Clavichord Day 15 - Faux Tortoiseshell

Today, we got to the meat of the faux tortoiseshell design. The plan was to build up a series of glossy warm layers of paint to simulate the look of the real thing. For each layer, we use an acrylic gloss medium and soft body acrylic paints.



The first layer was a yellow ocher, which we laid on very thinly in short diagonal strokes, to give it some texture and depth.


When that dried, we put on a layer of thicker and darker spots (burnt umber color), keeping in a diagonal pattern.



Keep in mind all these steps were performed on all necessary parts (lid, toolbox cover, fallboard, case).



After burn umber, we added raw umber spots, which are more of a cool gray. As these melted in, overlapping previous layers here and there, we could begin to see the effect come alive.



Finally, after raw umber, we added accents of black.



At this point, things still look very crude, but by the end of the next day it should get a lot more subtle and beautiful. We'll see!

Clavichord Day 14 - More Tortoiseshell Prep

Today, we continued prep for the tortoiseshell design we've planned. Having applied a second coat of primer (this time using a roller rather than a brush!), the first chore was sanding the primer smooth.



That done, it was time for the yellow undercoat. The idea is to build up the paint in transparent layers to create the look of real tortoiseshell. Yellow, being the lightest and brightest color we will use, goes on first and underneath all the darker and richer layers.

We started with the lid:


The fallboard and even the tiny toolbox lid got covered.


Then, it was on to the case.



Since this all needs to dry before we can continue (once again), it is worth pointing out one step I forgot to photograph from a couple of days ago. The lid, when opened, will lean back at an angle, but it will not fall all the way back. This is because a string will connect from the instrument itself to the lid. The string will tie to two screw eyes -- one in the lid, and one in the hitchpin block. Look closely below, and you can find the holes I drilled.


If all goes well, tomorrow we should be able to get to the heart of the tortoiseshell.

Clavichord Day 13 - Lid Work

Today, we planned to continue the Tortoiseshell decoration, but we discovered that it will take two coats of enamel primer to get a smooth enough surface.

Setting that aside to dry, we moved on to finishing up the lid work. This involved gluing on the music desk (where sheet music will rest), and gluing up 3 sides of the lid frame.

First, using the schematic drawing as a guide, the placement for the music desk was measured and drawn onto the inside surface of the BACK length of the lid (the same piece with the hinge marks).



Then, glue was put on the back side of the desk piece.



The music desk glued onto the lid frame:



When the lid is all assembled, the center panel (the piece being decorated with tortoiseshell) will not be glued into the frame. Rather, it will be free to float around in the groove so that it may move with changes of climate. So, the groove in each piece of the lid frame had to be sanded to make sure the center panel will have an easy time sliding around.



Moving on, the side splines of the lid frame had to be glued into the front piece (the back will be glued on later, after the whole case is varnished and waxed),


The front and two sides glued together, forming 3 sides of the lid:


That's all for today. More tortoiseshell work on the next day.

Clavichord Day 12 - Tortoiseshell Prep

Now we are going to get deeper into decorating the case. As mentioned before, we want the look of Tortoiseshell inlay, surrounded by gold bands. After designing on paper exactly where we want the inlay to be, the first step was measuring and drawing the correct shape in pencil on the case itself.



Then, those areas needed to be surrounded by masking tape to protect the stained wood of the case.



The design we want calls for the tortoiseshell to continue through the fallboard on the front of the case. That way, when the clavichord is closed, the tortoiseshell will look solid and uninterrupted. Here is a shot with the fallboard in place to illustrate how that will work.



We also designed a tortoiseshell pattern for the center panel of the lid, on the side facing out, and we are even going to put a small inlay in the little toolbox lid. See below.



After all that prep work, it was finally time... for more prep work. To start the faux tortoiseshell, we first had to prime all the masked areas with an Alkyd Enamel.



Here's the case with its coat of primer.


Once this dries, we will sand and get into the fun stuff!

Clavichord Day 11 - We're Back! Lid Work & Stain

After a long hiatus, we're back in action!

On our way to finishing the case work, the first small step was to plane down the toolbox lid until it fit nicely in place.



That being done, the last major part of the case to be done was the lid. The job was to get the hinges on the lid and case, so that the lid opens and closes freely with an equal overhang on all sides. The first step was measuring for the exact location of the hinges, and marking the screw holes.


Then, the pilot holes were drilled.


The hinge, perfectly in place.


With the lid in place on the instrument (and floating just a bit above the case, so that later the hinges won't scratch the top of the spine) the holes were marked on the case itself.


A look at the case from behind, with the lid screwed on!



Now, it is time to decorate the case. This will be a long and rewarding project. The look we are going for is a rich red stain on the case, with faux inlays of tortoiseshell surrounded by bands of gold leaf.

First things first. A wood conditioner was applied to all the pieces requiring staining.



Then, the stain itself was applied.



A look at the various pieces of the instrument after 2 coats of stain:
That's all for Day 11. It's fun to be back!