Violin a ,
t s . oma omass
Introduction introducción En lo que sigue , voy a estar documentando el transcurso de la construcción de un violín en el banco aquí en mi taller en Cape Breton Island, en Nueva reflejará personal n w aEscocia. t o owNaturalmente s, w e,o cumenmi t npropio g t e cenfoque ourse o t e coa neste struoficio ct on- oHago a vhacer o nninguna at t e reclamación enc ere a nla my exactitud wor s ohistórica p on a, pconocimiento e reton scientífico an n o otecnológico va cot a., el aarte turoa layartesanía , t w rprofunda e ec ect mvirtuoso y own .pNo erstengo ona ap asecretos pproacStradivarian to t s cra t para revelar ni gurantees sobre el éxito de los resultados . -- ma e ma e no c a ms to stor ca accuracy, sc ent c or tec no og ca ns g t, eep art stry or v rtuos c Después de la construcción de instrumentos para ganarse la vida durante más de 25 años, me sigue pareciendo que aprendo con cada craa ts cr tsma mans ns p. av avee no tr traa va varr an se secr cret etss to re reve veaa an no gu gura rant ntee eess as to t e su succ cces esss o t e ou outc tcom ome. e. te terr uno, y todavía me siento muy honrado por el misterio de la técnica y el secreto voces de estas creaciones . Pero me gusta pensar que he u ng nstruments or a v ng or over years, st n t at earn w t every one, an am st um e aprendido algo en los últimos años , y que mis conjeturas tienen ahora al menos, a mantenerse informados y educados que cuando y t e mystery o t e art an secret vo ces o t ese creat ons. ut e to t n t at ave ea earne somet ng empecé ver t e yea ear rs, aservir n t para at malgo y gu..... ess ssees ave now at ea east ecom omee more n orme an e uca catte t an w en egan -oExperiencia debe -- experience count for something..... Así que con esta must renuncia en mente, te invito a mi taller para tener una idea de la interpretación del arte de la luthería de una persona y espero que al compartir con usted , usted encontrará algo en él que usted puede encontrar útil , informativo , o interesante.
o w t t s sc a mer n m n , nv te you nto nto my wor s op or a g mpse o one person s nte nterpretat on o t e art o v o n ma ng an ope t at n s ar ng t w t you, you w n somet ng n t t at you may n use u , n ormat ve, or nte nterest ng.
e
es gn
e este este s gnviolín or t nos se or v obasa n wen nningún ot e in asstrumento e on any hi pastórico rt cu arparticular, stor ca pero nstrulas medimensiones nt, ut t e m El diseño para e y ens ons
an proport ons w e we w t n t e range o t ose oun n t e var ous mo e s o tra var , uarner , an t e ot er great c ass ca ma ma ers o t e “ o en ge o v o n ma ng t at our s e n remona, ta ta y n t e Guarneri Guarneri , y los o tros grandes fabricantes clásicos de la "Edad de Oro " de la luthería que floreció en Cremona , t an ear y t centur es. t was t ere t at t e v o n evo ve nto ts ts mo ern orm, an w t t e nota e Italia, Italia, en en los s iglos 17 y principi os del 18o . Fue allí allí donde el violín se conv irtió en su forma moderna, y con la except on o t e setup o t e nec , an a correspon ng a terat on to t e r ge an ass ar , t as rema ne notable excepción la present con figuración del cuello, (y una alteración correspon dienteconcerning al puente ythe barsignificance bajo), se haof much the same tode the day. There has been much interest and speculation mantenido actualidad t e geomelatrmisma c prophasta ort onslatoactualidad t e ear y . Ha evehabido opememuc nt ohot interés e v o nysla eespeculación s gn, an t ssob proreael signifi e t at acado t easde t solas me proporc Desa eseprobable a ma eriones s o t geométricas e t me were cde onprincipio cerne ws tDesarrollo esrrollo gn nsg del w tdiseño n a undelyviol ng ín, sc yem o geomeque tr c al rel menos at ons algunos ps. or a r e scude ss la onépoca t sestaban tra tnopreocupados n, see t e essaco y nonelmdiseño y we sdeteun : p lan de unificación de las relaciones fabricantes éo poca estaba relaciones proporc iones estará bien dentro del rango de las que se encuentran encuentran en los di stintos modelos de Stradivari ,
geométricas. Para Para una breve discusión de esta tradición , ver el ensayo en mi si tio w eb :
ttpd: dletree.com www. cometr et/ ron_the_pythagorean_traditi.htm ee.com on_t e_pyt atraditi.htm gorean_tra t . tm http://www.fi dletree. on_the_pythagorean_
Introduction introducción En lo que sigue , voy a estar documentando el transcurso de la construcción de un violín en el banco aquí en mi taller en Cape Breton Island, en Nueva reflejará personal n w aEscocia. t o owNaturalmente s, w e,o cumenmi t npropio g t e cenfoque ourse o t e coa neste struoficio ct on- oHago a vhacer o nninguna at t e reclamación enc ere a nla my exactitud wor s ohistórica p on a, pconocimiento e reton scientífico an n o otecnológico va cot a., el aarte turoa layartesanía , t w rprofunda e ec ect mvirtuoso y own .pNo erstengo ona ap asecretos pproacStradivarian to t s cra t para revelar ni gurantees sobre el éxito de los resultados . -- ma e ma e no c a ms to stor ca accuracy, sc ent c or tec no og ca ns g t, eep art stry or v rtuos c Después de la construcción de instrumentos para ganarse la vida durante más de 25 años, me sigue pareciendo que aprendo con cada craa ts cr tsma mans ns p. av avee no tr traa va varr an se secr cret etss to re reve veaa an no gu gura rant ntee eess as to t e su succ cces esss o t e ou outc tcom ome. e. te terr uno, y todavía me siento muy honrado por el misterio de la técnica y el secreto voces de estas creaciones . Pero me gusta pensar que he u ng nstruments or a v ng or over years, st n t at earn w t every one, an am st um e aprendido algo en los últimos años , y que mis conjeturas tienen ahora al menos, a mantenerse informados y educados que cuando y t e mystery o t e art an secret vo ces o t ese creat ons. ut e to t n t at ave ea earne somet ng empecé ver t e yea ear rs, aservir n t para at malgo y gu..... ess ssees ave now at ea east ecom omee more n orme an e uca catte t an w en egan -oExperiencia debe -- experience count for something..... Así que con esta must renuncia en mente, te invito a mi taller para tener una idea de la interpretación del arte de la luthería de una persona y espero que al compartir con usted , usted encontrará algo en él que usted puede encontrar útil , informativo , o interesante.
o w t t s sc a mer n m n , nv te you nto nto my wor s op or a g mpse o one person s nte nterpretat on o t e art o v o n ma ng an ope t at n s ar ng t w t you, you w n somet ng n t t at you may n use u , n ormat ve, or nte nterest ng.
