Tim McTigue

I just read This Article in my local paper, and came here figuring there'd be a discussion about it already. True it is, and the article does discuss some of the reasons. It does seem to be a paradigm-shift kind of thing, at least as far as the writer is concerned. I'm sure the auction will be much discussed here...

Looks a bit like my workbench after I use the Wagner Safe-T-Planer...

A humble Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from me, and I'll also echo Catnip's thoughts. I hope to get off my lazy butt and get back in the workshop very soon...

Wow, John, that's fantabulous! Love the colour!

I ordered the CD/DVD last Christmas when I first saw it mentioned here at MN (can't remember by whom), and I'm very glad I did! The music is on my iPod, and is among my most-listened to music. And I've watched the DVD a number of times - you don't get tired of this stuff!

Not to mention, the topic "The Violin" is impossibly broad. On a hunch, I went to Wikipedia and searched on "Stradivari", and found topics on the man himself (biography), his violins, links to articles on Amati, Guarneri and others, and much information besides. I think that's the preferred approach to something so vast - articles on the sub-topics.

Brewed a batch of beer today - an American Pale Ale (think Sierra Nevada). That's my main house beer. I'm just now sampling the first bottle of a stout I brewed about 3 weeks ago - pretty good, if I do say so myself. I also build and fly model airplanes - Control Line (U-control), not radio control. I brought my #1 to the airplane club meeting a couple weeks ago, and they were some impressed. I also write and record my own music (main instrument - guitar, classically trained) when time allows. Oh, and I also have a full-time job, plus married with 3 kids. I don't have much time for sleeping...

I really don't think you want to reduce ribstock from 3mm to 1mm by using a scraper alone. It would be very slow, and your hands will take a beating. And you'd want to stop frequently to re-set the hook or re-sharpen the scraper. I use a toothed plane initially, on both sides, followed by a few swipes from a regular plane (SHARP, to take down the grooves left by the toothed plane a bit), followed by the scraper. Doesn't take too long.

She can compete for it again if she wants to. The article mentions another artist who chose not to re-up, he's gotten a loan for $150,000 to get a Testore...

Thanks, Andres! Those images can be found linked from this page.

Read this in the Toronto Star today, and felt it would be of interest to this community. There's a cool video highlighting one of the luthiers in the shop where restorations are being made on several valuable instruments, the use of which, for 3 years, is soon to be won by several young and promising musicians. Pretty cool stuff! The luthier in the video restored a 1715 Montagnana violin. Toronto Star article on Canada Council's triennial contest

Nice one, catnip! Can't wait to see more/better pics (back shots?). Love the pegs.

Funny you should ask, as I did give this some thought during the past two years as I was working on the first. Notice I don't say "my violin", I acknowledge that it is only the first. Yes, I think I am hooked, but I think I got hooked a way long time ago. I think it may have something to do with a day when I was in, I think, fourth grade, or maybe third, and the teachers brought us into a classroom one day, and there were violins, violas and cellos there, and they said we could learn to play if we wanted, but our parents had to give permission. Not sure why. But my parents felt I was too young, and maybe they were right, but I think I've carried that disappointment since then, and perhaps a fascination with the violin itself. I forgot all about this, however, until about 14 years ago, during a period of unemployment, for some reason the thought struck me that it might be fun to make a musical instrument. Being unemployed (and having more time than money), I went to the library to see what I could find. I read a few books on making instruments, some of which offered very basic information for the light hobbyist, and then I read Heron-Allen's book. That crystalized my thinking, and I then spent the next 10 years or so thinking about it every so often, and picking up a tool here and there, until finally in 2007, I decided "Time to put up or shut up." Anyone here with the time to search can fill in the rest of the story, so far...

I truly envy those who have (or have had) access to the great violins, even for a short time. Truth be told, before I made my #1, I hadn't even seen a real violin up close more than a few times. Of particular inspiration to me are the splendid photos posted here by other makers, particularly those in the just-starting-out phase - it shows what's possible!