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The Effect of Varnishes on the Durability of Spruce Wood for Violins

Timothy L. Kerbs

Columbia Adventist Academy

Chemistry

June 8, 2022
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Abstract

With violins being in creation for over 500 years, their materials and building processes would

have had to be tested and perfected many times. To this point in history, violins are made of

spruce wood, a tall, blueish-green evergreen indigenous to North America. This research report

explores and confronts the durability of spruce wood with the use of varnish, and how the

increased doses of varnish may strengthen or hinder a violins’ durability and overall lifespan.

Chemicals such as “manganese, copper, cobalt, zinc, and lead” have been current components

in the manufacturing of these acoustically fascinating instruments (Caruso et al, 2014). The

varnishes may often be made of additional tree or nut oils or natural resins, dating back

hundreds of years into history, or may have used inorganic substances to produce these

sealants. The research experiment conducted used identical blocks of spruce wood, each with a

different number of applied varnish layers. Then, with the use of a hydraulic press, each block’s

durability was measured by how much pressure it withstood.

With the use of articles relevant to my experiment, this report was fully completed (this

list shows each relevant article found in relation to the References Page: (Cai et al, 2022),

(Caruso et al, 2014), (Cortea et al, 2016), (Tirat et al, 2016).

Keywords: Varnish, wooden instruments, acoustics, chemical structure, synthetic, resins

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Methods and Procedures

To begin the process, I researched using my main keywords to discover the properties of

varnishes and their effects on the durability of spruce wood. Through research, I encountered

that “varnishes for musical instruments are complex mixtures of both organic and inorganic

compounds,” and that these many different compounds are crucial for enforcing the chemical

structure of the spruce wood used for the body of the violin (Caruso et al, 2014). As defined by

Cortea in the article about the chemical structure of violins, the varnish is “a clear, protective

layer of organic film-making substances coated onto the surface” (2016). Cortea also explains

that throughout the history of violins, varnishes not only played a “protective and aesthetical

role,” but also an “acoustical [role] as well” (2016).

The experiment I developed was exploring the hypothesis which challenged the

durability of spruce wood once varnish is applied. Crafting my experimental design, I identified

the ‘effect of varnish’ as the independent variable, and the ‘durability of spruce wood blocks’ as

the dependent variable. Then, deciding on the amounts of the applications were zero, one, two,

and three layers of varnish on five cubic centimeter blocks of spruce wood, I identified theses as

my levels of the independent variables. I bought linseed oil varnish containing both manganese

and cobalt, which are both quite common metal additives in varnishes. 20 blocks of spruce

wood were used for each level, 20 blocks without any varnish, 20 with one layer of varnish, 20

with two layers, and 20 blocks with three layers of varnish. To apply the varnish, a keyhole

screw was placed in each block, to facilitate fully submerging the spruce blocks into the varnish.

Each block was allowed to fully dry before applying another layer of varnish, which took half an

hour to an hour. After this much time, they were allowed to fully dry and harden. Next, with the
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use of a hydraulic press, the number of Kilopascals (kPa) it took to crack the blocks of wood was

measured. Pressing each block separately, the press was stopped exactly when there was at

least one crack in the block. Then, the amount of pressure applied by the press on the block

before breaking was recorded. To only measure the durability of the varnish, the type of wood

(spruce) for all blocks, the size of the blocks (5 cubic centimeters), the kind of varnish, the time

of day I applied the varnishes, and the hydraulic press were kept consistent; there were the

constants. The main safety precautions for this experiment are to wear gloves when applying

the varnish and to have supervision and using caution with the hydraulic press.

The hypothesis of this experiment is: If the block has more layers of varnish, then the

durability of the spruce wood will increase. When brainstorming my experiment, I thought it

would be easier to use one cubic centimeter blocks, but I had to modify my experiment and

used five cubic centimeter blocks. Each time I pressed the one cubic centimeter blocks, they

easily broke without accurate readings of pressure.

Following is the inventory of needed supplies for replicating experiment:

• Spruce plank of at least 5x40x100 cm dimensions

o To make eighty five-cubic-cm blocks

• Table saw

• Linseed oil instrument varnish

• Eighty small keyhole screws

• Latex gloves

• Safety goggles

• Hair dryer (for accelerating drying of varnish layers)

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Data Table

Data table representing pressure (kPa) used to break blocks of no varnish, one layer, 2 layers,

and 3 layers.

Table 1: Pressure Needed to Break Spruce Blocks with Specific Layers of Varnish
kPa No varnish 1 layer varnish 2 layers varnish 3 layers varnish

1 0.562 0.792 1.596 2.501

2 0.423 0.801 1.621 2.632

3 0.451 0.731 1.587 2.592

4 0.519 0.794 1.599 2.540

5 0.493 0.693 1.660 2.548

6 0.502 0.755 1.692 2.611

7 0.506 0.796 1.645 2.573

8 0.490 0.800 1.648 2.481

9 0.418 0.765 1.639 2.549

10 0.537 0.747 1.619 2.598

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Statistics
Data table showing mean, median, mode, and range of all data. (Since no data readings ever
repeated, there is no mode in the statistics.)
Table 2: Statistical Data for Pressure Needed to Break Spruce Blocks with Specific Layers of
Varnish
Statistic No varnish 1 layer varnish 2 layers varnish 3 layers varnish
Mean 0.490 0.767 1.631 2.563
Median 0.498 0.779 1.630 2.561
Range 0.144 0.108 0.105 0.151
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Research Conclusion
After the experimentation, data collecting, and calculations, the hypothesis that the more
layers of varnish applied, the stronger and more durable the wood is accepted. The main
obstacles faced throughout this experiment and research was homing in on one topic and
experimentation to gather enough sources, and creating an experiment that reflected
chemistry, rather than leaning towards physics and acoustics. The findings indicated that there
was a physical change when varnishes are added to the wood. Although it is much more subtle
than, say, water freezing, the manganese and cobalt bond with parts of the wood, making it
much more durable. If this experiment was repeated, there would be modifications to test
chemical reactions rather than physical reactions. Also, there would be more data taken as to
provide for more statistics that would either prove or disprove the hypothesis. In addition, the
experiment would need more specific procedures, as to allow more people to replicate it.
However, despite these flaws, the still growing understanding of chemistry made this
experiment ever more rewarding.
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