e
es gn
e este este s gnviolín or t nos se or v obasa n wen nningún ot e in asstrumento e on any hi pastórico rt cu arparticular, stor ca pero nstrulas medimensiones nt, ut t e m El diseño para e y ens ons
an proport ons w e we w t n t e range o t ose oun n t e var ous mo e s o tra var , uarner , an t e ot er great c ass ca ma ma ers o t e “ o en ge o v o n ma ng t at our s e n remona, ta ta y n t e Guarneri Guarneri , y los o tros grandes fabricantes clásicos de la "Edad de Oro " de la luthería que floreció en Cremona , t an ear y t centur es. t was t ere t at t e v o n evo ve nto ts ts mo ern orm, an w t t e nota e Italia, Italia, en en los s iglos 17 y principi os del 18o . Fue allí allí donde el violín se conv irtió en su forma moderna, y con la except on o t e setup o t e nec , an a correspon ng a terat on to t e r ge an ass ar , t as rema ne notable excepción la present con figuración del cuello, (y una alteración correspon dienteconcerning al puente ythe barsignificance bajo), se haof much the same tode the day. There has been much interest and speculation mantenido actualidad t e geomelatrmisma c prophasta ort onslatoactualidad t e ear y . Ha evehabido opememuc nt ohot interés e v o nysla eespeculación s gn, an t ssob proreael signifi e t at acado t easde t solas me proporc Desa eseprobable a ma eriones s o t geométricas e t me were cde onprincipio cerne ws tDesarrollo esrrollo gn nsg del w tdiseño n a undelyviol ng ín, sc yem o geomeque tr c al rel menos at ons algunos ps. or a r e scude ss la onépoca t sestaban tra tnopreocupados n, see t e essaco y nonelmdiseño y we sdeteun : p lan de unificación de las relaciones fabricantes éo poca estaba relaciones proporc iones estará bien dentro del rango de las que se encuentran encuentran en los di stintos modelos de Stradivari ,
geométricas. Para Para una breve discusión de esta tradición , ver el ensayo en mi si tio w eb :
ttpd: dletree.com www. cometr et/ ron_the_pythagorean_traditi.htm ee.com on_t e_pyt atraditi.htm gorean_tra t . tm http://www.fi dletree. on_the_pythagorean_
e or oree t e ev evo o op opem emen entt o t e mo er ern n sc en ence ce o ac acou oust st cs a ce cent ntur ury y or so ater ater, t may Antes Desa dea laermoderna depun ave deeeque n t el at Desarroll somerroll earos ym s e eveciencia t at a dearlamacústic ony o as m e psigl ropoorot doos ns más n t etarde, outerpuede orm o que t e valgunos o n m fabricantes g t e con de uc primeros ve to t e creían armonque y o una ts armonía nrmonía ner vo de ce. proporcion ut t oug est simples s s mp eenrelaaforma t onser ann s p madel y lno not orn out our pio respara re sent lanoarmonía w e ge de o ac aco ust cinterior. a p ysPero cs, tampesar ay rede meesta an nsimple gu n externa de viot líne podría ser y propic suovoz pesa ot er wno ayspu . ede e vnacer ocer n por s mnuestros ore t an conoci ust a vomientos ce -- t de s afísica w o acústica, e wor o puede art, anser tsignifi s v suacativa an en tactotras e relación na qua t es as we as t e story an eas em o e n t are not w t out s gn cance. formas. El violín es algo más qu e una voz - es toda una obra de arte, arte, y sus c ualidades visuales y
táctiles, así así como la histo ria y las ideas contenidas en él no están exentos exentos de sig nifi c ación.
Based on the simple elements of the line and circle, the violin’s proportions are generated w t n a system o s mp e re at ons ps to prov e a v sua y un e an armon ous orm. e ow s dentro de re una visual es g n unwsistema or e oude t serelaciones vlaciones era yearsimpl s ago,es anpara s tpropor e onecionar t at w use oruni t fis cado v o ny. la forma Con base en los elementos simpl es de la línea y el círculo, las pr oporci ones del vio lín se generan generan
armoniosa. A continu ación se muestra un diseño q ue funcionó hace varios varios años, y es el que voy a utili zar zar para este violín
e
oo
Si la disposición t edel aydiseño out o representa t e es gelnaspecto represracional, ents t econceptual, rat ona , ceointencional nceptua , de anla fabricación ntent onadeaviolines, spect o a v o n continuación, ma ng, t el enmaterial t e ma-tla erpropia a -- tmadera e woo- nostspresenta e -- prcon eseelntlado s us "dado" w t tirracional, e rrat odesconocida, na , un nowynde , aella. n “Cada g veárbol n essúnico, e incluso dentro de una misma especie, no puede haber grandes variaciones en el aspecto, la densidad y la rigidez, e o t. very tree s un que, an even w t n a g ven spec es, t ere can e arge var at ons n y las cualidades tonales - y estos son la refl exión de su vida en la selva, su ascendencia, los ciclos climáticos, y la tierra de ppearance, ens ty an st ness, an tona qua t es -- an t ese are t e re ect on o ts e n t e la que creció. Una gran parte del arte de la fabricación de violines es la exploración de los materiales utilizados - y con la forest, its ancestry, climatic cycles, and the soil from which it grew. A large part of the art of violin experiencia que uno espera poder hacerse una idea de las siempre misteriosas cualidades de la madera en relación con ma ng s t e exp orat on o t e mater a s use -- an w t exper ence one opes to ga n some nqueridos diseños, métodos de trabajo, y objetivos tonales.
s g t nto t e ever myster ous qua t es o t e woo n tona o ect ves.
n re at on to ones es gns, met o s o wor ng,
rta n y de t elacmadera o ce o woodecisión s animportante mportanen mpo t laecplanificación s on n t edel p ainstrumento. nn ng o t noe siempre nstrumesentan nst t. simple ts Sin duda, laeelección es una not adecidir waysentre as s "buenos" mp e as y "malos" ec ngde emadera, tween sino “goouna opción an “más a sutil wode o lo, que ut tipo a sudetsonido er c oque ceelofabricante w at está n como o so soun Aunque t e maalgún er tipo s oode compensación ng or or. t opuede ug shacerse ome codemdiferentes pensat otipos n cande madera e ma eparaor ortratar ede realcanzar nt n suna o buscando. cierta madera adecuada, conocer, dese aprovechar alrmáximo sus woo wo o calidad to tr try ydetovoz, atta at taunnenfoque a ce cert rtaamejor n qu quaaes elegir ty o una vo ce ce, , a et ette terr ap appr proa oacc s ytotratar c oo oose an ap appr prop opr atee wo at woo o , características característica s naturales Por ejemplo, un pedazo de disco azúcar de arce puede tender hacia un sonido claro y brillante, et to now t, an tr try y to max m ze ts nat atu ura c ar araact cteer st cs or exam amp p e, a p ece o ar suga garr pero tendiendo hacia quebradizo cuando exagerado ...... un blando arce rojo puede tender hacia una mayor madera map e may ten towar a c ear, r g t soun , ut ten ng towar r tt e w en exaggerate ...... ay sonido más oscuro, pero si uno no tiene cuidado, puede tender hacia esponjoso cuando se lleva al extremo. soft red maple may tend toward a more woody and darker sound, but if one is not careful, may tend towar mus y w en ta en to t e extreme.
or t s v o n, ave c osen a p ece o re map e rom a og t at got rom a oca oca saw sawm out years ago. t s eaut u y gure , a r y g t an so t, an as proven tse n a num er o nst stru rum ments ove verr t e years rs.. er eree s a p ctur uree o t e woo w en rstt rou rs oug g t t om omee an cut t up n t e yar n ront o my wor s op.
e spruce soun oar s pro a y t e most mportant p ece o woo or t e tona qua t es o t e n s e nstrument . am oo ng or somet ng strong an r g t, w t a t o a cr sp snap to t e tone. n so or or t e e y w c oose n ce p ece o ermo e pruce -- a y r o ng emann an s t a spruce ro rom r t s o umbia -- light and stiff wood that is perfect for for a strong str ong ye yett res respon ponss ve ton tone. e. t as str straa g t ev even en ra n an was cut rom a et t at was w e noug or a num er o one p ece v o n tops.
reparat on
ere ve gat ere toget er t e mo , temp ates an mater a s n preparat on to start t e wor . ave se ecte a n ce y gure one p ece ac as we as a one p ece top. e mo an out ne temp ate re adapted from the drawing preous y ustrate .
o
an
oc s
o eg n, g t we g t spruce oc s or t e corners an en s are roug e out an temporar y ue to t e mo . xcept or t e areas w ere t e oc s w e g ue , t e mo s ru e w t wax to eep excess g ue rom st c ng to t.
