Can I re-hair a Fiddlerman carbon fiber bow?

I see how challenging it is to rehair my bow I got from Fiddlershop 3 years ago.

[@billstoner5559]

Thanks for the lesson on re-hairing a bow. Made it look easy. Good to see your still kickin’. Miss your regular vids.

[@grandpasmountain]

Thankyou....and I'm sorry... I miss my big shop and the time in it. I have had so much to do to get settled here.

[@MusicalJeanAz]

Rehairing a bow is never easy in my experience.

[@lintonmeyer]

Love your videos. Especially the fiddle related ones. Keep em coming.

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks -- I miss working on fiddles....I have had so much to do to get settled down here!

[@maxlever9196]

That was interesting Jon. Always enjoy your videos. Now convince the girls that you can sell their hair for $10 per hank, and that's how they can contribute to the building fund. Blessings to you and your family. From the hotter, more humid end of the state.

[@grandpasmountain]

Haha!! Thanks! Yeah.... I don't know... lol. Sorry you're on the wrong end of TN!

[@maxlever9196]

Believe me, not as sorry as I am.

[@grandpasmountain]

HAHA! The grass is always greener....

[@christhorman9343]

Jon, Thanks for the encouragement to try this out. And... it worked! my bow sounds like new again. And all for about $3.00 investment in new hair and a couple hours of tinkering with your guidance all the way. Will do this more often now that I know what to listen for in tired bow hair. Appreciate your sharing your cool oak violin too. -c

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks so much for writing me! I'm really glad it worked out for you. It's really not that big a deal, lol. It just seemed like a daunting task before I tried it.

[@anthonyzbikowski529]

Good to see you post again. Started watching your build videos to get some insight. I got one of those $38 violin (actually viola) shaped objects off eBay to turn into a electric violin.(Looking to put properly shaped hardwood pegs, fingerboard, saddle, & nut on it. After that put a pickup and jack in it, then fill in the body with spray foam or something similar. I'll either restring it with a high E on a 16" body and have a large e-violin or I'll put octave strings on it and make an electric chin cello.) The worst viola in China came with the worst bow in China. The stick isn't half bad though. You've given me the guts to re-hair it whenever I can commit to the whole of the project. If that goes well I'll re-hair my old Glasser bow.

[@zeekfitzroy4986]

"This is the American way!" (yanks ferrule around with vice crips) LOL! Love it!

[@lorrainerosengarten]

Terrific videos! I love to DIY, but have learned how important it is to know “how it’s done” even when you are paying someone else to do it!

[@grandpasmountain]

Thankyou! Love the screen name!

[@edloki3057]

You can clean the oil off the bow-hair. Just wash it with dish-soap under hot water. Also, don't use hide-glue for re-hair. Use a bit of melted rosin for capping off hair.

[@grandpasmountain]

Thankyou for the tip! I just "fixed" a bow using laquer thinner to clean the hair, and it worked well.

[@Yallquietendown]

Thank you Jon! It’s seems like violin players are usually a little less do it yourself as banjo players Im used to fixing things myself on my banjo I like that I will be able to rehair a bow- just recently started learning the violin

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks for the note! I find that bluegrass musicians tend to care for their own instruments. The violin...fiddle...addicting and frustrating at the same time, lol

[@xkoamane]

Excellent vid man👍🏿👏🏼✊🏼

[@mudskipper6702]

that fiddlde sounds awesome!

[@grandpasmountain]

Haha! Thanks!

[@miguelalt8855]

.(I’m learning violin as well and I am going to get me one of those mini tuner that clamps onto the violin as you advised).

[@miguelalt8855]

Another great video, thank you Jon.

[@AdamKyler1987]

Great video Jon!

[@grandpasmountain]

:) Thanks, Adam

[@MusicalJeanAz]

Hard to believe it's your first bow rehair. My first was so very frustrating and the many that followed.

[@adamgc73]

Nice video Jon always wondered how they re haired a bow 👍 any chance you'll be making another violin soon?

