Lynn Armour Hannings, Bowmaker

BOW REHAIRING with Lynn Hannings TOOL-UP LIST [RP I, MK]
Download a printable PDF for Bow Rehairing class.

Click here for additional items and prep if VIRTUAL class!

BOW REHAIR KIT, all the LAH Bows items you need for taking my rehairing class: a 10% savings! KIT includes both sizes (VvC and B) of frog holders and head holders. [NOTE: Alternatively, the contents of my BOW REHAIR KIT are available for individual purchase—see yellow section below.]

$455.00

HORSE HAIR, 1/4 lb. of Mongolian white recommended for class; an assortment available for purchase at IN-PERSON class (by the hank or in bulk) or for purchase online prior to class

$113.00

ASSORTMENT OF 10 INEXPENSIVE STUDENT-LEVEL BOWS to work on. They can be any size and can even include 1 or 2 carbon fiber or fiberglass bows. Bring all of them to class! If you need bows to work on, let me know ASAP and I will bring some to IN-PERSON class for you.

CHALK, soft, white (preferably "Nupastel") [FB]

ELMER'S WHITE GLUE, small

SCISSORS, small and sharp, for cutting hair and thread

The contents of my BOW REHAIR KIT are also available for individual purchase as follows:

ALCOHOL LAMP WITH SMALL WICK, glass, with metal cap, small wick (alcohol will be available at IN-PERSON class)

$12.00

ARON ALPHA VIGOR SUPER GLUE, CE-480 for small repairs

$5.00

BENCH BREAK, hardwood, holds item in place while working

$10.00

BOW BENDING BLOCK to be attached to bench

$40.00

BUFFING COMPOUND for polishing bone tips, 170 grams

$15.00

BUFFING STICK for polishing silver

$12.00

CHISEL, Sheffield Steel, handmade, special tapered sides: 3 mm x 2 1/2" [FB]

$50.00

CLEANER/POLISH for wood (bows and instruments)

1oz: $4.00

COMB, horn; with fine, rounded teeth; will not tear hair

$18.00

DOOR EASE LUBRICANT for bow screws

$4.00

FROG HOLDER for securing frog of bow

VvC: $40.00
B: $40.00

HAIR MEASURING GAUGE for measuring amount of hair

$12.00

HEAD HOLDER for securing head of bow

VvC: $40.00
B: $40.00

KNIFE, comfortable, very sharp, for plug/wedge wood cutting: large #5 Excel Knife, with five #24 blades [FB]

$14.00

BACKSAW/RAZOR SAW, small Excel type, cuts on backstroke (fits onto Excel Knife handle listed above) [FB]

$12.00

PARALLEL JAW PLIERS, perfect for flattening knots

$32.00

PICK FOR PLUG REMOVAL, stainless steel

$15.00

POWDERED ROSIN

$14.00

PRISMACOLOR PENCILS, water soluble, dark, for use on white hair; and white, for use on dark hair

dark: $2.00
white: $2.00

PUSHING STICK for inserting plugs

$3.00

SHELLAC CRYSTALS [FB]

$20.00

THREAD, strong, nylon, dark

$10.00

TOP BRITE for polishing silver and gold

$15.00

TURNING/SPREADING STICK for turning and spreading hair

$12.00

WEDGE WOOD FOR PLUG AND FERRULE, assortment for Violin/Viola/Cello/Bass

$12.00

BOW REPAIR I (a/b) with Lynn Hannings TOOL-UP LIST [MK]
Download a printable PDF for Bow Repair I classes.

Click here for additional items and prep if VIRTUAL class!

Foundation: TOOLS AND SUPPLIES FOR BOW REHAIRING, see that class Tool-up list above.

