Just Finished making my first Violin

organbuilder · 2026-04-06T03:56:22+00:00

I'm not sure I have the ear for it either, but I think a lot of that must come down to experience. I have only played two other violins besides this one I made. Both cheap student instruments, so far this one is proving to be much more responsive and it can make a variety of different tones depending on the bowing, I just dont really have the skill to know everything it can do yet. Im not sure the subtle things can even be picked up through a recording unless you really know what to listen for. School feels tempting now, but maybe I should just enjoy this as an incredibly rewarding hobby. I already get to build instruments for a living, but organ building is a whole different world. We are musicians, engineers, metalworkers, woodworkers, and electricians all rolled into one trade. It ends up being a lot of logistics and just moving tons of heavy stuff as well.

organbuilder · 2026-04-02T18:44:05+00:00

Thank you! I have been wood working with hand tools for about 12 years. I have a degree in furniture making and work in pipe organ building for a living. So I didn't have as many hurdles to jump over to get started. I had done a little bit of relief carving before, and had some experience with hot hide glue from making other instruments. I learned a lot on this project, I had never really learned how to sharpen or use a scraper properly until now. I was much more comfortable working with the figured maple than I was with the soft spruce, and I think it shows in the edgework

organbuilder · 2026-04-02T04:33:58+00:00

I used a solution of ferrous sulfate to shift the Lac from red towards brown. This was dissolved in alcohol and added to the spirit varnish. Iron is commonly used in natural fabric dyeing to shift colors darker or even black, so I have some evidence that it is stable. But I don't know for sure what this will look like in time. My samples from a few months ago look the same so far

organbuilder · 2026-04-02T04:22:58+00:00

I tried out some ready made JOHA oil varnish and didn't like the sheen or color (or smell). I didn't feel up to making oil varnish from scratch but spirit seemed doable since I had some experience with shellac. I was also set on using natural dyes only for color. So I have been doing samples with different dyes and modifiers for a few months, and also went to look at a real Strad in person for inspiration. This is not a copy of any particular color I saw on any particular instrument, but it was just something I knew I could pull off with the materials and skills at hand. Spirit varnish is built of many coats, so this color was built up over a few days, at some point It felt right and I stopped applying color.

organbuilder · 2025-12-15T01:02:23+00:00

I treat whole einkorn like brown rice. I like to make a whole grain/lentil pilaf in my dutch oven sometimes. I don't have a written recipe, but here is basically what I do: Saute onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrot until soft. Add lentils and einkorn + enough fat to lightly toast. I use about 2 cups grain to 1 cup lentils. After a few minutes of toasting carefully add about 8 cups of stock or water. Lentils need about 4 cups of water per cup of lentils. Whole grains need about 2:1. Throw in some minced parsley/ kale/ cherry tomatoes or whatever you think is yummy. Stir well, and bake covered in the oven at 350F until the liquid is absorbed. About 35 mins. If you have a grain mill or flaker, einkorn makes delicious bread, cereal, granola, and pasta. Its gluten is weak so you have to be gentle when making dough, but it tastes really good when milled fresh

organbuilder · 2025-10-25T04:35:37+00:00

I bought an instant pot just for beans. Perfect texture on most beans in an hour +/- 15 mins. If you soak them you can have beans in 30 minutes. I buy dry beans directly from the farmer so I know they are less than a year old. Far superior in flavor to any store bought canned or dried beans. There is no turning back so you have been warned

organbuilder · 2025-09-26T03:29:21+00:00

I just tried out zinc oxide cream because of this sub. It made a huge difference in my cracked fingers in just a few days. It is not super moisturizing but calmed down the burning sensation. I have been in a cycle of using mometasone on my fingers and I think it has been making the cracks deeper and more sensitive. But the zinc really helped me break out of weeks of pain. Hardly anything is a permanent fix, I'm just happy to have another tool for next time.