[@grandpasmountain]

Thankyou-- yes, I am planning one soon. Cherry, I think.

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks....and yes!

[@Runescape.]

you need to dip the metal ring part in boiling water, its glued down. white/hide glue and will break with water. also those scratches can be removed with 1000-2000-3000 grit sandpaper and then mothers polish, easy as pie. the hair was too tight because you cut it short. easy mistake. you should have gone about 9mm longer.

[@bonenfant96]

Pretty sure the hair that was on was still very good.

[@grandpasmountain]

Who really knows?!? It got some kind of oil on it. I enjoyed the experience!!

[@jamesoiler2530]

I've done about a half dozen bows in the last couple years. They get better as you go. I like finding the old bows at our local luthiers shop and working those up. Making a jig to hold the bow tip is totally worth the time. The grip leather can be had from a Tandy Leather Shop if you have one of those near by.

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks so much for the tip! -- I will definitely look for a leather grip.

[@mykofreder1682]

It's good to see someone make mistake, the pros do it easily and show you what to do but don't see mistakes you are likely to face. I am going to soak the frog since hide glue water soluble and it should fall apart after some soaking in warm water. Mistakes or not showing arranging the hair before putting the frog slider on, I would wash and comb it before doing that. And it's suppose to be arranged so it's thicker on the edges, they also fired the hair over a flame to finish I suspect 100-200 degrees heat based on the flame and distance. This is probably the best video on what I should expect when I try my first, I got a box of 5 old bows and will try the one 3/4 length first using old hair from one of the full length bows.

[@pipermoonshine]

I think when I get my new bow I will take the old cheap bow and rehair it just to see if I can do it.

[@russcorbett3923]

instead of rehairing , I've heard that you can use denatured alcohol on a rag to deep clean the bow hair , let it dry then re-rosin and it's ready to go :)

[@grandpasmountain]

I would assume most solvents would remove rosin...... but the question remains for me, why do the vast majority of violinists and luthiers say to rehair after a time? In my mind, the hair is getting very smooth from running it over metal and metal-wound strings.

[@russcorbett3923]

Jon Mangum that's true ,,,, and I didn't take that into consideration . somehow the hair will lose its " barbs " and somehow no amount of rosin will make it sound like it should . Thank You for posting this video . it'll help me ,,,, and a lot of others ,,,, in the future and Definitely save money and time . Thanks

[@grandpasmountain]

I had 2 nearly identical carbon fiber bows. I used them equally for 3 years. The re-haired one sounds "grittier" -- maybe I can do a little comparison.... Thanks, I have really enjoyed the discussion.

[@MusicalJeanAz]

I have cleaned many bows with denatured alcohol.

[@MusicalJeanAz]

Also depends on the hair. Over time it won't hold the rosin. But cleaning is good once in a while.

[@dwightbrown2808]

You can clean the bow hair from the oil. dilute dishwashing liquid and an old toothbrush.

[@bluehoo0]

Have you noticed a difference between carbon bows and wooden ones with regards the sound? I’ve been told carbon bows sound better on electric fiddles, and wood bows on wooden fiddles. That may not be true, the cheap fiddle I bought of course came with a cheap bow so I’m considering purchasing a better quality one for when the Worktop Fiddle is completed.

[@grandpasmountain]

Get a Fiddlerman carbon Fiber bow from fiddlershop.com if you can. You'd have to spend $200+ to get a wooden bow It's equal. No sound difference, that I can tell!