HALF-ROUND NEEDLE FILE, half round, 5 1/2" or 6 1/4", medium cut [RP II, FB]

5 1/2": $6.00
6 1/4": $6.00

HALF-ROUND NEEDLE FILE, half round, 5 1/2" or 6 1/4", coarse cut [RP II, FB]

5 1/2": $6.00
6 1/4": $6.00

ROUND NEEDLE FILE, round, 4" or 6 1/4", coarse cut

4": $4.00
6 1/4": $6.00

HANDY FILES, 8", mill-cut on one side, bastard on the other w/one cutting edge, one edge smooth (you will need TWO: one for metal and one for wood work) [RP II, FB]

$16.00

LEAD TAPE roll, 1/2" wide, for balancing the bow

$14.00

MICRO MESH, 1,500 - 12,000 grit, 9 grits, 9 sheets

set: $30.00

RULER, 300mm/12", steel, in metric and inches

$40.00

SANDING BLOCK, small [FB]

sm: $8.00
lg: $10.00

EYELET TAPPING: TAP KIT and UNTAPPED EYELETS (minimum of one)
We will cover eyelet tapping in Repair I class, but it’s your decision whether to simply watch, or to participate by purchasing these items for your own use in class. [MK]

Kit: $150.00
Untapped Eyelets:
$2.00 - $4.00

PINNING VISE, adjustable 0-1/4" [RP II, FB]

$30.00

PINNING SILVER, 20 gauge

$3.00

SILVER-PLATED WIRE WITH COPPER CORE, enough to do five bows (1oz), 0.010" thickness or STERLING SILVER WIRE, enough to do five bows, 0.010" or 0.013" thickness (*upgrade option for students who are tooling up for Bow Making class)

0.010": $25.00
*0.010": $50.00
*0.013": $50.00

TIPS: PLASTIC and IMMITATION IVORY (minimum of one of each)

V: $1.00-$6.00
v: $1.00-$8.00
C: $3.00-$10.00
B: $4.00-$12.00

FIBER PAPER for making tip liners (minimum of two)

V/v: $6.00
C: $7.00
B (0.8mm): $8.00

SILK THREAD for winding (minimum of two different colors)

$18.00

SILK WINDER holds up to three colors

$25.00

CELLULOID SLIDES, your choice of color (enough to repair your bows) [FB]

VvC: $2.00
B: not yet available 

POLY TAPE for gluing on leather grips

$10.00

SOLDER for windings, 60/40 rosin-core solder (special solder and flux combination)

$12.00

WAXED THREAD for binding tips

$14.00

WINDING, imitation whalebone, (minimum of one set)

normal width: $6.00
extra wide: $9.00

GRIP, Sahara Range Goat Skin (enough for your bows)

goat x 5, black: $12.00

MAGNIFICATION, if necessary, for close-up work (supplier, many options)

SANDPAPER, one sheet each, 400 and 1000 grit (supplier, local hardware store)

HANDY FILE, 8", mill cut on one side, bastard on the other w/one cutting edge, one edge smooth [RP I, MK, FB]

$16.00

HALF-ROUND NEEDLE FILE, 5 1/2" or 6 1/4", medium cut [RP I, MK, FB - 6 1/4"]

5 1/2": $6.00
6 1/4": $6.00

HALF-ROUND NEEDLE FILE, 5 1/2" or 6 1/4", coarse cut [RP I, MK, FB - 6 1/4"]

5 1/2": $6.00
6 1/4": $6.00

PINNING VISE, adjustable 0-1/4" [RP I, FB]

$30.00

BENCH VISE, small, smooth jawed

DUST MASK (#141917 available at Woodcraft)

NOTEBOOK and PENCIL

SAFETY GLASSES, SAFETY GOGGLES, OR A FULL-FACE SHIELD Note: You are required to wear eye protection in order to use the machines.

SOME TOOLS AND MATERIALS provided by Mr. Rubino will be available for use during IN-PERSON class. There will be drill-making material, knife-making material, and other specialized materials available for purchase at IN-PERSON class.

If VIRTUAL class, more information will be forthcoming.

Click here for additional items and prep if VIRTUAL class!

Foundation: TOOLS AND SUPPLIES FOR BOW REHAIRING, see that class Tool-up list above.

Foundation: TOOLS AND SUPPLIES FOR BOW REPAIR I, see that class Tool-up list above.

