Cutting the outline of the violin top

After getting the ribs leveled (they're still attached to the form) and leveling what will be the inside surface of the top, I clamped the two together and traced the outline. For the first time, I used a handheld power jig saw to cut the outline. In the past, I've used the bandsaw. It worked reasonably well, and quick, but you do have to be careful to cut in the proper direction for the grain, as it's easy to lift out little chunks of spruce if you're cutting 'uphill'.

Then it's onto rasps and knives to clean up the outline, a bit of pencil work to try to get the corners right, and one part I really enjoy, taking off wood with the planes as I start the arching (the outside shape).

A week into the new fiddle.

Having fit all the ribs to the blocks, I'm here planing the willow linings down to about 2 mm thickness. These will be bent and glued to the inside of the ribs, top and bottom, to give both strength and a bigger gluing surface for the front and back plates.



I started this fiddle a week ago today. At the end of work today, I have the rib assembly made, with linings top and bottom, both plates joined, and a preliminary flattening of the inside surfaces.



This work was in addition to the repair work, private fiddle lessons, and other work that I've had. It's not breaking any record except my own -- my first fiddle took me 3 years to finish!

Scraping and rubbing

Cut the curves in the corner blocks for the C-bout ribs, as well as trimmed up the neck and end-blocks. Before bending the ribs, I get the outside fairly clean & smooth with a scraper. This photo shows a short section of rib that will be fit to the treble c-bout.



Also managed to join the spruce for the top this afternoon -- a rub-joint with hide glue.



Hot hide glue is applied to both sides, then the upper piece is rubbed back and forth along the lower a few times. It's a satisfying way to glue a joint, and no clamps required.

Thinning ribs prior to bending

Thinning down curly-maple rib-stock with a toothed-blade in my block-plane. And getting a lot of use out of my hyphen-button.



The toothed blade allows one to cut through the curly maple, which has grain in all directions, with a minimum of tear-out. I actually like this part, and it is easy to build a nice pile of tight, curled shavings in a few minutes.

Fitting the blocks to the violin form.

While I'm still sunning the last one (in between rain storms), I cleaned up the form and started another violin. This photo shows some of the raw material I use for blocks, from a willow tree that blew down nearby more than 10 years ago.



I split it along the grain with mallet and large chisel, then square it up with the Stanley block plane on the right. I need 4 corner blocks, a neck block, and an end-block.



Here are the 4 corner blocks glued into place on the form. I need to add another clamping cut-out or two for the end and neck blocks, but then I would have to buy a couple more of these small clamps! As it is, I'll let these set in a while, then glue in the upper and lower blocks.

Getting a sun-tan

Finally to the point where I can put the fiddle out in the sun, to get a tan -- adds contrast to the wood. Here it is just out. I have used a little strong coffee -- Italian roast, of course! -- to lightly stain the wood. We're expecting the rest of the week to be sunny and unseasonably warm, so I'll try to take advantage of it.

Violin Button

Laying out the button. It's a bit bigger than I'll end up with, but it's a place to start.



I find it tough to get the button round, follow that upwards towards the fingerboard, expanding, along the neck heel, then blending it into the neck. I have a couple templates, but much of it is done by looking at the shadows, and feeling the neck with my left hand, as if playing it.

Here is where I'm leaving it tonight. Not finished, but I want to look at it with fresh eyes next time. After this, I'll clean up the wood, then put it out to suntan a while.