The Ribs
e r s are roug sawn on t e an saw rom t e same mater a as t e ac , t en scrape to a na t c ness o mm. s scraper s re-groun rom a ar ware store ut ty n e a e.
e r out ne s trace on to t e sur ace o t e oc s o ow ng t e temp ate.
en, t e t e curves o t e nner outs are carve nto t e corner ac s an t e r s are ent to s ape on a ot en ng ron. try to en t e t n r s ry, ut w somet mes use a tt e mo sture to e p w t t e t g t curves o t e s. or now, t e outs es o t e corner oc s are e t u or support w e t e s are g ue nto p ace.
e en s o t e r are cut square and clamped in place with a simple caul t at s mu taneous y presses t e r en s onto t e oc s an o s t e r t g t aga nst t e mo . roug out t e construct on o t e v o n, on y goo qua ty ot e g ue s use .
Linings
t t s po nt, w g ue t e n ng to t e r s n or er to protect t e rag e woo . use w ow ere-- t en s eas y, an carves e ort ess y nto s ape.... ut any g t woo w wor . e n ng s mm t c an mm n e g t. e mo as een t c nesse to mm, so w en t e n ngs are seate own to t e sur ace o t e mo , w ave roug r eg to mm. e en s o t e n ngs or t e s are tuc e n e n t e oc s y ma ng tr angu ar n e cuts nto t e e ges o t e oc s, n correspon ng y tte n ng en s.
e n ng s g ue n p ace. hese little c-clamps are great, but ot es p ns w wor , too. en amp ng, w san w c t e r etween t e n ng an a sma ent scrap of thin wood on the outside, s not on y protects t e r rom ootpr nts rom t e c amp, ut e ps o even out any rregu ar t es n t e urve o t e r rom en ng t e g y gure cur y gra ne woo .
ow cont nue en ng t e ot er r s. e rest o t e oc s are s ape n t e po nts o t e corners are eat ere to a n e e ge w ere t e upper an ower r sw e o ne . ere, ave se ecte a one p ece ower r , to comp ement t e ne p ece ac an top.
e rest o t e r s are g ue an c ampe n p ace w t some s ape cau s to eeps t e r en s t g t aga nst t e oc s.
e rema n ng n ngs are t en g ue n p ace, t e en s o t e corners are tr mme , t e sur aces are eve e , an t e r assem y s comp ete.
repar ng t e ac p ate
With the rib assembly comp ete , ts s t me to turn our attent on to t e ac . rst, one sur ace s p ane at an to a roug t c ness o a out mm t s w e owere to aroun n t e course o carv ng t e arc .
en, t e out ne s trace rom e r assem y us ng a sma was er to prov e an even over ang o a out mm. e ac s t en cut out w t t e an saw n c eane up a t. e na z ng o t e utline and overhang will wait until just e ore t e pur ng c anne s cut.
rc ng t e ac
o ar, t e construct on o t e r assem y as een a a r y rout ne operat on. t t e carv ng o t e arc e p ate, we are approac ng t e eart o t e v o nma er s art. ere are many approac es to t s -- var ous sc oo s o t oug t an erent t eor es, an my own pract ce cont nues to c ange t roug t e years. t out a ou t, t e s ape o t e arc p ays a s gn cant ro e n s ap ng t e tone o t e nstrument. e ear est v o ns ten e to ave a a r y g arc ng pro e -- t e c ass c remonese o ns o tra var an uarner eature a ower an more stream ne pro e. on t necessar y t n o t ese c anges as progress ve mprovements, ut more as a re ect on o c ang ng mus ca taste an tona o ect ves. o ustrate t at s ape ma es a s gn cant contr ut on to v rat ona e av or, t n o a musical saw -- it retains all the same properties of size, material, density -- but by changing the shape o ts curve, a uge var ety o tones can e roug t out. s mp e an u c rcu ar arc r s ng rom t e pur ng to t e centre ne s qu te st an o ers a ot o res stance to e ormat on -- an arc r s ng n a ow -s ape curve as a ot o u t- n spr ng an ex ty. or a v o nma er, t s not a matter o max m z ng one or anot er qua ty, ut o see ng a a ance t at s n accor w t t e n o soun one s see ng. e nee a certa n amount o strengt an res stance to g ve t e tone a so core t at you can “ g nto w t t e ow, ut at t e same t me we nee a certa n amount o comp ance, sens t v ty, an a g t, qu c response. uc o t e c a enge o v o nma ng s to try to reconc e suc oppos ng qua t es, not y supress ng one or t e ot er, ut y r ng ng a armony etween t em.
start carv ng y esta s ng a at e ge aroun t e per meter o t e p ate. s will make the purfling easier, an w en t e carv ng s na ze , t w e gent y o owe out to en n w t t e ma n arc o t e p ate. eave t s at aw t o mm n t e upper an ower outs w ere t e arc w e rat er ow an scoope , ut narrow ng to a out a t at t roug t e wa st w ere t e curve o t e arc w e g er an u er. e e ge s n s e to mm t c n t e upper an ower outs, s g t y more n t e wa st, an swe ng gent y out to t e t ps o t e corners. en procee to to orm ng t e ong arc rom t e nec o ta . e s ape o t s arc as somet mes een escr e mat emat ca y as a catenary -- t e s ape a en y a c a n ree y suspen e rom two eve po nts. ere s a a r t a var at on to e oun n he archings of various classical violins, and there is no need to idealise the description of these forms unnecessar y -- t oug or t e mat emat ca y nc ne , t can e an nterest ng stu y. en oo at e arc ng, am more ntereste n try ng to come to a more ntu t ve un erstan ng o course ase n years o exper ence w ere was more ntereste n copy ng outer mo e s . try to mag ne myse nto t e mater a -- get a sense o t e stat c oa s requ re , t e pressure o t e soun post, t e tw st ng o e o y w t t e pu o t e str ngs. am a m ng or a s mp e, e c ent, an rest u strengt w ere a parts s are t e oa equa y, ut yet w e sens t ve to t e su t est o v rat ons. e sense o u gment n t ese t ngs eve ops w t exper ence -- or east t e con ence t at a ows t e ree om to wor n s manner.
rc ng gu es or temp ates a e rom ex st ng nstruments or at emat ca y generate can e e p, ut n t at t e est too or t s ong ac arc s a ex e ru er t at can e use as a sp ne -- w en ent to t e sur ace t w as y s ow up any rregu ar t es an prov e a smoot , a r, an e c ent urve. t , t e en s o t e arc s ou e u c ous y recurve to ow or greater ree om an exty.