ALCOHOL LAMP WITH LARGE WICK, glass, with metal cap, large wick
(alcohol will be available at class) [RP I]

$24.00

BINDING WIRE for soldering, 24 gauge stainless steel

$25.00

BOW MAKER'S DRILL, ball bearing bushing, very accurate
(optional for IN-PERSON class) [FB]

$300.00

BOW MAKER'S SCRAPER PLANES (you will ultimately need all five in your practice):
Flat bottom, small
Flat bottom, medium (required)
Flat bottom, large [FB]
Rounded bottom, small (required)
Rounded bottom, medium

fl/sm: $95.00
fl/md: $95.00
fl/lg: $100.00
rd/sm: $100.00
rd/md: $125.00

COMPAS, solid brass measuring tool for graduating sticks, marked at 0.5mm intervals

VvC: $75.00
B: $80.00

DIAL CALIPER, 6", preferably non-metal (the one sold here is nylon), in millimeters (mm on dial as well as shaft)

$65.00

DRILL RODS for making Drill Bits, 3/32", 1/8"
(you will need TWO of each size)

3/32": $1.00
1/8": $1.00

EQUALING NEEDLE FILE, 4" or 6 1/4", parallel sides, medium cut

4": $6.00
6 1/4": $6.00

HANDY FILES, 8", mill cut on one side, bastard on the other w/one cutting edge, one edge smooth (you will need THREE: one each for metal, wood, and bone/pearl work) [RP II, FB]

$16.00

JEWELER'S SAW with coarse and fine blades, Swiss-made saw frame, 2 3/4" throat (the saw frame sold here comes with one package each, of fine and coarse saw blades) [FB]

$30.00

JEWELER'S SAW BLADES, 1 package of fine blades and one package of coarse blades (12 blades per package) [FB]

coarse: $12.00
fine: $12.00

TEMPLATE MATERIAL, small for making frog template and large for making head/stick template; brass, 0.032" thick

sm: $3.00
lg: $4.00

BALL-PEEN HAMMER (supplier, local hardware store)

BOW BLANKS (minimum of two) alternative wood

FINISHED FROGS(2 minimum), with buttons, screws and eyelets (I encourage you to recycle these from old bows, but If you still need frogs to work on, let me know ASAP and I can provide them for you.)

HAND VISE, small, #113-159 (supplier, Rio Grande)

TITEBOND GLUE, Franklin Brand (available at IN-PERSON class)

LEAD PENCILS, 2B and 4H, Staedtler lead holder #780 C preferred, with 2mm lead (supplier, local art supply store)

PLANE, Stanley #102 or 103 (Stanley #9 1/2 not recommended)

PLIERS, pinch nose or slip joint (supplier, local hardware store)

RAGS, soft lint-free cotton (old bed sheets are best)

SANDPAPER, 150, 320, 400 and 600 grit (supplier, local hardware store)

SHARPENING STONE, small (1"x3"), medium-grit (400/800 or 800/1200) diamond honing stone (supplier, Woodcraft)

BOW MAKER'S DRILL, ball bearing bushing, very accurate [RP I (VIRTUAL)]

$275.00

BOW MAKER'S KNIVES, 6 mm (1/4"), right-cutting (and left-cutting if you are able to find them)

right: $28.00

BOW MAKER'S SCRAPER PLANE,
Flat bottom, large (125 mm x 25 mm; blade 20 mm)
(options: Lie Nielsen 103 standard angle block plane
or an older Stanley 102 or 103) [MK]

$100.00

CHALK, soft, white (preferably "Nupastel") [RH, MK]

$2.00

CHISEL, Sheffield Steel, handmade, special tapered sides: 3 mm x 2 1/2" [RH]

$50.00

DIGITAL CALIPER, metric/decimal

$45.00

DRILL BITS, #60 for pins [RP I (VIRTUAL)]

$1.00

KNIFE, comfortable, very sharp, for plug/wedge wood cutting: large #5 Excel Knife, with five #24 blades [RH]

$10.00

BACKSAW/RAZOR SAW, small Excel type, cuts on backstroke (fits onto Excel Knife handle listed above) [RH]

$6.00

FERRULE FORMER SET, 1 former for all violin,
viola, cello and bass models

$200.00

HANDY FILE, 8", mill cut on one side, bastard on the other w/one cutting edge, one edge smooth [RP I & II, MK]

$18.00

HALF-ROUND NEEDLE FILE, 6 1/4", medium cut [RP I & II, MK]

6 1/4": $6.00

HALF-ROUND NEEDLE FILE, 6 1/4", coarse cut [RP I & II, MK]

6 1/4": $6.00

4" HALF-ROUND FILES, extra coarse (#00) and medium (#2) cut

med: $32.00
xc: $32.00

JEWELER'S SAW with coarse and fine blades, Swiss-made saw frame, 2 3/4" throat (the saw frame sold here comes with one package each, of fine and coarse saw blades) [MK]