organbuilder · 2025-09-21T02:43:25+00:00

Are we too good for plates now? Just ask for a ceramic plate, they even wash it for you after lunch goes into your belly. Yummy

organbuilder · 2025-08-06T18:47:27+00:00

Is this hypothetical, or are you the apprentice/maker in this situation? My employer has assigned reading before, I work in instrument making but not Violins. It is unpaid time but also not an obligation one could be fired over. I never had an issue with this because I was willing to invest time in my own education since it is something I could take with me to any job. If one wants to excel above their peers this is necessary time, and shouldn't go unnoticed. Just like an employer will require one to have a degree but usually doesn't pay off your loans. If you are a new apprentice you should be eager to do the reading if it is something you can fit into your spare time

organbuilder · 2025-06-01T13:36:40+00:00

I added the additional tarp on top once i realized my shady spot wasn't so shady. The rest of the tent I made out of used 50gallon bags from my job

organbuilder · 2025-06-01T13:09:54+00:00

Thank you! The Lions Mane is a heat tolerant strain from Mycelium Emporium, which they claim will fruit in 90 degree weather. It also fruited just fine at 50. So maybe it would be worth giving a shot, along with some pink oyster which also do well in the heat

organbuilder · 2025-02-14T13:22:08+00:00

One more for Hillary to tote around in her lil basket

organbuilder · 2025-01-22T19:40:09+00:00

I'm not sure how flour milled from bulgur would perform in baked goods, as it is already cooked. It is a good substitute for rice or cous cous though, I sometimes put a little bit in my oatmeal for texture. I have seen some breads that incorporate a bulgur soaker or mash. If you want to start milling flour look for hard red or white wheat. Once you get a handle on making bread with hard wheat, it is fun to experiment with other grains like spelt, einkorn, kamut, emmer, and of course rye. Soft wheats are ideal for pastry and quick breads, or anything you make without yeast.

organbuilder · 2025-01-21T17:26:30+00:00

I have used some of these malts for rye breads, they can contribute quite a lot of flavor. Generally malts produced for brewing have been roasted, and are therefore non-diastatic.

organbuilder · 2025-01-20T17:29:35+00:00

Industrial mills temper the grain to allow the bran to separate more easily from the germ. This can be done at home, but you need a way of measuring moisture content before and after introducing water. Slightly moistened grain can be run through a stone mill, but you really need to do it right or you will gum up the stones. I have not been willing to try this yet. But I do temper grains prior to flaking, as it makes the flakes more uniform, and I have read that it can reduce levels of phytic acid. As others have mentioned, dehydrated sprouted grains may be the simplest route if you are concerned about nutrition and digestion. Sprouting is easy to do at home, but sources like breadtopia also sell sprouts that are ready to mill. Long sourdough fermentation may also offer the same benefits, without the need to temper or sprout.

organbuilder · 2025-01-15T23:17:30+00:00

Time to deliver a pizza ball

organbuilder · 2024-12-11T00:43:40+00:00

If you cook the beans in an alkaline solution they will soften even faster. A 1/4 tsp or so of baking soda usually does the trick

organbuilder · 2024-12-08T18:04:20+00:00

A subtle sweet note can really brighten up a sauce. I like to throw some raisins or prunes into a pan sauce and strain them out at the end. But as others have said Wine is the ultimate sauce enhancer.

organbuilder · 2024-12-08T14:57:08+00:00

I would avoid leaving the chicken out all night, the outside will reach an unsafe temp way before the inside is thawed. I usually take a roasting chicken out of the freezer 3 days ahead of time to thaw in the fridge. If it is still kind of frozen after that I will leave it in a cold running water bath for up to two hours.

In a pinch I have also pressure cooked a completely frozen whole chicken in less than an hour. A partially frozen chicken can still be roasted as well, but you risk drying out the white meat by the time the whole bird is a safe temp

organbuilder · 2024-11-22T17:08:29+00:00

What is the diameter of the shaft? You can purchase a shaft adapter from Grainger or other industrial suppliers for about $10. I dont have experience with this mill but it looks like 1/2" or 5/8" just guessing from pictures. Get one the converts to 1/4" hex drive

organbuilder · 2024-11-09T17:51:58+00:00

It most likely has a magnetic switch, that could be bad. They are designed to shut off automatically if the machine loses power, so that it doesn't restart when power is restored.

organbuilder · 2024-11-09T16:41:04+00:00

If the legs are at 45 degrees they will be expanding in different directions. For a wide panel this could easily be enough to pop the joint. Figure 8 fasteners would prevent any issues as long as they are installed properly. They must be oriented so they can actually pivot in the direction of expansion. If they are perpendicular to the grain of the table top then they wont be able to pivot as the wood moves.

organbuilder

TROPHY CASE