JANUARY 2022, VOL.133, No.

1581

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Lutherie

Making Matters: Seeing in

a different light
Andreas Hudelmayer and Andreas Hampel conclude their
two-part investigation into the use of UV light by examining
its use in varnish drying – and offer tips on using it
effectively

2I DECEMBER 2021

Our first article on the uses of ultraviolet light in violin making (October
2021) focused on the differences in radiation strength of the three
different types – UVA, UVB and UVC – and their effectiveness in
tanning wood. In this second article we examine how the various
methods can be used in varnish drying – even though it is much more
difficult to give a definitive scientific statement on the matter. As well
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as the type of UV radiation, other factors will affect the drying process
such as the ground, layer thickness, oil-to-resin ratio, or the presence
of pigments and siccatives. Many violin makers have found their
personal solutions, and we can only share our own long-term
experiences with the various UV sources.

Within the fluorescent tube family, the UVA/B solarium tubes have
shown the best drying effect for our oil varnishes, whereas the
blacklight tubes (‘BL’ and ‘BLB’) were less effective. With the LED
strips we tried many products from different manufacturers: ultimately,
both of us were impressed most by the 365nm UV LED strips from
Waveform Lighting, which dried the varnish well and gave off little
heat. UV radiation of around 365nm accelerates all possible
polymerisation processes; 365nm emitters are also used in industry
and at the dentist to cure plastics and adhesives.

When it came to drying the varnish, we were primarily interested in

the comparison between the 365nm LED strips and the solarium
tubes. The varnish tested in London seemed to dry a little better and
deeper with the tubes than with the strips, but there was no detectable
difference between the two with the varnish tested in Hamburg. Our
colleague Felix Krafft in Berlin, who recently started using the LED
strips instead of tubes, noticed they gave a slightly longer drying time
for his varnish, but for him this disadvantage of the LEDs was far
outweighed by their advantages – namely, their lower energy
consumption and heat generation. They use around 80 per cent less
energy than the tubes, and the cabinet only heats up to 22C over the
course of one night. So the strips can be positioned much closer to
the instrument without having to worry about warping, bubbles or
micro-cracks.

We have sometimes heard luthiers advocating the use of UV light in

regular intervals: three hours on and three hours off. The theory
behind it is that when drying, the varnish polymerisation continues in
the dark, having been started off by the UV light. We decided to put
this theory to the test, and in our separate tests we both found that
continuous UV cured varnish faster than the ‘rhythmic’ method: after
a day of drying, the three-hour on/off samples were consistently
softer. However, when testing a varnish with siccative added, after
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four coats and a final weekend of UV the differences were no longer
obvious. The exact same procedure with a siccative-free varnish
resulted in significant differences in softness. We therefore would
encourage makers to do their own tests with their own varnish, to
establish whether the energy saving could outweigh the potential loss
of time.

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Our results were more consistent when we tested the ‘rhythmic’
theory in regard to tanning wood. After a week of tanning we could
see no real difference between continuous UV exposure and the
three-hour method: both were equally tanned. We would add that
using the ‘rhythmic’ method not only reduces the energy consumption
by 50 per cent but also allows the instrument to regain some of the
moisture it lost during the UV exposure, which in our opinion would
be good for the instrument.

Independent of your UV source, we strongly recommend placing

aluminium foil reflectors all-round the instrument. Polished aluminium
reflects about 85 per cent of UVA, which might well double the
effectiveness of the cabinet. Another good tip is to add a humidity
source in the cabinet. This could be a commercial humidifier or just a
cloth hanging in a bowl of water. Most effective would be to place the
cabinet in a cold, damp basement.

It is a good idea to monitor both temperature and humidity right by the

instrument. Combined digital thermo-hygrometers are available with
remote sensors that can be placed directly in the cabinet. They are
inexpensive and the safety of your instrument is well worth it.

One more application of UV light in violin making is in fluorescence

analysis. When exposed to certain light (such as UV), many materials
convert it into light with a longer wavelength (such as visible light).
This effect is called fluorescence, and can be used to check the
authenticity of postage stamps, banknotes and minerals as well as to
analyse paint surfaces. We want to discuss the various light sources
briefly.

While analysis lamps with a radiation peak of around 360nm were

being used in the 1970s, in their 2010 book Stradivari Varnish Jan
Röhrmann, Stefan-Peter Greiner and Brigitte Brandmair used UV
lamps with radiation in the 315–400nm range, and a radiation peak at
366nm. Some violin makers use lamps with small BLB tubes (peak at
370nm), or UV blacklight LED torches (peak at 395nm) for lacquer
analysis. It seems that the fluorescence effect occurs with all types of

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UV light. As long as you only want to compare whether all parts of an
instrument belong together, or where the original varnish is covered
by retouching, you can use many types of UV light. Only if you want
to compare or exchange photos of different origins is it essential to
agree on a defined UV radiation source with the researchers and
photographers involved, because the emitted visible fluorescent
colours differ depending on which UV light colour is used.

An important aspect to consider with UV tubes is their relatively short

lifespan. Most tubes last around 800 hours, after which they still emit
light but the radiation output has fallen to below 70 per cent, so
tanning/varnish drying will require more time. The service life of LED
strips, on the other hand, is estimated at around 15,000 hours, and
with good cooling one can expect them to last even longer. Gluing the
strips to 15 x 15mm square aluminium tubes allows the heat to
dissipate well. If these tubes stand on small wooden bases they can
easily be moved depending on the size of the instrument. It should
also be noted that UV tubes contain gaseous mercury, which is highly
toxic. A used tube must be disposed of properly; if it breaks, the room
must be vacated quickly and thoroughly ventilated.

However, the most ecological way of drying varnish is used by our

colleague Alkis Rappas in Texas. The sun shines so strongly near the
Gulf of Mexico that Alkis can hang his violins outside in the sun after
a short initial time in the UV cabinet. Alkis swears that no artificial UV
light source has such a good drying effect as the pure, clear sun. This
is a variant that the present authors can only dream of in rain-
shrouded northern Europe.
(Hudelmayer , y otros, 2021)

Bibliografía
Hudelmayer , Andreas y Hampel, Andreas . 2021. Seeing in a different light. The
Strad>Lutherie>Making Matters. [En línea] 21 de diciembre de 2021. JANUARY 2022, VOL.133,
No.1581. https://www.thestrad.com/lutherie/making-matters-seeing-in-a-different-
light/14098.article.