$30.00

JEWELER'S SAW BLADES, 1 package of fine blades and one package of coarse blades (12 blades per package) [MK]

coarse: $6.00
fine: $8.00

PINNING VISE, adjustable 0-1/4" [RP I & II]

$30.00

PINNING SILVER, 18 gauge [RP I]

$3.00

SANDING BLOCK [RP I]

sm: $8.00
lg: $10.00

STERLING SILVER SHEETS, 18, 20 and 32 gauge

32: $10.00
20: $35.00
18: $40.00

SWEEP GOUGE, #5, 25mm

$60.00

SQUARE, 2" blade

$22.00

TEMPLATE MATERIAL, small [MK]

sm: $3.00

You will be making two frogs and buttons; based on the kind(s) you wish to make, select the following items accordingly:

FROG BLANKS, ebony (2), no longer available via LAH Bows

BUTTON BLANKS, ebony (2), no longer available via LAH Bows

SLIDE LINERS, Sonowood (2)

V/v: $1.00
C: $1.00
B: $1.50

CELLULOID SLIDES, your choice of color (2) [RP I]

VvC: $2.00
B: not yet available 

MOTHER OF PEARL DOTS, oyster, white (5), no longer available via LAH Bows

SCREWS WITH EYELETS, (2)

V: $2.00
v: $2.50
C: $3.00
B: $10.00

UNDERSLIDE FORMER(S)

V/v: $150.00
C: $150.00
B: $150.00
all: $395.00

BALL-PEEN HAMMER (supplier, local hardware store)

BENCH VISE, small, smooth jawed

CHALK, soft, white (preferably "Nupastel") [RH, RP I, MK]

CLAMPS, cam-action, small (2)

COUNTERSINK, 5-flute rose pattern, ½" (available from General Tools)

FINISHING PAPER: 120, 220, Garnet 320, 400, and 1000 (supplier, local hardware store)

NOTEBOOK and PENCIL

PLIERS, slip joint (supplier, local hardware store)

RING MANDREL, tapered, 3/8" < 3/4"

SAFETY GLASSES, SAFETY GOGGLES, OR A FULL FACE SHIELD Note: You are required to wear eye protection in order to use the machines.

SHARPENING STONES

STEEL BLOCK, small (to be used as small anvil)

TIN SNIPS

If VIRTUAL class, more information will be forthcoming.

ADVANCE PREPARATION IF VIRTUAL CLASS
ADDITIONAL TOOLS, MATERIALS AND PREPARATION TO SET UP YOUR OWN WORKSPACE
Download a printable PDF of just these items and preparation.

FOUNDATION ITEMS FOR ALL OF LYNN'S VIRTUAL CLASSES

WORK TABLE & COMFORTABLE CHAIR

STRING TAGS

LAMP(S) to mount to or set on table

SHARPENING STONE, small (1"x3"), diamond honing stone, medium grit (400/800 or 800/1200) (supplier, Woodcraft)

ALMOND OIL, no vitamin E added

LATEX GLOVES

DENATURED ALCOHOL

TOOTHPICKS

2 CLEAN GLASS JARS WITH LIDS (approx. 6 - 8 oz)

HAMMER, small

PAINTER’S TAPE, 1 roll, 1"-wide

PAPER CUPS OR CONTAINERS, 10, small

SHARPIE MARKER

SPRING CLOTHESPINS, 2

RAGS, soft lint-free cotton (old bed sheets or tees are best)

TOOL BOX OR FISHING TACKLE BOX, small

PLASTIC CONTAINER WITH LID, sandwich size

RUBBER BANDS, small

LIGHTER to light alcohol lamp

DUCT TAPE

SLIP-JOINT PLIERS, with thick piece of leather

3-RING BINDER to fit 8 1/2"x11" paper

Continue to Work Space Prep below, or ADD TO THE ABOVE IF IN REHAIR I CLASS

BOW MAKER'S DRILL, ball-bearing bushing, very accurate [FB] or an egg-beater-type drill

$300.00

DRILL BITS, #60 for pins [FB]