ter t e ong arc as een n s e to my sat s act on, turn now to t e transverse arc ng, w c so ar as een e t roug an u . e tra t ona arc ng gu es or “qu nte are as set o temp ates t at re p ace across t e p ate -- at t e w est parts o t e upper an ower outs, t e narrowest part o t e wa st n n t e o ows o t e trans t on rom t e outs nto t e corners. ny num er o t ese are ava a e rom oo s, raw ngs, p ans, or ex st ng nstruments. ga n or t e mat emat ca y m n e , t ere s an nterest ng onstruct on or t ese curves t at as een gett ng attent on n recent years: t e “curtate cyc o , w c s a at emat ca curve t at s rawn y trac ng a po nt w t n a c rc e as t at c rc e ro s a ong a stra g t ne. t e c rcum erence o t e c rc e s t e engt o t e es re arc , an t e stance o t e po nt rom t e centre s half the height of the desired arch, then the curves traced are a remarkably close fit to those seen in many ass c v o ns t at s, as ong as t e proper a ustments are ma e to t e en recurves, an a t o a ownce s ma e or norma screpanc es an stort ons .
ese are a va ua e ways o oo ng at t e s ape o v o n s arc ng -- ut aga n, t s pro a y est not to re y too muc on ea ze concept ons; v o ns are remar a y var e an eac s un que. ere s no s ng e trut or outwar ormu a t at w guarantee a “per ect v o n. t mate y, t n t at t e s ow rysta zat on o one s now e ge an exper ence nto a persona v s on an sense o u gment s w at can evate t e cra t o v o nma ng to an art. ere was on y one tra var , ut t ere s ou a so e a p ace n t s wor or eac o us.
Keeping all this in mind, e arc ng p anes are use to n s rc ng -- a ways c ec ng or symetry, smoot an e c ent curves, n t e proport on ng o concav ty n convex ty n a manner t at ope w r ng out a goo a ance strengt an respons veness.
ese tt e guys v s te my wor s op aga n ast n g t. t n t at t s t e r a es t at are respons e or eat ng t e o es t roug t e outer ayers o t e n ce spruce ogs a stas e n t e arn -- now now to ma e sure t at a t e ar s remove ey are cute, t oug .....
e ac s scrape to a c ean sur ace o smoot , e c ent curves. eep n m n t at t e na scoop ng o t e per meter t at w comp ete t e arc ng w wa t unt near t e en -- or now, e outer e ges stay at at aroun mm. e to o t e na scrap ng o t e arc es at n g t, wor ng ith a single strong light, using the shadows to throw into relief any irregularities in the curves of e sur ace. trong rect sun g t w wor or t s, too.
ra uat ng t e
ac
e t c ness ng o t e p ates s anot er ma or cons erat on or t e tone o t e nstrument, an s ou e one w t n t e context o t e qua ty o t e woo , t e c aracter o t e arc ng, an t e overa tona o ect ves. oo t c , an t e p ates w not e a e to respon qu c y an e c ent y -- t e tone w e ar , r g t, an con ne . ut too t n an t e v o n w ecome o ow, oomy, uneven an wo y as we as en anger t e ongev ty o t e nstrument . e construct on n genera s ou e strong ut g t, aga n a anc ng t e nee or ot ex ty an st ness -- a strong so tone t at s ree, g t and responsive. Violin makers tend to obsess over the graduations of the plates -- probably because it is eas er to quant y t an t e escr pt on o t e comp ex t es o t e arc ng. tan ar p ans o t e c ass c nstruments g ve measurements, ut mens ona measurement s ust one way o oo ng at t. e same measurements w ave erent we g ts or ens t es n erent p eces o woo . ap tones are anot er tool that many makers rely on to adjust the thicknesses, since the frequency of the tones is a function of t e ens ty an st ness. ut t ere s no s mp e ru e or any o t s -- t ey are a va ua e ways o gett ng to now your mater a s an es gns, ut t s t e u gement o t e v o nma er t at a ances one actor aga nst anot er an tr es to r ng a proper armony nto t e comp ex t es t at ma e up t e v o n. ea o ns can e qu te var e n a o t s, an t e num ers ten to e ust averages. e rst step s to roug out the wood on the inside of the plate. s ng a r press w t a ept stop, t e p ate s peppere w t o es -- n t e centra area etween t e nner outs, start w t a out mm an 4mm in the upper and lower “lungs”. en, qu c y c op out t e excess w t a gouge unt come c ose to t e ottoms o t e o es. e ear y c ass cal makers would not have had a drill press, ut a gra uat on mar er cons stng o a rame w t a ever equ ppe w t a mar ng aw t at cou e a uste or erent t c nesses.
e gouge s o owe y t e rc ng p anes. ter t e n t a p anng I will recheck the thicknesses with e ca per an r a new set o gu e o es, t s t me com ng a tt e t c oser o my expecte n s e t c ness. goo verage measurement for this would be roun . mm n t e centre, an a out . n t e upper an ower areas, a t t c er roun t e e ges p an to eave some xtra t c ness aroun t e e ges or a na uts e gra uat on a ter t e nstrument s ssem e .
I go back and forth a number of times between the marking holes and the planes, slowly approac ng t e na gra uat ons. s t n t e p ates w pay more attent on to not on y t e measurements, ut a so t e we g t an t e tap tone y o ng t e upper out a tt e ways n rom t e e ge an tapp ng n t e centre, t e strong y resonant “mo e tone can e so ate . e genera ea s to ower t e we g t a goo na we g t or t e n s e ac m g t e aroun grams ut eep t e tone up around an F is usually good) while keeping close to the usual thicknesses. Normally, none of these factors w e too ar o , ut every p ece o woo s a tt e erent an t s goo to e aware o a t ese spects -- a anc ng one aga nst anot er, an a m ng or strengt , yet ex ty an response. one o t e measurements are to e ta en as t e na wor on any o t s -- many amous v o ns are oun to vary quite a bit from the “standard’ measurements -- but these are the tools and materials that the violin maker as to wor w t n ma ng t e ec s ons a ong t e way t at w eterm ne t e c aracter an vo ce o t e n s e nstrument. n s w t t e scrapers to smoot out t e p ane mar s, us ng my ngers to oo or any rreguar t es n t e gra uat ons, eep ng t e curves an gra uat ons smoot an cont nuous. ecause e to na ze t e gra uat ons o t e p ates a terwar s, rom t e outs e, w plan ahead and leave things just a bit eav er t an expect t em to ns . at er t an n s eac part as o, pre er to wor t e nstrument as a w o e as muc as poss e, an o t e na z ng on y a ter ave roug t a t e parts toget er.
emov ng t e
o
ow t s t me to ta e t e r s o t e mo . s arp crac w t t e c se an t e corner oc s are sp t ree. e en oc s are separate rom t e mo an t e w o e r assem y can e stretc e to allow the linings to clear the mo or remova .
e ns es o t e r assem y s c eane up: excess g ue s scrape o , t e ns es o t e oc s are s ape , an t e n ngs are tr mme to a tr angu ar pro e. e a m s to g ten t up, remov ng w atever mater a s unnessesary to t e structure. e n s e r assem y s ou we g o more than 50 grams.
e r s are t en a gne an c ampe to t e ac . ue s wor e xcess is cleaned up, and then the entire assembly is set aside to dry.
n one sect on at a t me,
ur ng
e ore start ng t e pur ng on t e ac , t e out ne s na ze -- even out t e over ang ng e ge, ent y roun ng t e un ers e, an ma ng sure a t e curves ow smoot y, an w t no rregu ar t es. pay spec a attent on to t e s ap ng o t e corners -- muc o t e scu ptura c aracter o t e carv ng s n t e corners an e ges, an t s w eterm ne ow t e pur ng n s es out to t s c aracter st c “ eest ng . on t re y too muc ere on measurements or temp ates. o t at arm s engt , an use my eye to te me a t e corners oo e t ey e ong toget er -- are t ey t e same s ze o t ey po nt outwar t t e same ang e o t e curves ow outwar to t e t p n expectat on o open ng out
nce t e out ne s n s e , mar t e pur ng ines with a two bladed ur ng mar er, e ng are u to eep t stea y, pr g t, an snug aga nst e e ge o t e p ate. e nes are mar e , t en excaate w t a s arp n e an se ma e rom a enta c . any ma ers w dapt a small router to cut e pur ng c anne -- t s ot as p easant or peace u ut can e ma e to wor e . rat er put on some ce mus c an orget a out me.
e c anne or t e ecorat ve “ not s care u y rawn out an nc se ree an w t t e n e an c se .
e pur ng strips themselves are san w c e toget er rom map e veneer an e ony s av ngs. rst ta e some s av ngs rom a stra g t gra ne p ece o e ony, us ng a very s arp p ane.
