Baroque violin - current project ( of many! )

Currently being created, a baroque violin with antique finish - layer upon layer upon layer of hand applied spirit varnish ( mixed from a traditional age old recipe). This is a painstakingly slow process but the end result makes the wood glow and sing.
Once the violin is finished in wood (aged spruce top and flamed maple back and ribs ), the violin receives a "primer" known as a ground. Now there are all sorts of myths about this ground, some involve egg whites, hide glues etc. We use a thin layer of diluted spirit varnish. And another.... and another. In between each coat we use scrapers to level the finish and prepare the violin for the varnishing stage.


Now when we say varnish, we don't mean an oil based toffee apple varnish which is rigid and shiny, we mean a warm and natural traditional finish which has been used by luthiers for generations. Resins, shellac, essential oils all mixed into a deliciously sticky and fast drying substance which has to be layered and smoothed down many times.
The pictures here show a violin towards the finishing stage, probably another 3 coats left to go then some final adjustments to ensure all is level and then a good polish with a lint free cloth to buff up the shine.

We like to leave our instruments to "cure", as spirit varnish is an organic substance and it does change. More pics to follow and then of course we will have this very fiddle up for sale.