Posted on July 7, 2024May 6, 2025 by Dale Phillips Lemon Oil and Carnauba Wax Lemon Oil and Carnauba Wax by Jimmie Van Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #97, 1978 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume One, 2000 In a living tree the cell walls are saturated with water and pretty much keep their shape. After a tree is cut down and the wood is processed by air drying or kiln drying, most of the water is removed. The wood can shrink up to 20%. This wood is now like a sponge and even a finish like lacquer, varnish, or shellac only slows the rate of moisture absorption or loss. Thus, over time, the cells lose part of their ability to remain at or return to the size that you had originally intended. We see the results in swelling, shrinking, and cracking. Using pure lemon oil as a cleaner and carnauba wax as a sealer can further protect woods and slow down the changes on finished instruments. It is important to start with lemon oil that you know is pure. Most products sold as lemon oil contain considerable amounts of petroleum distillates and synthetics. Avoid these. You may be able to locate lemon oil through an essential oils store or a store carrying natural products (if it’s food quality, it’s probably the right stuff). First I make sure that the surface of the guitar or other wood instrument is free of old wax by using a mild wax remover. (The lemon oil will dissolve previous coats of carnauba wax.) I keep a soft, oil-moistened cloth in a sealable glass jar to keep it from evaporating between instruments. With this cloth I spread a coat of lemon oil over the entire instrument, letting it stand for fifteen to forty-five minutes or until most of the oil has been absorbed. Wipe any remaining oil off after this time as the wood will only take in what it needs. Pure lemon oil will not harm acetate or celluloid, but it can damage styrene. This can be a problem on some cheap instruments. Although pure lemon oil does not harm most finishes, I recommend caution, especially around stains. Lemon oil is also good for removing rosin buildup on violins, cleaning strings, and bringing up the sheen of finished or unfinished mother-of-pearl. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of the Articles Online featured on our website for Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 3 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. MEMBERS: login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on July 5, 2024May 15, 2025 by Dale Phillips The Case for Using Natural Dyes The Case for Using Natural Dyes by Nicholas Von Robison Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Quarterly Volume 11, #1, 1983 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie, Volume One, 2000 Luthiers do not need to color their raw materials as much as other woodworkers. We use fine woods that can stand on their own merit without any help from the dye pot. But now and then we do find a need for dyes: for example, for rosettes, bindings, taking grey streaks from ebony, enhancing the color cast of wood, and tinting finishes. In 1856 young William Henry Perkin was trying to synthesize quinine but instead wound up with a black tarry mess. This was mauveine, the first of the coal-tar derived dyes. By 1900 the aniline dyes (coal-tar derived) had virtually replaced all other dye materials. Up to this point, dyeing was done with naturally occurring materials and was more of an art than a science. With aniline dyes results were predictable, repeatable, stable, nonfading, and a heck of a lot simpler. There was bound to be a reaction, of course. The art of natural dyeing is returning to the amateur weavers and textile artists; I doubt if woodworkers will be far behind. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on March 4, 2024May 16, 2025 by Dale Phillips Chemical Stains Chemical Stains by Michael Darnton Originally published in American Lutherie #32, 1992 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Three, 2004 One of the biggest problems for the violin maker trying to replicate the effects of time is the imitation of the color of ancient wood. Even unantiqued instruments benefit from the rich appearance of old, time-darkened wood under a coat of fine varnish. Chemical stains have the greatest promise for replicating the look of old wood. Unlike aniline and pigment dyes which insert foreign colors into the wood, either in the form of a soluble dye or of a solid pigment, chemical stains cause a color change in the wood itself. The change is both permanent and clean-looking when compared to that of aniline and pigment colors. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