The curls are stra g tene y pass ng t em qu c y over t e en ng ron. e t c er w te str ps are s ce rom a s eet o map e veneer.
ey are t en g ue up n ac w te- ac str ps t at s ce n a an c ean up w t t e p ane. ere use a regu ar mo ern ca net ma ers g ue.... n t at t a ows t e n s e str ps to en eas er on t e ot ron w e st o ng toget er.
e pur ng strips are bent to shape n t e ron. start w t t e upper an ower outs, taper ng t e t ps nto a ne “ ee-st ng po nt, t en cut t e wa st str ps to a n ce m tere t.
e
e y
e pur ng s scrape us w t t e sur ace an t s t me to turn our attent on to t e top. nce w e us ng t s n ce one p ece top, t ere s no nee or t e usua centre o n. w prepare t as t e ac , p an ng t e sur ace at, trac ng t e out ne, an saw ng t out on t e bandsaw.
e top -- or e y -- s per aps t e s ng e most s gn cant actor n eterm n ng t e soun of the instrument (though we should be careful not to overemphasize any single element, and eep t e w o e n m n . oo g t we g t ut st spruce, per ect y quartere or max mum strengt an e c ency s est or o ng up un er t e ong term stat c oa rom t e str ngs earng own t roug t e r ge, w e at t e same t me a ow ng an easy, g t, an sens t ve response to t e v rat ons. e carv ng or t e e y starts out muc as or t e ac -- a qu c roug ng out w t t e ouges an p ane, an t e esta s ment o a at e ge aroun t e outs e o t e p ate. en t e ong arc , gu e y a temp ate at rst, ut t en na ze y t e eye, an an u gment.
e s ape o t e top w er rom t e ac ow ng to ts erent unct on. v ous y, t s s a more comp ex structure. t s t e top t at rst an most mme ate y respon s to t e nergy rom t e v rat ng str ng as passe t roug t e r ge. e mportant centra area o t e e y -- un er t e r ge -- s ree rom t e constra nt o t e s es o t e o y y t e - o es, nd the upper eyes of the f’s cut off and isolate all but a narrow “beam”, the width of the bridge, roug w c runs t e cont nuous gra n o t e top rom t e ta oc to t e nec . ereas t e ac s e ng stretc e as t e resu t o t e pu o t e str ngs t us pus ng upwar on t e soun ost t e top s u er compress on -- squeeze rom en to en w e pus ng own un er t e eet o t e r ge. e post prov es support un er t e tre e oot o t e r ge w e transm tng t e oa an t e v rat ona energy rect y to t e ac , w e t e ar un er t e ass oot o e r ge g ves support to t e top an e ps transm t t e v rat on t roug t e e y.
e ong arc o t e top w e seen to ta e a certa n atness t roug t e centra area, w e falling a little more steeply at the ends. The steeper slope at the ends gives a bit more flexibility here you ave on y to see t e e ect o t s on some very steep y s ope ta ner cop es t at ten to e wea an an ecome storte ere . or t e cross arc ngs, w pay spec a attent on to t e narrow part o t e wa st -- eep ng a u strong arc t ere to e p support t e area at t e en s o t e - o es, w ere t e cross arc ng resumes ts uty o support ng t e ong cont nuous centra arc . s start wor ng t e cross arc ng, w a so e gu e y t e way t e - o es e. w raw t em n p ace to c ec t e r or entat on as s ape t e arc ng, an t s w eterm ne muc o t e way t e curves w ow rom t e outs t roug t e wa st. oo ng at t rom t e s e, want to see t at t e ma n s a t o t e - o e es para e to t e ne o t e r s an t at t es a out a way up t e s ope. e upper eye of the f-hole will approach the top of the arch, while the lower eye will be dipping down just below t e ower corner. t ona y, w c ec or convex ty w t a stra g t-e ge.... want to eep a n ce cont nuous ome t roug out t e centra area o t e top. s run a ru er across t e top, para e to t e - o e, on t want to see any concav ty unt t approac es t e s a t o t e o e. s necessar y means t at t e narrow o t e wa st w ave a roa u arc , w e t e upper an ower outs are ecom ng ow an scoope . s approac t e na s ape, aga n use t e s a ows to oo e egance an symmetry o t e curves
or rregur t es an to c ec
or
n s t e top arc ng to my sat s act on; ut as n carv ng t e ac , w eave t e e ges at an thick for now -- the final shaping will wait until the whole instrument comes together. ow turn t e e y over an start to carve out t e ns e. e proce ure s s m ar to t at o t e ac -- ut aga n, t e top as a erent unct on, an t e gra uat ons w e erent t an or t e ac . rst, a qu c roug ng out w t t e gouges an p anes......
e top s n s e o to a more un orm t c ness t an t e ac . e t e ac stays a r y mass ve t roug t e centre to prov e su stance an support un er t e post, t e top s t nner, more e a v rat ng ap ragm, an es gne or max mum sens t v ty. t w e n s e o to aroun . mm -- ut as t e n s e mens ons are approac e w aga n c ec or we g t, tap tone, st ness nd feel. Light weight, around 75 grams for now (I expect it to lose about another 10 g after the final scoop ng, e gewor , nec an sa e s ots, an n s scrap ng an a tone aroun are expecte . ut a t ese num ers are negot a e -- epen ng on t e c aracter o t e woo , t e e g t an s ape o t e arc ng, t e mo e , even t e weat er an w o nows -- may e t e p ase o t e moon . t s t e u gment o t e n v ua v o n ma er -- t e e ucate guesswor -- an t e part cu ar un erstan ng o t e n o tone t at e or s e s oo ng or, t at s w at t rea y comes own to, an t at nev ta y ma es every v o n a persona express on an a un que n v ua .
e - o es an
ass
ar
e - o es are now a out or t e ast t me an cut out. s t ey are e neat ng t e mportant central vibrating area of the top, I will pay close attention to how they are formed -- the spacing between t e eyes, t e stance etween t e s a ts at t e r ge ne t e engt o t e o es an p acement o t e o es can a p ay a ro e n n uenc ng t e nstruments response. t g ter area etween t e o es can ma e or a qu c er response, w ereas a roa er span can r ng more area nto v rat on rect y rom t e r ge. e eyes are rst cut t roug w t a r or a sma gouge, t en s ape w t roun es to t e r proper s ze an s ape. en a ne s cut w t a ne ewe ers saw a e t roug t e centre o t e out ne. s arp n e t en n s es y par ng away t e mater a to t e ne.
