Howery Violins

Sebastian: Step 2(A) in the Balsam Ground process. After the instrument is dry to the touch: even though the solution is alcohol, giving the balsam resins time to dry is important. I sent Sebastian out in the sun for a bit and hung him in the shop overnight. The first step is dry brushes the entire instrument first using the “Tail of the Horse” and then a soft long haired brush (A Spanish dry brush I get from Joe Robson). The dry brushing, cleans, smoothes and pushes any surface resins into the pores. The ground is IN the wood, the later varnish is ON the wood. Balsam # 2 preparations. #2 is mixed 1:4 with alcohol. Use the good stuff, Everclear is pure grain alcohol, drinkable. Get the highest proof Everclear you can buy. Hardware store and drug store (isopropyl) alcohol has additives or is wood alcohol. I used to try and volume measure or eyeball the proportions, but after developing a delicious bread baking habit, I’ve found weighing the proportions easier and more accurate. Joe says just eyeball it, get close enough, but with everything “Joe” his eyeball is likely more accurate than my scale.. The balsam ground preparation #1 step added illumination to the wood cells #2’s purpose is to get in and distributed the resins. Balsam ground preparation #2 ground has polar compounds it adds to Mordent so later added colors ( steps 2B, 2C) can bind to the cell walls

Sebastian: Step 2(A) in the Balsam Ground process. After the instrument is dry to the touch: even though the solution is alcohol, giving the balsam resins time to dry is important. I sent Sebastian out in the sun for a bit and hung him in the shop overnight. The first step is dry brushes the entire instrument first using the “Tail of the Horse” and then a soft long haired brush (A Spanish dry brush I get from Joe Robson). The dry brushing, cleans, smoothes and pushes any surface resins into the pores. The ground is IN the wood, the later varnish is ON the wood. Balsam # 2 preparations. #2 is mixed 1:4 with alcohol. Use the good stuff, Everclear is pure grain alcohol, drinkable. Get the highest proof Everclear you can buy. Hardware store and drug store (isopropyl) alcohol has additives or is wood alcohol. I used to try and volume measure or eyeball the proportions, but after developing a delicious bread baking habit, I’ve found weighing the proportions easier and more accurate. Joe says just eyeball it, get close enough, but with everything “Joe” his eyeball is likely more accurate than my scale.. The balsam ground preparation #1 step added illumination to the wood cells #2’s purpose is to get in and distributed the resins. Balsam ground preparation #2 ground has polar compounds it adds to Mordent so later added colors ( steps 2B, 2C) can bind to the cell walls

Instagram filter used: Normal

Photo taken at: Amelia Island

View in Instagram ⇒
Sebastian: Step 2(A) in the Balsam Ground process. After the instrument is dry to the touch: even though the solution is alcohol, giving the balsam resins time to dry is important. I sent Sebastian out in the sun for a bit and hung him in the shop overnight. The first step is dry brushes the entire instrument first using the “Tail of the Horse” and then a soft long haired brush (A Spanish dry brush I get from Joe Robson). The dry brushing, cleans, smoothes and pushes any surface resins into the pores. The ground is IN the wood, the later varnish is ON the wood.

Balsam # 2 preparations. #2 is mixed 1:4 with alcohol. Use the good stuff, Everclear is pure grain alcohol, drinkable. Get the highest proof Everclear you can buy. Hardware store and drug store (isopropyl) alcohol has additives or is wood alcohol.
I used to try and volume measure or eyeball the proportions, but after developing a delicious bread baking habit, I’ve found weighing the proportions easier and more accurate. Joe says just eyeball it, get close enough, but with everything “Joe” his eyeball is likely more accurate than my scale.. The balsam ground preparation #1 step added illumination to the wood cells #2’s purpose is to get in and distributed the resins.

Balsam ground preparation #2 ground has polar compounds it adds to Mordent so later added colors ( steps 2B, 2C) can bind to the cell walls #violin #viola #fiddle #5stringfiddle #violinSebastion
#violinmaker #luthier #orchestra #fernandinabeach #ameliaisland #brunswickga #staugustine #stmarys #jacksonville #jaxsymphony #unfmusic #jumusic #luthier #whatsonmybench #violinist #florida #northflorida #Georgia #firstcoast #varnish #violinvarnish #groundvarnish #violingroundvarnish #balsamground, Amelia Island, Normal

William Howery

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *