I must be crazy

[Danl8]

I've been watching violin makers on Utube this year; great fun to watch. And now one of our own will be making one. Very interested in how you do this, Kevin!

[Diane Kauffmds]

You guys will notice that I moved this to the new section entitled "Other Instruments".

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I will try and recreate albet less detail this time, what I'm doing and have done so far.

I am using a book "The Technique of Violin Making by H. S. Wake. Written in the 1970's

There are included hand drawn scale drawings. So reading this book and watching you tube videos of guys who look like they know what they're doing, I hope to be some what successful.

I didn't want to spend a ton of money for materials but I do want to build a fairly traditional instrument that perhaps one day my granddaughter can use in say an orchestra or for otherwise performing. I know High Hopes!

I purchased flamed maple from a guy in Wisconsin for the back, ribs and neck. I have some type of European spruce for the top. Ebony fingerboard and the other fitting will be traditional.

I started out tracing from the drawings in the book to make a half template of the "inside" of the violin. Using the template I made a mold. The violin is built around the mold.

End blocks and corner blocks are made and temporarily spot glued to the mold, as they must be able to release later once the rib structure is done.
Spruce is traditional for all these block. I used spruce for the end blocks, but didn't have any big enough for the corners at the ,"C's" so I used Spanish cedar there. Strong and light weight. They won't be seen and should make the violin smell nice.

So I made the blocks and glued them in. Traditional glue is Hot hide glue. I don't have any but I do have fish glue so I'm using Fish Glue. Similar properties strong yet reversible, that's what is wanted. I hope I'm not breaking a sacred glue code!

I used my oscillating drum sander to true up and reshape these blocks to to the mold.

Yesterday I put some hand planes to work on the two halves that will be the back. The plates were not even thickness so I fixed that then shot a good joint and glued them together in my clamping jig again using Fish Glue

Next I took out the ribs stock supplied. Too wide and too thick, so I sized them today. Thickness is about .045" or 1mm. I was able to get these rib sections bent today and they are ready to glue in after I make some calls for clamping. That's where I left it today.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Retitled the thread

[Diane Kauffmds]

I think fish glue is perfect. It has the same properties as hhg; it's biological casein based. Found an article showing violins with fish glue.


https://www.vermontviolins.com/faqs/202 ... r-lutherie

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Today I made some gluing cauls and started gluing on the ribs. Started with the two C's. Got them in and then trimmed the over hang on the corner blocks leaving an 1/8" long so a mitre could be cut, or shaped on the corners. The front and back ribs will overlap these corners and made into a point when trimmed up.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

All the ribs are glued in place. The corners of the C's are trimmed....but not sure they are correct. Doing some more research.

I removed the top half of my mold...it's built in two layers, so the working form is the height of the sides but you can take out the top half to glue in the first set of side linings.

I have the linings on the top half bent and glued in place. They are strips of spruce 5/16" tall by .100" thick. One they are glued in place I will take a knife and trimming a bevel going from the top of the lining down to the lower edge and clean it up with sand paper making it pretty.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Linings bent and glued in

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Waiting for glue to dry

[Stray Feathers]

Kevin, what thickness are your sides, and how did you bend the tightest curves? Bruce W.