Planing Curly Maple
The maple for the back planed beautifully, as you can see. This comes from a store of lovely maple that I been seasoning for well over twenty years. It’s hard maple rather than the traditional soft, so I’ll have to dimension the back thinner than is usual. I’m removing milling marks prior to glue-up.
I have little experience with traditional hot hide-glue so it’s been a lot of fun learning to use it. Here’s my first attempt at a “rubbed joint”. Hide glue shrinks in on itself as it dries, drawing a closely fitted joint even tighter together — clamps are not needed.
Rubbed Joint
This is the Englemann spruce top being joined.
Next I built a half-template and mold based on a drawing of a Joseph Guarneri violin provided with an old how-to booklet on violin making.
Half Template and Mold
The mold serves to hold the corner blocks in place as the sides are glued. Here’s the mold with the recesses for the corner blocks positioned and cut.
Corner Block Recesses Cut Into Mold
Now the corner blocks are spot glued in place
Mold with Corner Blocks
The half template is indexed to the form using the nails pictured above and is used to trace the curves of the sides onto the corner blocks, which are then carved to shape.
Carving Corner Blocks
The sides (or “ribs”) are all bent on an electric bending iron. This is a setup for gluing the “C-bout” to the corner blocks.
Gluing a C-bout
Here’s how the rest of the side pieces were glued on.
Sides – Final Glue-up
Until next time!
df
definately inspiring – thank you. Like your father , I would love to do this myself some day. I play , my daughter plays, my father and his father. I have been restoring for a number of years. Never trained, just picked up tips. The first thing I neeed to do is get the tools.
Would you have a quick list of must haves..?
If you are interested in building, before acquiring tools I would acquire knowledge. I have been impressed with the book on violin making by Chris Johnson and Roy Courtnall “The Art of Violin Making.” It’s an investment, but well worth it, I believe. They go over tools very thoroughly and stick with the essentials. Their guidance on building is also clear and seems very well-informed. Good luck!
Hi David,
Your violin is looking great. I purchased The Art of Violin Making about a week before I purchased your book Making and Mastering Wood Planes. I am reading them both and enjoying them very much. I look forward to your third installment on your first violin. Thanks for sharing your progress. I hope to start constructing a wood plane and a violin in 2013.
Have a great day, Jason LeKander
Thanks Jason, I appreciate your note and your book purchase. I’ve had the luxury of perusing many books on violin building, and violins in general, from my father’s collection, as well as done some snooping around the internet. With that experience in hand I regard “The Art of Violin Making” as the best thing going if you wish to build a violin with some success. I can safely say that now as I have just strung up my first one two days ago “in the white”. One of my daughters played it and pronounced it “really good” even at this early stage! Now, you may think an endorsement from a family member would hardly be worth mentioning, but believe me, this girl is hard to impress, and though she is very sweet, she is not one to bestow empty encouragement (at least it has never happened before!). I’ll get a picture up soon — even better, a short clip of her playing. I’m working on finish samples now and starting the second violin (two daughters). We still haven’t quite worked out who gets which instrument, but I’m hoping that will sort itself out when both are completed. Ever the optimist. Best of luck with your plane and violin. I’ve had a wonderful first experience — many of my skills have applied, but certainly been stretched, and used in unique ways.
I would appreciate it if you could provide me with real measures if bith dimensions and drawings in PDF format .
It is worth mentioning here , violin making is a hobby is me . And I want to assure you that your favor wont lead to any misuse.
All the best ,
Yours
Sorry that I cannot help your with your request – that is a lot of work for me to draft all the dimensions of a violin! I suggest visiting Strad Magazine web site and purchasing one of their posters of historic instruments which are full sized, offer several views and and provide many dimensions and thicknesses as well – an invaluable resource!
Thank you dear
I live in Iran and I can not buy a Strad Magazhne ، I thought I could help you get
I wish you the best in whatever form