Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 3 Feb 2011 22:12:23 -0600, wrote:

In , says...

sam wrote:
In , says...

sam wrote:
Found an old Stradivarius knockoff with some
cracks that need gluing. I'm not looking to
make some kind of profit on this. I just want
it to play. Is it some kind of sacrilege to
use old fashioned epoxy resin to fix it?

It's one of the many that says
Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis
Faciebat Anno 17(40 written in)


Thanks,

Sam


Out of respect for the instrument, and to help provide it with a long
lifetime, you are supposed to use "hide glue" (it is melted it in a
cooking pot of hot water). The advantage is that the instrument can then
be easily taken apart when necessary. Besides for reasons having to do
with sound, using epoxy will seal the instruments fate permanently.
BTW, removing any of the instruments finish is is an offense considered
punishable by a fate worse than being boiled like hide glue. No kidding!

Bill

Thanks, Bill. Looks like it will be cooked
hide glue for me.

s

Sam,

If you want to read more along these lines, you might browse the "setup
and repair" forums at: http://www.fiddlehangout.com/
There are also several experts there that will probably be glad to help
you with your questions. Be prepared to invest more time than the
instrument's probably worth and read a bunch before you do anything.
Do you realize that just to get the tuning pegs to work "nicely", you
may spend close to $100 on tools? Maybe you should take it to a luthier
as has already suggested by others? If you aren't committed to doing
this sort of thing as a hobby, I think the argument to do so is
compelling. Here's a link to some parts and tools you may find interesting:

http://www.stewmac.com/Shopping?&off...h&sort =score
desc

Bill

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the great links. I'm going to wait until
summer when I'm in full woodworking mode and I'll
study up and try to do it right.

If you decide to take up the violin and can't fix that one within a
tight budget, grab one from an eBay vendor for as little as $25.
They're handsomely made, good sounding instruments, too. I doubled my
money selling it locally for half the price the locals get for similar
instruments. (My neck didn't like the fiddlin' position at all so I
had to give it up before I learned much.)

You should try this shoulder rest before you say "I quit" (unless you
have a short neck):

http://www.sharmusic.com/Shop-Shar/A...s-4-4-size.axd


http://tinyurl.com/62hrgkg $24, $19 to ship.
Violin, bow, rosin, strings, case, tuner.

http://tinyurl.com/63a3qvp $2 auction, $19 to ship.

--
Woe be to him that reads but one book.
-- George Herbert