I am forwarding this at David's request ..
> From: "David Brown" <arpali...@gmail.com> > Subject: RE: [LUTE] fuzzy lute > Date: July 28, 2014 at 11:21:55 AM EDT > > Hello Wayne, > > Sorry for not replying to the list, but the ease of just hitting "reply" is > the line of least resistance this morning. Feel free to CC this to the list. > > I hope I can help you with this matter. First off, it would be good to know > the maker. When you say "varnish", I assume you think it is an "oil" based > varnish? A spirit based varnish can exhibit these symptoms, too. > Do consider M. Daille's words, checking with the luthier, waiting for > cooler, dryer weather and trying a light polish to remove the fuzz. This is > good advice. > > Mainly, I see this issue with the linseed/resin varnishes that many luthiers > cook up or often called turpene varnishes. They are great varnishes, but > often can soften with heat and humidity. They really need to be cooked > properly and the quality of the polymerized oil high. > > I often get instruments that have softened by body heat, summer temps and > humidity. The players body chemistry can have come into play as well. Often > this mixes into a soft, gooey mess that will never harden and often comes > off during cleaning. I have even redone the varnish on extreme cases. > > Any steps should be tried on a very small spot before proceeding with the > rest of the instrument. > > I would try the light polish first as mentioned by M. Daille. If this > doesn't work you could also try the following. > > This method is used more when there is more dirt and "mung" incorporated > into the varnish. Try a mix of water and Murphys oil soap. Dr. Bronners > castile soap is another you can try, but it is a little more aggressive. Use > the soap in very small amounts on a slightly moist cloth. If this works, > continue this process maybe over several sessions, allowing the lute to > rest. The varnish is soft and will take prints and the rubbing will soften > it further. If this does not work, then you will need to use a more > aggressive solution which I would suggest a luthier who is used to working > with these type of varnishes continue the work. It depends how deeply > imbedded the lining fibers are in the finish. Aggressive scrubbing can > remove this varnish. > If it does work, the lute could maintain the high polish or be a little > dull. Let it dry in indirect sun with hopefully low humidity. You could try > a fine violin polish for oil finishes to restore the gloss. After the > instrument has dried more in the indirect sun, use high grade wax with a > high percentage of carnauba in it to make a barrier. This type of wax should > be available from a high end woodworking or antique restoration supply > place. Use this very sparingly also. It can potentially soften the varnish > if over applied. Again allow to dry as the rubbing will soften the varnish > again. This wax can help it from sticking to the case. A cloth can also be > put in the case as a buffer, but you might just get another type of pattern > the next time... > > I hope this helps. > > Sincerely, > > David > > David B. Brown, Luthier > 3811 Ellerslie Avenue > Baltimore, MD 21218-1952 > arpali...@gmail.com > 410-366-4865 > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf > Of wayne cripps > Sent: Monday, July 28, 2014 9:40 AM > To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > Subject: [LUTE] fuzzy lute > > > Hi people - > > One of my lutes has a varnish finish, and in the humid weather the fuzz > from the case lining sticks to the varnish, and gives part of the bowl a > flocked look! Can you suggest a way to get the fuzz off and keep it from > sticking again? The lute is about 20 years old. > > Wayne > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