[@juanpabloortiz9530]

Thanks Very nice video. Your talent made it looks very easy

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks, Juan. It really is quite easy :)

[@GodotWorld]

I have a cheap bow that came with my Viola. $80 according to the music store guy. I've had it for about 6 years now and have had some broken hairs on it. I feel like it's on it's last legs. I asked about having someone rehair it and the guy told me that'd be like driving for 3 hours to save $20 on gas and I should just consider buying a new cheap one for $80-$100 or getting a carbon fiber for $250ish. I'll probably buy the carbon fiber because my cheap bow is warping the wrong way, just from years of sitting in the case. That said, I might pick up one of these hair kits and see if I can rehair it. If I screw it up, so what, it's a cheap bow anyway. And then I'll have two bows in case something goes catastrophically wrong with one or the other. I like to see other people doing things like this so I know what to expect if/when I attempt it. I bet if the wedge under the little collar on the frog was pulled out first the collar would have come off without issue. thanks for the video

[@grandpasmountain]

You're welcome! Thanks so much for writing. Check Fiddlerman.com for a bow.

[@markcobb6561]

should have put the farrow on the hair before you set the hair in the frog. when you tie the opposite end off, before you cut it, pull the hair to make sure its all even, like you would a pony tail. interesting video. The oak fiddle is pretty tough.

[@grandpasmountain]

I learned from master Luther Daniel Olsen....but I can imagine finding new ways to do things. It worked out ok in the end! Thanks!

[@prodiver7]

Love your vids. Did you check the hair 'direction'?

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks--- Haha! Nooooo.... I've had horses for many years and I don't think there is a "direction" any more than there is in my hair!

[@prodiver7]

Well actually all natural hair has circumferential cuticle scales that point towards the tip. You can feel this running the hair through your fingers. So if they point to the frog, downbowing may be louder/coarser than upbowing. But I wonder if all hair providers keep all the stands pointing in the same direction, or mix them up...

[@grandpasmountain]

THAT is a good point.... and mixing up the strands would seem like an excellent idea. I have never found any concrete info on this...there is lots of myth in violin world!

[@prodiver7]

Yes! Your fiddle making is so inspiring. Have you ever considered making uncarved bellies and backs using wood of flat uniform section, bent wet or steamed on jigs? There's a suggestion they could be better and more stable if made well...

[@grandpasmountain]

Thankyou....and...honestly, after having experience building, I would say, no. I don't think it would work well. A fellow in western NH around 1920 figured a way to steam and press thin Poplar into a similar shape for the top of his violin cases -- I own one. There were many difficulties with the idea, but he got it to work for his cases. It is always good to think outside the box.... btw... carbon fiber violins are made on a mold. Similar idea.

[@infinitepawer]

Hi i have 3 questions about rehair. 1. How to measure the proper amount of hair to use in rehair ?? By quantity of hair like 120 140 160 or weight or something else ?? 2. Is it ok for a rehair to appear to have few big gap that can see thru?? I mean those new hair dont seen to close with each other. 3. Should the hair put more in one side than the other according to which side player use to tilt their bow ?? TQ.

[@grandpasmountain]

Sorry I didn't see your post till now-- I have a little gadget that measures the bow hair. I don't count hairs, I just squeeze them into the little gauge. The hair is spread evenly-- because of the shape of the ferrule, you cannot load up hair on one side....and it's not necessary. I have been playing this bow every day for months since I re-haired it, and it is working great!!

[@samsam3499]

@@grandpasmountain The count is 150 hairs if you want to spend the time. I counted them once and then used that count to make my jig. The gaps occur from not having an even spread from the frog. Depends on the player as to loading hair on the playing side. I usually check with the client as to their preferences.

[@jonplaud]

4:26 the ferrule on my bow seems to be put by the hands of God. It won't move at all.

[@grandpasmountain]

Try heating it up. Might have glue under it. You could use a soldering iron to gently heat it.

[@Jst4funn]

You made it look pretty easy.. What you actually do is remove the fear of trying the job.. And nice job by the way.. I'm sure the purists would dump all over you. I like it, you get er done.

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks!

[@tyleri3679]

How can I get a hold of you?

[@grandpasmountain]

You just did! You can email me riding on two wheels at gmail dot com

[@ok-hd4so]

Well, I tried but failed. Oh well haha

[@grandpasmountain]

What happened?

[@ok-hd4so]

After i had but the hair in the frog i washed it, then when combing the hairs started ripping, it was extremely tangled. when it i was finished combing, half the hairs were too short, making it unusable. I will try again in the future, you make it look too easy!

