A challenging project I did a couple of years ago.
Before I started on the central area of this viola, I was sceptical whether I would be able to improve it as it had been over-pressed when a breast patch was fitted in the past which resulted in “reverse grain”: the grain lines appear lighter and sit higher than the soft grain which had been indented and filled with black gunk.
There was no original varnish left in much of the central area.
I talk about this restoration in my Zoom lecture on crack repair. You can access all my online teaching by clicking on this link: https//:iris-carr-restorations-ltd.teachable.com.
Iris Carr Restorations 