$1.00

TIP BENDER, for tip and ebony liner

Vv: $7.00
C: $8.00
B: $10.00

BALL-PEEN HAMMER, small

WELLER SOLDERING GUN

TITEBOND GLUE, Franklin Brand

SET OF BITS, numbered drill bits, 1‑ 60 or spade bits

BENCH VISE, small, smooth-jawed

ELECTRONIC GRAM SCALE, to 150 grams

Continue to Work Space Prep below, or ADD TO ALL THE ABOVE IF IN BOW MAKING CLASS

BENCH PIN

GLUE STICK

ACETONE or nail polish remover

WORK SPACE PREP COMMON TO ALL OF LYNN’S VIRTUAL CLASSES
[BOW REHAIRING, BOW REPAIR I, BOW MAKING)]

1. Order the required Tool-up items you wish to purchase from me [lahbows.com] at least 3 weeks prior to your class to ensure time for delivery and time for you to set up your workspace.
1. Note that my Rehair Kit includes both sizes (VvC and B) of frog holders and head holders.
2. Approximately 80 violin bows can be rehaired from a pound of horsehair; I recommend that you purchase 1/4 lb. of Mongolian white for class.
3. If you need to bows to work on for the Reharing or Repair I class, and/or finished frogs to work on for the Repair I class, let me know ASAP and I will ship some to you free of charge.
2. Have a designated work table and chair with good lighting, either natural light or 2 lights (one on each side) to avoid shadow. This can be an old table or desk. The surface will be cut into, so, if that is a problem, use a wooden cutting board on top of the table. HEALTH NOTE: Chair height is important for good posture and to avoid pain in back, shoulders or neck. I like to sit slightly above the work and have a padded, swiveling office chair without arms that can be adjusted up or down. I adjust up for rehairing and down for cambering and straightening.
3. Almond oil is to apply French polish to clean bows. This can be found in most health food stores. If necessary, walnut oil will work. Buy the smallest jar.
4. Mount thread (in rehair kit) on table: thread must be solidly mounted on the workbench, either with a bolt or large C clamp. Right-handed students: mount the thread to the right of your seated body, on table edge. Left-handed students: mount the thread to the left of your seated body, on table edge. We can clarify this when classes begin.
5. Make small batch of French polish. Mix approximately 1/3 of the shellac crystals (dark red/brown crystals in rehair kit) with the same volume of denatured alcohol (available from hardware store) in a glass jar. Let dissolve. Cover to keep alcohol from evaporating. CA residents and perhaps others will need to order the alcohol online. One brand is called “Sunnyside Denatured Alcohol.” A pint will last a very long time.
6. Mount head holder (in rehair kit) onto bench with a small screw: right-handed students, attach to upper-right corner of bench; left-handed students, attach to upper-left corner of bench. Placement: allow for around 4" of full-length violin bow to hang over the front edge of the table. Head holder must be able to swivel.
7. Make an alcohol-and-tap-water 50/50 mix for cleaning rosin and dirt off the sticks. Use small glass jar and mix 2oz of each denatured alcohol and water. Label jar “50/50” with tape and marker. Close tightly so alcohol doesn’t evaporate.
8. Cut up rags: an old sheet or tee shirt will do. Cut into 2" x 3" pieces. You will need lots of these to clean and polish the bows.
9. Prepare your alcohol lamp (in rehair kit). Remove the cap and unscrew the top, which holds the wick. Using the pick (in rehair kit) and a small hammer gently tap a small hole in the top that will vent alcohol fumes. Replace top and cap. Just before classes begin, fill the lamp less than 1/2 full of denatured alcohol.
10. Powdered rosin: place crushed rosin (light-colored ground-up stuff in rehair kit) in a small plastic sandwich-size container with lid (approx. 4" x 6" x 1" to 2" tall). Later, the rosin will be applied to the new hair to give it some grip. Make a small rosin applicator with a couple pieces of scrap (or plugwood, in rehair kit), leather, and white glue. See diagram.
11. Recambering alters the up-and-down curve and straightening alters the side-to-side profile; a bow needs both to play well. In order to do this work, you will need a way to mount the bow bending block (in rehair kit) onto the front of your bench (screws or clamps) and a block of buffing compound (in rehair kit) to protect the finish on the stick from the heat of the flame. I will cover this in both Repair I and Bow Making (stick/general); if time allows, I'll cover it in Rehairing, too.

Reference materials for you to download and keep in your notebook will be sent after enrollment.