t en roun o t e ns e e ges o t e o es an prepare t e ass ar rom a p ece o goo stra g t gra ne an quarter sawn spruce. s one s cut rom t e e tover o t e et or t e top.
e ar passes rect y un er t e ass oot o t e r ge, an at a slight angle to the grain of the top. accon g ves t s ang e as o ow ng ne t at connects two po nts measure at one sevent o t e stance rom t e centre ne to t e w est parts o t e upper an ower outs. not er way to oo at t s s t at t e ng e o t e ass ar m m cs t e ne t e str ng.
e ar s care u y t -- cut an try ac an ort unt t na y ma es u cont nuous contact w t t e curv ng nner sur ace o t e e y. ome ma ers e to “spr ng t e ar s g t y so t at t ere s a t o upwar tens on un er t e oot o t e r ge. s s one y tt ng t e ar so t at e t er en s ra se a coup e o m metres rom t e sur ace, ut w en presse nto p ace or u ng, t ere are no gaps or wo es n t e t.
e ar s t en cut to s ze. t w e a out mm n e g t un er t e r ge an s ape to e c ent y str ute t e oa t roug t e eng t o t e top. you measure ts e g t at erent po nts ong t e engt o t e ar, you w see t at ts e g t actua y ncreases n a stra g t ne rom t e en s to t e r ge ne -- t s s ape s ust a tere to o ow t e contours o t e top. w c ec to see t at t e tap tone o t e top, w c owere con era y w t t e cutt ng o t e s, s now ac w ere t was.
o n s o t e top, w t en g ue n a sma veneer o woo to protect t e so t spruce rom t e pressure o t e soun post. t s tra t ona to eave a s g t y t c er spot ere -- pre er to n s t e centra area o t e e y to a un orm t nness, an a t s s p o ar map e nstea .
e ent re ns e s c eane up o r one ast t me, t en g ue n my a e an t e o y s c ose . w use a very t n g ue ere -- want to ma e t eas er or a uture repa r person o open t up. ny e t at angs aroun or ong enoug w eventua y nee t e top to ome o or one reason or anot er.
s w t t e ac , t e e ge overang s evene out, t e corners are twea e nto s ape, an a t e curves are one over to smoot an comp ete t e ut ne to rea y t or pur ng. e so t spruce s muc eas er to cut, ut t e gra n likes to pull the knife, especially in the aras w ere t c anges rect on at t e w st m ts o t e outs. s arp n e an ent e pressure s nee e . n one must e care u not to c p t e e cate corners ns e t e pur ng ne.
e
ec
t t e pur ng comp ete , t s t me to turn our attent on to t e nec . w e us ng more o t e same woo as n t e ac an r s. ecause t s p ece as an o s ape t s a tapere we ge t at wasn t g enoug or a ac , w prepare t e oc y temporar y g u ng some scraps to t e s es t at w ow me to square up t e oc so w en cut t on t e an saw, t e e ges w a e perpen cu ar to t e nger oar sur ace.
While the neck blank is still square, mar out t e centre ne n r t e p ot o es or t e pegs.
e turns o t e scro re mar e out, t en a ew n t a saw cuts helps the removal of the aste.
e gouges an scraprs n s t e wor o carv ng t e scro . e nes o t e tra t ona scroll make for a classic blend of s mp c ty an comp ex ty. e ye s gu e aroun t e graceu turns, ta ng n t e symmetry, roport on an e cacy, w e t e n s recte to contemp at on t e n n te conta ne w t n orm.
e nec s t en o ne to t e o y o t e e. n e n tra var s ay w en t e nec was glued and nailed flat on to the ribs, the modern neck is set into a tapered mortise. Special care must e ta en to t t s we , to prov e strong support an to prevent sett ng o t e nec un er t e tens on o t e str ngs. t must s mu taneous y t t e ace o t e mort se an t e utton o t e ac w c prov es muc o t e strengt an sta ty o t e nec w e eep ng ts a gnment own t e centre o t e o y etween t e - o es an a ow ng or a nger oar pro ect on o aroun mm t the bridge. I set it up with a “dummy” fingerboard to make the measurements and alignment easier. want a nec overstan o mm a ove t e e ge o t e top, an a resu t ng str ng ang e over t e r ge o egrees. t s t e s arpness o t s ang e t at eterm nes t e ownwar orce t roug t e r ge an to t e e y.
t an arc ng an o e o a r y stan ar ens ons, a t ese parameters s ou a nto p ace toget er -- w t t e a t ona corresponence t at a ne s g te own he edge of he back will point to e eye o t e scro an a ne s g te own t e e ge o t e op w po nt to t e en o t e nger oar at t e nut.
t t e nec an ee st ary rough, it is glued into the mortise with res ot g ue, ta ng care to eep everyt ng a gne proper y. na s ap ng w ta e p ace once t e str ngs are on.
The Fingerboard
e nger oar an is roughed out from a piece of stra g t gra ne e ony.
e an s cut out s g t y overs ze, t en t e top sur ace s s ape to a con ca a us o a out mm w t t e e p o a stra g te ge an curve emp ate.
e un ers e s t en p ane to eave an even e ge o mm or t e engt o t e oar . e over ang ng en s o owe out to remove we g t, yet eave st ness an support or t e en o t e oar . t s nterest ng to note t at t e en o t e nec s t e m po nt o t e oar , an a ter o ow ng, can a so ecome t e a ance po nt.
e nger oar s g ue n p ace ter g v ng a na c ec o t e pro ecion height. The nut is put in place, and en t e ent re nec an nger oar un t s tr mme an s ape to com orta e mens ons, so t at t e pro e ro s n ce y n t e ngers an t e t um stop at t e ee ee s com orta e an am ar. e nut n o t e nger oar s ou e a gne square w t t e c n o t e scro an t e stop engt rom t e r ge ne to t e uper end of the body) should be in a relaons p o w t t e rema n ng stance rom t e e ge o t e o y to t e nut. ter tt ng a sa e an an o set o pegs, a t at s nee e e ore a tr a run s a r ge an soun post. e roug r ge an must rst e wor e over a ts e ges an sur aces. e eet are r mme an t to t e arc o t e nstrument, t en t e curve o t e top. e r ge s s g t y t nne an he front surface (facing the fingerboard) is gently domed up toward the narrow top edge. The kidneys n eart opene up a t, t e ower arc s ncrease , an t e s es are tr mme an c am ere . a rs eve op a persona s gnature n t e way t ey carve a r ge, ut t e ma n ea as e rom prov ng proper p ay ng act on s to g ten up t e r ge, remov ng excess mass t at m g t ten to mute t s esponse. ear y a t e energy o t e v rat ng str ng must rst pass t roug t e r ge, so t s wort t o attent on. t must e su stant a enoug not to warp un er t e pressure o t e str ngs, an t acts s a ter to t e ncom ng v rat on. oo g t an t n, an you m g t n t e tone gett ng a t raw an r tt e, ut too eavy a r ge can ma e t soun st an represse .
e post s ma e o spruce cut rom t e waste rom t e e y. t s care u y t an we ge n p ace ust e n t e tre e oot o t e r ge. t not on y prov es support or t e r ge aga nst t e ownwar pressure o t e str ngs, ut t a so serves to commun cate t e rat on rom t e r ge rect y t roug to t e ac p ate. n t s ro e t a so unct ons as a p vot for the bridge’s vibration, setting up a kind of pump ng act on to t e ot er oot, s tuate over t e ass ar. e exact ocat on o t e post -- up c ose to t e r ge or a tt e urt er ac , a t towar t e tre e or ass s e, a tt e t g ter or ooser t -- can ave a s gn cant e ect n t e response o t e nstrument y a ter ng t e a nce o t ese actors. ese are a ustments t at w ater e ma e a ter t e str ngs are on t e instrument and it has had a chance to settle.
