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Sebastian: the medullary rays of the maple enhanced with the Greek Pitch gold.
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Fernandina Beach, Florida View in Instagram ⇒ Sebastian: the medullary rays of the maple enhanced with the Greek Pitch gold., Fernandina Beach, Florida, Normal…
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Violin Tatiana: Back linings glued in… Step by step Rubber bands and clothes pins. Kind of like bailing wire and bubble gum from my farm family background. Not pretty, but gets the job done 🙂 Pretty will come later for Tatiana
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Fernandina Beach, Florida View in Instagram ⇒ Violin Tatiana: Back linings glued in… Step by step Rubber bands and clothes pins. Kind of like bailing wire and bubble gum from my farm family …
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Violin Tatiana: Power out this morning. I’m amazed that Stradivarius could work with out bright lights, and with eyes that were 80-90 years old
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Fernandina Beach, Florida View in Instagram ⇒ Violin Tatiana: Power out this morning. I’m amazed that Stradivarius could work with out bright lights, and with eyes that were 80-90 years old…. #violin #violinTatiana …
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I took Sebastian out for some BLUEGRASS music last evening at Woody’s BBQ on S R 200, Fernandina Beach, near Lowe’s. We had a great time! (He has the balsam ground on, so the wood is protected. I like to play an instrument in the white a bit be form applying the full color varnish).
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Fernandina Beach, Florida View in Instagram ⇒ I took Sebastian out for some BLUEGRASS music last evening at Woody’s BBQ on S R 200, Fernandina Beach, near Lowe’s. We had a great time! …
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Violin Tatiana: she is starting to take shape
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Fernandina Beach, Florida View in Instagram ⇒ Violin Tatiana: she is starting to take shape:) #violin #violinTatiana #howeryviolins #violinmaker #luthier #orchestra #fernandinabeach #ameliaisland #brunswickga #staugustine #stmarys #jacksonville #jaxsymphony #unfmusic #jumusic #luthier #whatsonmybench #violinist …
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Sebastian: I played Sebastian tonight for the first time. Sebastian spoke. Sebastian sang. My ears smiled. My soul soared
Instagram filter used: Normal View in Instagram ⇒ Sebastian: I played Sebastian tonight for the first time. Sebastian spoke. Sebastian sang. My ears smiled. My soul soared. #violin #viola #fiddle #5stringfiddle #violinSebastion #howeryviolins #violinmaker #luthier #orchestra #fernandinabeach #ameliaisland #brunswickga #staugustine …
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Sebastian: Balsam Ground through #4. It makes the maple jump
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Fernandina Beach, Florida View in Instagram ⇒ Sebastian: Balsam Ground through #4. It makes the maple jump!! #violin #viola #fiddle #5stringfiddle #violinSebastion #howeryviolins #violinmaker #luthier #orchestra #fernandinabeach #ameliaisland #brunswickga #staugustine #stmarys #jacksonville #jaxsymphony …
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Regina, Dry brush finish.
Instagram filter used: Normal View in Instagram ⇒ Regina, Dry brush finish., **insta-location**, Normal…
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Sebastian: Step 2(C) in the Balsam Ground process, Adding Aged Wood Grey Green. Old wood that has been handled by many hands turns a greyish green color. I”ll say that It looks much better than it sounds. Since Sebastian will be antiqued we want to have the areas where the wood will be worn to present with natural looking color and texture. I will build in a Grey Green color on the wear spots which will give credence the final antiqued appearance. I’ve laid out a map of the intended wear areas of the instrument and will shade these with the Aged Wood Color Grey Green. The Edges always wear before the rest of the instrument. They also take the most handling, bumping etc. While the whole instrument gets a good dry brush to clean any fuzzies and press in the balsam resins, the edges also get a burnished to compress the grain, and simulate a well handled appearance. I’m using a hard plastic bench clamping dog. Joe uses an ebony piano key. It either case, the burnisher is harder than the wood to press and wear as a had would over many many years. The edges then get a nice brushing of the #2 Grey Green. Mixing ratios 1:4 Balsam Ground Preparation #2 2g, Everclear Alcohol 8g, Aged Wood Color Grey Green 2-3g, Apply the Grey Green from the center of the wear area, feathering out. Use a small brush to avoid simply making a large wash. Apply several times until you start to see the shading take place. More light coats are easier to control than heavy coats
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Amelia Island View in Instagram ⇒ Sebastian: Step 2(C) in the Balsam Ground process, Adding Aged Wood Grey Green. Old wood that has been handled by many hands turns a greyish green color. …
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Sebastian: Step 2(B) in the Balsam Ground process, Adding Aged Wood Color Gold. When a violin is initially finished it is white, if we applied varnish with no color and the instrument had a bump or scratch, the white wood would sparkle through the wound. Also, we, and more importantly musicians, want instruments that look old. Stradivari and Guarneri instruments are old, henceforth we value instruments that look old, at least not brand spanking new with white wood. Since the Balsam ground is what goes INTO the wood, it makes sense that we add color down into the wood. With the color in the wood, when a dent or scratch happens, the colored wood will reflect back. Additionally, we will antique Sebastian in later varnishing stages. This antiquing will remove some of the varnish we will yet apply, and underneath that varnish will be our colored wood. Over the centuries many methods have been used to darken the wood, everything from dark pigments to chemical acid baths that darken the wood during or before varnishing. Most of these methods either blocked the light illuminating from the wood cells, or worse yet destroyed the cell structure weakening the wood and hastening the instruments demise. The 18th century Cremonese instruments had intense illumination. When you focus a bright light on the varnish of well preserved Stradivari instruments, the color of the varnish disappears and you see bright reflections from the cell structure of the underlying wood, particularly on the maple. Using pigments or chemical coloring processes deadens this reflective illumination of the wood. The Balsam Ground process is designed to enhance the wood’s natural illumination. If you have the chance to spend any time with Joe Robson you will hear his mantra, “The Illuminating power of the ground is stronger than the tinting power of the varnish”. To maintain and/or enhance this illumination the Balsam Ground uses a mordant on mordant process, similar to dye color fastening used for textiles. Balsam ground preparation #2 ground has polar compounds it adds to Mordent bind the vegetable based Aged Wood Colors to the cell walls. The first color we will apply to the instrume
Instagram filter used: Normal Photo taken at: Amelia Island View in Instagram ⇒ Sebastian: Step 2(B) in the Balsam Ground process, Adding Aged Wood Color Gold. When a violin is initially finished it is white, if we applied varnish with …