[@RelaxCreatorMary]

:O :O :O

[@sooth15]

Hey Jon, you can probably wash the oil out of the bow hair (assuming that the bow is otherwise fine). You need to get the rosin off first (alcohol? I don't remember what's best to use), and then wash the hair with something like dish soap to cut the grease. I know some people tend to get finger grease onto the hair and it can be washed out. It's generally just better to avoid touching the hair. I was planning to re-hair an antique bow that came with a 1900s violin, but the frog is broken, there's no finger grip (leather or winding) and it's not a fancy wood (I think it's just crappy maple painted or stained red). So I don't know if it's even worth the trouble (rather than just getting another bow). It was nice to see that the first-time re-hairing went just fine.

[@grandpasmountain]

JC -- good to hear from you! What do you think of the idea that the hair is being rubbed smooth over the coarse of time? It is organic....and it gets drawn over metal or metal-wound strings. I know the teaching that the hair has "teeth" is stupid, but horse hair definitely is rough. I thought about the solvent..... but new hair was $6! How could I go wrong! Haha!

[@morrelljw]

Love the channel. I started watching for the instrument builds, but got hooked on the bungalow series too. Lol My wife saw me watching your fiddle builds and bought me a cheap one. Any "how to" books or videos you recommend for a beginner?

[@grandpasmountain]

Thanks, John! That's so great! I am self taught. I'd recommend learning the musical scale across the 4 strings. It is quite intuitive, and will quickly get alot easier. The hardest thing to learn is called "intonation" --- hitting the notes right. Get a mini tuner that clamps onto the fiddle, so you can see that you're hitting the note right on--- after a while, your brain figures it out and you will be able to hear the notes. Fiddlehed is a little spacy, but does an excellent job teaching. Look him up on KZbin. He grows on you! My violin journey started 4 years ago with a $29 fiddle from Amazon. I hope you really enjoy the challenge-- The violin has brought so much into my life. It is a worthwhile persuit. You got a great wife! Give her my regards!

[@dancampbell9005]

something i have picked up along the way is if you melt some rosin and dip the end of the hair where you burn it, it holds better. I also have a bow that needs a new grip so I'm thinking of using some snake skin as a grip ;)

[@grandpasmountain]

Thankyou, Dan. Snakeskin would be really cool! Man, I'd love to see how it comes out.

[@dancampbell9005]

I will have to take some recordings of that, now I have a question for you.. yesterday I got a rather large section of sugar maple I'm looking to make a fiddle or 2 from would you suggest leaving the thing alone and letting it dry or cutting it into the sizes I need and let it dry in that form

[@grandpasmountain]

I always cut to roughly the sizes I will be needing. The wood will dry much faster. If it is green, spray BIN primer sealer on the end grain to avoid splitting. You want the wood to dry through the sides, not the ends. I have dried wood in 6 months and been able to use it just fine, btw.

[@WhiteDragon689]

Brave to do that. I would have made a jig to hold it while I rehair it. Fiddleman recommends buying a new one as the rehair charge is over $100 now. I would do what you just did.

[@grandpasmountain]

Thankyou. It's really not that bad....now that I got one under my belt, the rest will be easy :)

[@cookscatapults]

Hahahaha Hellzzzz Yeahzzzzz

[@jonplaud]

I saw one vid where they made it look too easy, but that was a different bow adn hair set. This one is much better.

[@grandpasmountain]

Haha! Well, thanks! It was new to me!

[@DLoganFoster]

awesome

[@DLoganFoster]

I have a $10.00 e-bay special made in China I want to send to you to rehair for $6.oo ok?

[@qutubhashmi1656]

Very nice video. From I can get the hyd glue? Please let me know.

[@grandpasmountain]

International Violin, or StewMac. Also eBay. Thanks!

[@mccypr]

Thanks! I’ve wondered about bow rehairing for years.

[@grandpasmountain]

you're very welcome!