n now t e e s rea y or a tr a run. put some str ngs on t, an pass t e ow over t em. t as a surpr s ng g, u soun an a str ng t at s so an strong. t s a t e gy, as t asn t any t me to sett e yet, an ust a t t g t w c s to e expecte w t t e e ges o t e p ates st as t c as t ey are. ut rom a rst mpress on, t n t as great potent a . t s r g t an u -- ots o snap, ut r c an eep as we .
p ay a ew gs an ree s, a ac m nuet, a wa tz or wo. veryt ng s sett ng an stretching -- it won’t hold its une or ong. wa t unt t sett es own e ore procee ng t t e ne tun ng an n s ng up, ut can p ay t an start to get to now t.
na z ng
ter a ew ays o sett ng, t e v o n as come nto ts rst equ r um. t w now stay n tune nd some of the original wolfiness has gone out of the tone. The fiddle is getting used to itself. Now is the t me to cont nue on to t e na gra uat ons an to scu pt t e n s ng touc es e ore varn s ng. nt now t e or g na e ges ave een e t at an t c . e pur ng was tr mme ac us to t e sur ace ut w t none o t e grace u scoop ng t at w now n s t e arc ng.
e tone o t e nstrument s arge y set n t e mater a s, t e mo e , an t e arc ng -- t ese na gra uat ons w not s gn cant y c ange t e as c qua ty o ts vo ce, ut as t e p ates ecome thinner and more flexible, the tone not cea y ecomes reer an more respons ve. on t want to ose t e sense o so ty, espec a y un er t e str ng, w c o ten seems to appen t e p ates are too comp ant.
s carve away at t e e ges, a ternat ng etween t e gouge an t e ow, ee as t oug were erat ng t e vo ce t at s t ere, ut yet try ng to eep t w t n t e sc p ne o t e overa c aracter o the instrument. The plates do not vibrate in isolation, but only as subordinate partners to the complexity o t e w o e.
o t s na carv ng not on y w t ears open to t e c anges n tone, ut a so w t t e eye o a sculptor, finalizing and blending the curves of the arching, the shape of the corners, and the flow of e gewor . ow w return to t e scro to g ve a na smoot ng to t e sur aces an to cut t e c amere e ges to t e turns o t e scro . g ve t e map e a t o ne san ng, ut must e care u not to mus t e cr sp nes o t e scro an e g ng. e top w get on y t e scraper, ecause want to try to eave a t o t e texture o t e gra n n t e n s e sur ace. ere are some p otos o t e w te e, as t stan s rea y or varn s ng.....
arn s ng
e v o n s now comp ete n t e w te, an rea y to start t e n s ng process. ere are pro a y as many ways to go a out varn s ng a v o n as t ere are v o n ma ers, an t e varn s s certa n y a s gnature o t e n v ua ma er. se om o two varn s o s a e -- am constant y exper ment ng w t new met o s an mater a s, an t at must e ept n m n t roug t e escr pt on t at o ows. or a s g t y erent procedure you can read read the account on my website “.... On Varnishing a Violin” ( www.fiddletree. com on_varn s . tm o start, t s mportant to pay attent on to t e sur ace preparat on n t e g t o w at one es res or the finished look. In this case I am going to treat the spruce of the belly somewhat differently from the maple o t e rest o t e nstrument. t s a very erent n o mater a ot v sua y an ow t ta es t e varn s , so t s goo to eep t at n m n as one procee s. e map e as a ot o v sua nterest n t e ame or gure o t e gra n w c can e accentuate to a vantage y exp o t ng t e erent ang es o en an s e gra n t at resu t rom t e or entat on o t e gra n n cur ng waves. n t e ot er an , t e ma n v sua nterest o t e top s n t e nes o t e gra n tse , w c w e t e eature want to emp as ze t ere. w go or a smoot er an more po s e oo on t e map e, w e try ng to r ng out t e us on o ept w t t e s tng gure gra n, ut want to eave t e top w t a t more sur ace texture to g ve tt e more c aracter to t e ra n nes o t e e y. e rst step w e to g t y scrape an san t e map e to remove any ast rregu ar t es t at m g t ntere ere w t t e na ru ng an po s ng. e top w get on y t e scraper, as t e scraper w eave a more nterest ng texture w ere t e ree nes are cut a t ower t an t e rest o t e sur ace t oes t s y s g t y compress ng t e so ter surroun ng woo as t cuts t roug t e st er ree s . en, w pe t e nstrument own w t a amp c ot , to ra se t e gra n e ore go ng over t aga n to smoot o t e sur ace -- t s w a so r ng out any rregu ar t es m g t ave m sse . o t s tw ce to e sure t at won t ave t e pro em o ra s ng t e gra n ur ng t e next proce ure. t t s t me a so go over t e spruce w t some very ne san paper to ust are y eve t e sur ace w e st eav ng t e ree nes un ercut.
The next step is a light pre-staining of the wood. ost o t e co or n t e n s w up n t e varn s ayer, ut e to put ust a tt e go en ye ow sta n n t e woo tse -- t means can use ess co or n t e upper ayers, an t w a so serve to emp as ze t e gure o t e map e. g ve t rst a g t was w t strong co ee to ve t a g t tan co or. want to e care u not to et t e spruce soa up t e sta n uneven y as a resu t o way t e ra n or entat on s ts n re at on to t e c ang ng s opes of the arching, so I first wet the spruce and let it partially ry e ore app y ng t e sta n. s way, en gra n w e a rea y saturate an won t ten to a sor t e sta n sproport onate y. ter t e co ee, g ve t an a t ona was o a ye ow ye ma e rom soa ng ma er root n co o . s espec a y seems to ave a n ce e ect on t e map e y putt ng a warm an ve y g ow eep own n t e ames.
ow t s mportant to sea t e woo so t at t e r c y co ore varn s won t urt er sta n the wood. I make a mix of thickened linseed oil (raw oil that was slowly cooked in a pot over a propane torc unt t a a t c oney e cons stency ne pow ere m ca, an a t o turpent ne to t n t. ru t s we nto t e woo w t a rus , a p ece o s c ot , an w t my ngers. e pow ere m ca you can a so use pum ce or a var ety ot er ne m nera part c es pac s nto the pores and surface of the wood helping to seal it -- at the same time it gives a harder and more protect ve n s to t e sur ace as we as prov ng a goo groun or t e su sequent ayers o arn s . coat o ros n o n s es t e sea ng, ut g ve one more coat o ros n o to t e spruce as t s very a sor ent o t e rst coat -- want to see t at t e w o e sur ace starts to ta e on a t o a s een n cat ng t at t as stoppe a sor ng t e sea er.
t t s po nt, e to ang t out n t e sun to ry -- as w t t e varn s , t e rays o t e sun e p to promote t e poymer zat on o t e o -- t e n ng toget er o t e mo ecu es nto tough and durable film. Upsta rs ave a ca net equ ppe wt g ts, an t s s great or t mes w en t e weat er s a or t e es , ut not ng eats oo strong sun g t w en t s va a e.
