Flitz Polish Technique

...Perhaps a little history here...I had purchased Flitz Polish at our state fair some time ago. It is a special heavy duty metal polish made in Germany. A time came when I had damaged a spot of varnish on the top plate of a violin by passing a flame too close to the varnish and it had dulled the varnish shine in that spot where the flame brushed the surface accidentally.
..Then I remembered the Flitz polish and decided to try and restore the varnish surface gloss that way. I read the instructions and rubbed a small amount into the surface and kept polishing (with the special polishing cloth they sell) until the Flitz polish disappeared. It looked like the shine was restored. The surprise came when I tapped the restored surface and then the corresponding area on the other side of the top plate. The tap on the restored surface sounded noticably more lively (less of a dull thud); so I decided to polish the other side and then they both sounded equal and improved.
..I continued this experiment all over the top plate and then the entire violin body. Well, what would happen if I did this again, a second coat? Again there was an improvement and the same the third and fouth time. After that, another application of Flitz polish yielded no more improvement. However the sum total of the four rounds of polishing were truely amazing! The surface tap of the varnish went from a sound like the violin was swallowing the tap, to a nice rich reflecting sound!
..So that is the genesis of this technique. Four coats applied in a specific way to the varnish of the instrument once the varnish coats are firmly cured to the touch. All my experience has been with German made oil varnish of two types, but you might want to try the experiment with that you have been using. Please note precaution notes that follow.

.. The tube of Flitz metal polish is behind violin. You can see the surface appearance after application.
...the real benefit however is the apparent 'curing' of the varnish surface to better transmit sound generated by the instrument. I recommend you just put a small amount (say the size of your small finger's nail) on the quarter of a single plate that you will be polishing, immediately after putting it on the surface. Rub into the surface in swirling motion until the polish dissapears. Then move on to the next quarter. When the plate is done, reverse the violin and do the other side. Be sure to get all the polish off the surface under the fingerboard. Then do the ribs, one section at a time.
...When all is done, do it again another three times for a total of four. If you do a tap comparison of newly polished area with opposite side of the plate you will hear the change that is taking place. No (or little) change takes place after the fourth application.
..I suspect that this same thing happens when a good violin if played and polished over a long period of time with milder violin polish sold for the purpose.
...Now my experience is only with violins varnished with about 7 coats of German made oil varnish. I do know that once I put several daps of Flitz polish on the surface of a back plate with the idea that I would put the polish on and then rub it in as I got to that area. However when I got to the last dabs of polish on the surface still, it had eaten through all the varnish leaving only a varnish color on the surface. I was able to repair by putting thin coats of clear varnish on the depressed area where the polish dab had been standing, until the varnish surface was again level. So the message is this; put on just enough to do no more than 1/4 of a single plate, rub it in until it disappears from the surface and then move on. No problems this way.
...I believe this can contribute in major way to better sound production of a newer instrument.

..Now the date is 11/2020. I have just completed two years of a "violin timbre" study. As a result; I would not say that an ideal approach to better violin tone on a new instrument is to: Hematite Burnish the wood twice; Dutch Rush that surface twice; and as to the varnish: two coats of (thick) Fuller's Earth Varnish; followed by two final coats of clear varnish.
..This process yields a fine acoustical sound. At this point I do not know whether a later application of Flitz Polish will improve this or not.... Future tests after this varnish dries well will tell! {11/2020 David Langsather}

..Well now it is almost Christmas 2020 and reviewing the results of some tests : I would say that after the varnish as cured a few months on a violin, it will benefit from the Flitz polish technique even with the above varnish ground preperation.
...Here is an E-Mail conversation stream from a gentleman named Fritz who say this about the online information about Flitz Violin polish technique:

Hi David,
The results of the Flitz varnish are spectacular. Tone is even more like old Italian Guarneri sound, more power, clarity, crispness, roundness and color Awesome - 30% or more improved. Thank you,

I was wrong about it being spirit varnish. It was originally, but I had it stripped down to the ground varnish, and then had this varnish with antiquing applied: https://bormanviolins.com/varnish.html My fiddle looks almost exactly like this one now.

Fritz

From: David Langsather <dalemfg@q.com>
Sent: Thu, Nov 26, 2020 8:18 pm
Subject: Re: Flitz polish

Fritz;
  My best estimate is that it works the same way. I have tried it on some old violins I had around and think were probably spirit varnish and it had the same effect.
  Just try it out on a small area and tap against the corresponding untreated area to hear any differences. Remember, four applications had the maximum effect; and you must NOT leave it standing on the surface for more than a few seconds; polish it in right a way.
Dale
Please let me know your impressions...

Sent: Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:58:54 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Flitz polish
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAVID!
    Quick question for you. Does the Flitz polishing technique work on German spirit varnish as well or at all, like on oil varnish?

If so, I want to give it a try.

Thanks,
Fritz