Violin Forum/Message Board

[masterbass]

Hi all,
I have just finished my bass. I´m quite pleased with the result but of course I´ll try the best to the next one.



It looks a little yellow but "live" it´s more amber.

I´d like to do the next with more color. How is to add more color to the varnish but without leaving a "milky" looks?
I use a clear oil varnish mixed with artist color. If I had more color the milky look appears.
Of course I don´t what too much coats and killing the sound.

Thanks
_________________
www.contrabajo.es
www.forumcontrabajo.foroactivo.com

Spanish doublebass site

[jessupe goldastini]

sweet bass....good job....really pretty shape....

i'm not a big oil guy, i would use what manfio uses, he's getting great color with only two coats i belive......

i get my color but cutting the shellac dramatically with colored alc so theres hardly any "finish" in the finish , this way many color wash coats can be applied, without getting too thick

[Chet Bishop]

Very nice-- how does it sound? Is this your own pattern, or one you modelled after a particular existing instrument?

I used a shellac ground, then all oil varnish and glazes on the bass I made.

At one point my bass was too yellow, so I used a thin purple glaze to bring it back toward brown. It worked well.

Chet

[masterbass]

[Jack H.]

Hey!
Looks great!
Much better than it was before. Looks very professional!
ENjoy.

Jack

[FiddleDoug]

Traditionally, various resins (such as dragon's blood) were used to color the varnish. These resins are clear, so they wouldn't make the varnish milky. There are also synthetic aniline dyes available these days that will do the same thing. Most luthier supply companies carry them (for example: International Violin Co. http://www.internationalviolin.com/SearchByCategory.aspx?CategoryCode=183)
Most woodworker suppliers also carry dyes to tint varnish.
_________________
Doug Wall

www.wallindependent.com

[MANFIO]

Getting enougth colour is difficult. With spirit varnish, the instrument may get stained since it's diffcult to get an uniforme colour over all the instrument. So many many thin coats will be necessary.

The good thing about oil varnish is that you can charge it with colour and use something like kerosene or spike oil to make brushing easier, the varnish will not dry quickly and you will be able to "paint" the colour with your varnish. If the wood is darker by means of suntanning or another way (strong tea or 4% sodium nitrite solution followed by exposition to the sun or UV box) it will make things easier too. Here the oil varnish in some of my violas:

IMG]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1188/1437770048_6bcfe0ced9.jpg[/IMG]









_________________
www.manfio.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7875988@N02/with/464604020/

[masterbass]

Nice photos and great color.
Where is posible to buy sodium nitrite? Powder?

Thanks
_________________
www.contrabajo.es
www.forumcontrabajo.foroactivo.com

Spanish doublebass site

[MANFIO]

You will find it just in shops specialized in chemical products. Some will use potassium nitrite, which is much more difficult to buy and expensive, but the sodium nitrite works in the same way.

But it's a bit impredictable.

Yes, it's a powder. I apply it over bare wood, if you are revarnishing an instrument it may not work, since it requires full contact with bare wood, and in it's nearly impossible to take all the old varnish from an instrument. Tea (quite strong, 4 tea bags for one cup, boil it) is much more predictable and will work good also, you can give some coats of it.
_________________
www.manfio.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7875988@N02/with/464604020/

[masterbass]

I´ll try it both tea and nitrite, and i´ll show the results and experiences.

Thanks Manfio!!!!
_________________
www.contrabajo.es
www.forumcontrabajo.foroactivo.com

Spanish doublebass site

[actonern]

Sodium Nitrite can be obtained at any well stocked store that sells photographic supplies...