☀️ This morning’s varnish session: Yellow base coat applied to both the 1715 and 1742 violins! Laid down that warm golden ground on the plates and ribs of each. It’s already pulling out the flame in the maple and laying in that beautiful luminous depth the richer natural coats will build on top of. Two very different instruments side-by-side in the shop — the 1715 with its refined early-period elegance and the 1742 bringing its own bold character. Ground coats done. Color layers next. #ViolinMaking #Luthier #HandmadeViolin #Varnishing #NaturalVarnish

Morning in the shop: thin colorless oil varnish base coat down on the 1742 as the primer/sealer. Thinned with mineral spirits and applied by hand. This piece of maple was noticeably thirstier than the previous violin — it drank more of the coat, which is doing exactly what we want: sealing the open pores while letting that gorgeous flame start to come alive with a warm golden ground. The spruce top took it cleanly too. Even, no drama, just good penetration and the wood figure already responding. Attached photos show both instruments right after their first coats for comparison. The back on this one is already singing. Curing in the new drying cabinet now. Once it’s touch-dry and de-nibbed, the natural color layers begin (madder lake, dragon’s blood, burnt umber, Van Dyck brown…). #ViolinMaking #Luthier #OilVarnish #HandmadeViolin #Varnishing

Workshop update – solid progress today on multiple fronts. Spent the day deep in details. First, continued refining the neck heel on the current build. We went through several rounds of scraping and shaping. The flow from neck to heel to button is coming together nicely now. Also tackled a purfling corner that was bothering me. The mitre wasn’t crisp and there was some tear-out at the point. Cleaned it up, re-cut the bee-sting, and blended the surrounding wood. It looks much sharper now. All in all, a productive day of problem-solving and steady refinement. Slow, careful work, but it’s moving in the right direction, excited to be moving towards varnish soon. Tomorrow’s work, refinements on the 1742! #ViolinMaking #Luthier #HandmadeViolin #ViolinRepair #WorkshopDiary

Color development on this back is about to get underway. Using @grok to come up with a plan and visual image guide to adjust the colors without wasting any varnish. Initial ideas: Looking forward to base gelatin coat, and home made pecan stain to begin with, but we’re building toward that rich Cremonese reddish-brown depth using a cumulative linseed-copal oil varnish recipe adding small amounts of: Yellow lake → madder/dragon’s blood brown lake → and a tiny amount of Van Dyck brown for final richness. Made this prediction chart showing exactly how each coat should shift the color and make the flame pop. Which stage are you most excited to see come to life in the shop? #ViolinMaking #Luthiery #Varnish #Cremonese #HandmadeViolin

Post 8/8 Next: first real varnish coats going on soon. This cabinet is already proving itself and I’ll keep tweaking it as I go (maybe a small fan later or basic monitoring). What’s your experience with passive vs active airflow in small varnish setups? Or any favorite low-tech dust-filter tricks like the coffee filters? Always curious what other makers are doing. Drop your thoughts below 👇 #ViolinMaking #Luthier #WorkshopDiary #EyoStarraOriginals #Varnish #HandmadeViolin #DIYWorkshop

Post 7/7 This is the kind of work that separates a good neck joint from a great one. Small, careful adjustments now make a big difference in how the violin looks and holds up over years of playing. What’s your approach when refining the button and heel after the neck is already glued in? Any favorite files or techniques? 👇 #EyoStarraOriginals #LuthierLife #ViolinMaking #NeckFitting #HandcraftedViolin

This is the vision behind EyoStarra Originals — instruments shaped by patient hands in a quiet rural workshop, with the Oklahoma landscape just outside the door. Every original violin carries that story. I’m building two right now (neck work happening this week). Follow along for the real process, the wins, the ‘top block took a vacation’ moments, and the finished instruments. What draws you most to handcrafted instruments? The tone, the story, or the maker behind it? 👇 #violinmaking #luthierlife #EyoStarraOriginals #handcrafted”

#luthierkitty is keeping watch over the drying glue. Meanwhile I have pulled out my hand repaired LC Smith & Corona Super-Speed to get some typing done. Luthiers, what do you do while you are waiting for glue to dry? #catsoftwitter #shopcat #violinmaking #luthiers

Gluing in the neck today. Luthier kitty approves of the work! Check out these awesome neck facts! 🧵 ⬇️🎻 #luthierkitty #catintheshop #catsoftwitter #violinmaking #woodworking

🎻 Crafting violins isn’t just a skill — it’s a dialogue with wood. In #Xiangcheng, master luthier Chen Mengqing has won multiple international awards, including a gold medal at the 2025 Italian International Violin Making Competition. 🏆✨ From selecting the perfect wood to refining every curve, he pours patience, passion, and artistry into each instrument — even adorning it with abalone shell for a unique touch. 🎶He hopes this craft will be passed down and attract more young people. #EncounterXiangcheng #IntangibleHeritage #ViolinMaking #XiangchengCraftsman

The statue of Antonio Stradivari in the the Piazza Stradivari that bears his name, in Cremona, Italy. The statues commemorate the recognition of UNESCO given to the city and its shared school of violinmaking. #stradivarius #violin #stradivari #cremona #italy #violinmaker

Learn About the Violinmaking School of Venice: Venice, Italy stood apart from the other Italian city-states, a blend of culture and art from a bigger world beyond southern Europe. Violins crafted there reflect this. 🎻 Read more: benningviolins.com/history/t…

Learn about Maple Wood and the Acoustics of Violins - It takes several kinds of woods to make a fine violin. But the back of the violin, made with maple, has much to do with sound resonance. ~ Read more: benningviolins.com/violinmak… #violin #wood #maple #violinmaking #luthier

Learn a Brief History of Ancient Violinmaking - Bowed stringed instruments were crafted in various countries long before instruments we know today as #violins, #violas and #cellos were made in 16th-century Italy. ~ Read more: benningviolins.com/history/t…

Also explaining the intricacies of violinmaking like #)$)@#)#))#$)))$)@#)$#$)@#$)$@)$)@)

C Boutsの接着 昨日しくじったのでリベンジ ようやくここまで来ました 子供の積み木が役に立ちました #バイオリン製作 #violinmaking

They even have better forests! With old-growth wood (best for violinmaking), forests like that haven’t existed in Europe for hundreds of years!

Wishing a #HappyBirthday to Nancy Benning. Our wonderful, kind and creative matriarch and mother has dedicated her life to violinmaking, our business, her family, teaching and philanthropy. She remains positive, energetic and vital to the success our shop she helped found. 💕

Learn about the History of Ancient Violinmaking: Bowed stringed instruments were crafted in various countries long before instruments we know today as #violins, #violas and #cellos were made in 16th-century #Italy. ~ Read more: benningviolins.com/history/t…

An Overview of American Violinmaking Schools: Luthiers practice a craft that derives from the old schools of Italy, Germany and France, but several schools for stringed instrument making are in the US. ~ Read more: benningviolins.com/reference… #violinmaker #violin #viola #cello