The 'ground'

One of the things I love about the internet is there is an absolute abundance of information on any and every subject. One of the things that's most frustrating about the internet is there is an abundance of information on any every subject... When it comes to something as specific, technical and alchemical as violin finishing, there are nearly as many options (and lofty opinions expressed as fact) as there are violin makers. I think what I've found happens in my internet research is that I will read too much information, seeking that one simple solution that seems to ring true, and by the end of the process I'm left less with a clear set of linear steps but more of a general sense of the accepted field of 'answers' to any particular inquiry. In this case, I got a good feel for what people do at various levels of violin making, and essentially synthesized my own combination of these elements based on my experience (lack of) and desire for complexity (keep it simple please).

The first step in violin finishing, after finish sanding (or preferably scraping) the body itself is the application of the "ground" coat - a sort of sealing process for the wood. Once again I had to wade through suggestions for everything from mixtures made with egg whites (literally) to propolis soap. One relatively accepted recipe seems to be the use of shellac - a widely available and simple-to-apply substance. I found recommendations for Zinnser's Bulls Eye shellac, and I elected to use their 'amber' variety, since I appreciate the slightly 'aged' look amber tones tend to impart to wood.

Another great thing about the Zinnser shellac is you can get it at Menards or Home Depot. Following more internet reading, I cut the shellac with alcohol in a 4:1 mixture (4 parts alcohol to 1 part shellac) and started the finishing process in earnest.

After about 5-6 thinned coats, it seems to be building an actual sealing layer - the maple seems to look better than the spruce, though that could be partially due to my sanding as well...

Note that to this point no actual 'color' has been applied (that comes in the varnishing stage) but only the amber of the shellac is in play. Here's the maple back: