Be careful--this stuff is strong, and it burns. Use eye protection, and keep it off your skin!

I haven't found oxalic acid necessary since I learned of these two cleaners.
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new blog at my site! http://darntonviolins.com/blog
my work sites: http://darntonviolins.com and http://darntonhersh.com