scordatura

This is my point. I feel that with the right approach you CAN do what you want. It is all how you execute in the software. This is not rocket science (sorry Don) it is just another skill. For me and possibly others, time is the enemy here. I have so many irons in the fire that I have trouble getting it all done let alone striking while the iron is hot!

Agreed. I did not like the look of the top of the arch. The contour lines he created were too pinched in the center bout. The way he did the corner areas was also was concerning. In his defense, he said that he was trying to speed up the video. By the look of his videos, he also does other instruments. He may not be that knowledgeable with arching contours on a violin. I am in the process of developing a procedure. I think the way to do the outline and main cross arches is to use a function in Illustrator or Inkscape (freeware I believe) that "vectors" the bitmap. Fusion 360 does not have this vector draw feature. This should be much less tedious and a better outline if done correctly. Starting from a .tiff scan for instance is better than .jpg or .gif.

I am not sure I agree with this Don. If you can recreate the arch from the templates that exist for a given model, your "carving" is your ability to create the curves with the software. Granted there is a lot going on in a curving 3 dimensional space. I have worked quite a bit with Photoshop, Illustrator and a bit of Autocad and feel that it is definitely possible to get good long and cross arching. It will be a bit tedious to execute. It is carving with the software vs. the gouges and planes. The other way would be to carve (with hand tools) the top and back then probe (in high resolution) with the CNC/software. To me the real question is how to manipulate the arching for a given piece of wood that you are working with. I always remember what Luiz Bellini told me. He said that he was not too worried about thickness. For a given top or back he changed the arching rather than the thickness. This is where experience with understanding the wood and what you want to do with the model and sound come in. If you have a decent model, one could experiment with moving points in the software and go from there. I can say I am on the outside looking in with this problem (amateur).

Carl. This is awesome! It is really cool to see how he approaches the modeling process. Thanks

I have a question regarding gouge sharpening. I have read in some books that a very small micro bevel on the in-cannel side (inside) is desirable. It seems that most do not do that. Opinions? It seems as long as the inside is polished, adding another bevel is another variable that is hard to control. I also see that 15 degrees is mentioned frequently for gouges. I wonder if roughing gouges should be 25 degrees so the edge has more support. Does anyone use a different angle for scroll gouges or the gouge they use to cut the channel on the edge?

If you look in the left corner of the pic, there is a brush that attaches to the cutting assembly

Here is the evil machine I will be using to rough out parts. I will have pleanty of opportunity to individualize the final product (make mistakes) with the detail work.

Good idea Don. I have been using a pin router to do the same. There is not a lot of room in that area in some places.

Yes thanks to HoGo for contributing to the cause!

Interesting idea Fiddlemaker to use cams to hold the wood. For another approach, here is what Mike Molnar (hope Mike does not mind me posting his pic) does. The hold down tabs can be removed after the CNC does it's thing.

Very cool mando modeling. If you are into mandolins, you might be interested that my college roommate was Edgar Meyer. It was very cool to have Bela Fleck and others hang out in our apartment on occasion. Very interesting conversations and music making to say the least.

This is what conceptually I want to do. For me with the Kreisler model that I am pursuing, I have cross sections and long arches but no figure 8 topographical lines. I am trying to find the time to get in there and work the CAM software. One idea I have is to get my hands on the plaster cast of the top that Morel made that was at my last visit at the Library of Congress. I would live to make a positive mold of it. After that I would make arching corrections to create a symmetrical arch. That is if the cast did not incorporate arching correction. I saw it years ago and am a little foggy on the instrument that it was taken from. I think it was the Kreisler DG. Another route is to use the CAT scan images that I know exist and bring those data points into the CAM software.

You modeled with a probe from what I remember. Unless I am mistaken Don is talking about modeling by "drawing" In the fusion 360 software. This involves inputting contours and letting the software render the points in between. Easier said than done...

Weisshaar Violin Restoration Book

I would take a Strad or Guarneri plan (from the Strad magazine) and reduce it proportionally.