MIMF

I've learned something:

Asking how to repair accordion bellows is like asking "How to make a guitar"!!

Found some online resources. Very involved processes and procedures. Rather than doing a full restoration, my goal is to make it playable.

Decided to take a break from violin making. This has been sitting on a shelf in my office for years. Took first close look at it this afternoon. A friend, who has since passed, gave it to me. Belonged to her Grandfather. It appears to be restoreable. All the notes work. The bellows don't look too ba...

Here's a thread on the subject in the Library. (Charlie --- the link to the original post by CT doesn't work). http://www.mimf.com/library/Cold_bending_ribs_-09-21-2011.html Basically, cold bending is gradually bending the wet wood, cold, around a form, then letting it dry. Once dry, it will come of...

go to other forums and play spot the sycophant, one of my favourites A bit off topic, but One of my favorites also. Never heard the word "sycophant" --- love it! One of my "hobbies" is observing the "personalities" of groups, forums, cultures, and governments, and how just one or two sycophants can...

Test One

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014 ... ogs&_r=1

I looked at the Government forms for both Exotic woods and Ivory. Do you think that they can make it any more complicated and difficult? Perhaps require a laboratory chemical and molecular analysis? Maybe increase the fees? Increase the processing time from two months to a year? I have instruments w...

What Michael said. I don't have the expertise or the ambition to "get there without all of the eye of newt and bat wing boiling caldron stuff". Bazillions of pages have been written on that. I, and a couple of other guys here, have used Ace Oil varnish, however, the old stuff, which is no longer ava...

Philip,

I've made a couple of violins with three piece backs as you are considering. I also made one with the "wing" technique that Randy mentioned.

Thanks Steve.

Thanks Mario.

Hopefully give Joe some ideas on using recycled material. Almost everything I build is from recycled or non-standard material.

Joe, I know you said it is no place for contrasting inlay, but this is what I did for a piece of maple salvaged from a kitchen table that had screw holes in it. At first I thought of just plugging with a contasting wood, but didn't like it, so put an inlay in. Not quite invisible, but maybe somethin...

Martin --- Enjoyed see your recycled material guitar. And hearing that others are doing what I do. Most of my violins are made as Jason's instruments are.

That is much of my enjoyment in making --- giving old wood new life.

I think the take away from this is not to use elephant ivory on instruments you intend to sell. Agreed. "If I knew then what I know now" I am seriously considering replacing the pieces of ivory I used in a couple of instruments. I don't plan on selling any of them, but who knows where these instrum...

Good video --- but at first I was a little confused --- thought I was watching a current political news story.

The more they try to fix things, the more messed up it gets.

(Charlie --- hope I haven't broken any posting rule here)

Nearly all the violins I make are from "antique" wood. I've made them from old table tops and legs, an old piano top and soundboard, bed slats, a fence post, and one of my favorites --- I found a 2X10 in the parking lot where I was working at the time. They used it outdoors for supporting a tow moto...

Thanks to all for the info. David, The list was sent as a .doc file. Because of formating, when I copy the text to the forum window, half is missing and the rest jumbled. I can either email it as an attachment to you or you can get it directly from the company. RESELLER.doc info@milligan1868.com

Their web page says that they are both 192 gram strength, and I think that's the lowest they go. The Behlen stuff is supposedly 164. That's what I've been used to working with. Decisions decisions.