When the ground coat is dry, I give it all a good buffing, rubbing it all over to make sure ere s a smoot sur ace or t e co or coats to o ow.
tra t ona o varn s s made from a natural resin combined w t a ry ng o , suc as nsee or wa nut o . rees pro uce res n n response to an n ury n or er to sea an protect t e woo rom n ect on -- ence t s an ea su stance or us to use to sea an protect t e woo o our v o ns. e a t on o a ry ng o g ves t more toug ness an urability -- to help keep it from becomng too ar , r tt e an c ppy. e ar varn s or t e co or coats on t s e s ma e rom o om an am er an nsee ax o . s out mer can am er s a re at ve y young am er, at ng ac to ext nct orests rom etween one an two m on years ago.
o ren er t s oss res n so u e or ma ng varn s , t must rst e me te , or “ use at g eat to rea t e mo ecu ar on s t at eep t locked up in an inert and insoluble state. I cook it outs e t g ves o p enty o nox ous smo e n a sta n ess stee pot over a propane torc .... an am a ways prepare or re. e g eat w ar en the resin considerably, but that is part of what I am oo ng or. coo t unt t s t oroug y me te , an t en to ar en t more, cont nue to re uce t t unt t oo s e an o y tar n t e ow -- ut sprea out t n on t e s e o t e pot, t w e evident that it is really a beautiful rich red-brown. et t e res n coo own, t en re eat t w t t e a t on o an equa part o nsee o , cooking it gently until they are dissolved together. ter t coo s a t aga n, w a turpent ne to t n t an g ve t a goo rus ng cons stency, an to ma e t eas er to ter. ter t w e t s st ot an t n -- t w t c en up qu te a t as t cools. But I don’t want to make it too thin -- I can a ways a a t more turpent ne w en m rea y to app y t to t e e.
nce t e nstrument s t oroug y sea e aga nst urt er sta n ng y t e co ore varn s , t ecomes t e canvas upon w c can pa nt to ac eve t e c aracter st c appearance t at am oo ng or. e ar am er varn s a one can g ve a very n ce r c n s , ut n or er to ave a tt e more c o ce an contro o t e co or, an to ac eve t n a t nner varn s m, art sts p gments may e dded in very small quantities to alter its character. I give it just a touch of additional red...... and to r c en an ar en t -- to g ve t a t o mystery an ept -- a nt o ue. ne or two extreme y t n p gmente coats are app e , c ec ng an a ter ng t e co or, an per aps a ng a rop o o or turpent ne to t e varn s to e p w t t e rus ng.
t s mportant at t s stage not to try to ac eve t e na resu t a at once, ut to eep n m n ow t e su sequent coats w c ange, ar en, an enr c t e co or. t s mportant not to et t get too ar so t at t e c ar ty o t e eaut u y gure woo s o scure -- t e p gments s ou e use on y to nudge the color very slightly. It is also important to look at the work in all different kinds of light -rect an n rect sun g t, as we as un er ncan escant an ourescent u s -- as t e co or w vary ramat ca y un er erent g t ng con t ons. ese n t a p gmente coats are t en o owe y a coup e o coats o ust t e ar varn s unt get a n ce r c ut me ow co or ng to t e nstrument.
roug out t s stage of the finishing, I like to shade t e co or on w t g g ts an s a ows -- not to “ant que t e nstrument, ut to g ve a tt e more v sua nterest. e r c y co ore varn s s eaut u , ut a so want to et t e eauty o t e woo gra n s ow t roug un nere .
The belly has been sealed ga nst a sor ng t e co ore arn s , ut t e gra n texture e t n t e sur ace a ows t e varn s to co ect a ong t e ree nes, emp as z ng t s c aracter o t e woo . ma e an e ort to app y on y a very t n ut strong y co ore coat o arn s to t e top to ma nta n t e surface texture but also so as not to ampen ts acoust ca response. ter rus ng t e varn s on qu c y, ru t nto t e gra n us ng my ngers an t e s e o my an .
ter t e p gmente coats, app y severa coats o t e unp gmente ar am er varn s to t e areas w ere want t e n s to appear r c an ar . e g g te areas at t s po nt are st are ut or t e sea er coat. g ve t p enty o t me to ry -- many pro ems w t varn s ng can e avo e y eav ng a equate ry ng t me etween coats. at ence s a must. a ter ave ac eve t e ept o co or I want, I give it just a very light rubbing with fine sandpaper just to knock off any little dust nibs that ave accumu ate , an t en am rea y or t e n s ng top coats. e na coats w e a g t an c ear arn s t at w serve to protect t e co or coats ave u t up, an w g ve a tt e more o y to t e t n n s so t at can g ve t a na smoot ng an ru own w t out rea ng t roug t e un er y ng co ore ayer.
ere w use a varn s ma e rom ew ea an aur res n coo e n nsee o . s s a t so ter t an t e am er res n, an oes not requ re t e same g temperature to me t t. tw sso ve nto t e ot nsee o w t out t e pre m nary us ng t at was necessary to me t t e am er, an so t will make a much lighter colored varn s or my top coat. w use a g er proport on o o n t s varn s , o servng t e pa nter s ru e o “ at over ean .
While the varnish is ry ng, t s t me to t n a out ma ng t e tt ngs or t s v o n. or t e tr a run, t was ust set up w t an o set o pegs an ta p ece, ut a n ce nstrument s ou e ns e o wt wt a persona set o tt ngs to su t t. n t s case, w ma e a matc e set (pegs, chinrest, tailpiece) of raz an rosewoo .
e peg an s are se ecte rom some goo stra g t gra ne rosewoo . emporary aces are g ue onto t e blanks to make for easier turning with ess c atter on t e at e. e pegs are rst turne , t en t e temporary ers re remove an t e aces s ape or a om orta e ee an gr p or t e t um .
e ta p ece s ma e rom t e same raz an rosewood, but I’ll use a piece with a t more gure n t or v sua nterest.
w persona ze t a t w t a sma carv ng o a coup e o map e eaves.
e n s e ta p ece.
e c nrest s carve
rom t e same woo as t e ta p ece.
After a light buffng w t wax, t e tt ngs re n s e an rea y or t e v o n. e p ps on t e n s o e pegs an t e ret t t e ea ng e ge o t e ta p ece are ma e rom a p ece o osage orange t at oun n my scrap p e.
evera coats o c ear arn s ave een app e to t e v o n, an amp e t me s a owe or ry ng. t s now ru e own w t ne pum ce and olive oil to smooth over any rus mar s an ust n s, an to noc own t e g g oss o t e raw varn s to a so ter g ow. e top s ust ru e g t y w t t e pum ce an o us ng a so t toot rus to eave as muc o t e sur ace texture as can.
n now comes t e moment t at a t s as een ea ng up to. e new pegs are tte an t e sa e g ue n p ace..... ta p ece an c nrest.... a ew m nor a ustments -- an a set o str ngs. e ow s rawn...... e tone s r g t an cr sp t an s no ou t n arge part to t e g t st spruce o t e e y yet u , r c an power u . t as a qu c easy response, s ng ng g notes an gutsy ower en . ut e a new orn, t w e a tt e s a y on ts eet unt everyt ng sett es n to t s new equ r um. rom ereon, t s ou ust get etter -- t w mature, me ow, an open up as t e varn s cures, t e woo ages, an t e structure adapts to the new forces and stresses that it is subject to. But it’s a pleasure even now only a few ours o . trong, me ow, t ng, an sweet -- e a s p o goo s ng e ma t w s ey, w t w c t n w ce e rate..... Here are a few pictures of he finished instrument:
