Lutherie

Trade Secrets: Making a pigment grinder

2021-01-26T06:07:00

TradeSecrets1

A device that removes the effort from the tiresome business of grinding varnish pigments by hand

Traditionally, luthiers grind pigments for varnish by hand, using a glass muller on a piece of frosted glass. This is a job that takes a long time, and is sometimes made more difficult because some recipes call for pigments that are harder to grind. For these reasons I developed a machine to do the work, based on equipment designed for polishing gems. I find that using this device gives better results than grinding by hand…

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    Free trial

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

    Subscribe

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.