Spirit varnish for International

basswraith · #1 04-15-2005, 05:28 PM

With what can I dilute the spirit varnish that I get from International Violin Company?
Can I mix it with turpentine? Or pure grain Alcohol?
I tried turpentine pure gum. the varnish is dry to the touch but still soft after 1 week. dang.

Any info will be great . Thank you.

**Basschair** · #2 04-15-2005, 06:41 PM

I could be way off, but I would have assumed mineral spirits...I've been wondering myself, actually.

nicklloyd · #3 04-15-2005, 07:06 PM

If it is spirit varnish, you should be able to thin in with alcohol. Why do you want to thin it, by the way?

arnoldschnitzer · #4 04-16-2005, 08:29 AM

It is a tried and true method to mix a LITTLE turp in with spirit varnish to slow it down and aid brush flow. It should never come from a metal can. Also, Spike oil is excellent for that purpose. What you did will result in a finish that never hardens. Get some denatured alcohol and wipe the mess off. The problem with thinning spirit varnish is that the added alcohol makes it flash even quicker and it sets up before you can get the adjacent brush stroke on it. I suggest you play with mixtures on a scrap piece. Within 5 minutes it should feel pretty dry to the touch. That said, you still have to work FAST! I personally watched Mike Krahmer do an entire bass in about 5 minutes at his Mittenwald shop. Made me dizzy!

basswraith · #5 04-16-2005, 11:23 AM

Could I just use the spirit varnish straight from the 2 ounce bottle with out diluting it?
I tried that once...it was hard to distribute evenly.
And Also I forgot to ask about drying time. How long? 24 hours?

Could I use pure grain alcohol or should I use denatured?

nicklloyd · #6 04-16-2005, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basswraith

Could I just use the spirit varnish straight from the 2 ounce bottle with out diluting it?
I tried that once...it was hard to distribute evenly.
And Also I forgot to ask about drying time. How long? 24 hours?

What are you varnishing? Have you making your own varnish with shellac flakes?

basswraith · #7 04-16-2005, 06:06 PM

I am varnishing the heal of a neck. I just got a few 2 ounce bottles of varnish from International violin co. The color matches great . Just had a hard time with the varnish cuz I mixed it with turp. I am testing some scap wood with a little bit of alchohol and its working out fine so far.