Ron1
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Everything posted by Ron1
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I used an idea Seth mentioned in a previous thread- the blades in a set of feeler guages (the kind that fold into a handle) can be quickly ground into almost any configuration to suit a need at hand. You can even burnish a hook on them. BTW, I think a scraper with a burnished hook should be called a 'shaver' to more properly distinguish it from a 'scraper' without a hook. Ron.
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Michael- I'm going to have, I guess, the same type of glasses made by my eye doctor too. I had cataract (sp) surgery on one eye a few months ago, but having some problems getting both eyes to cooperate, so will wait 'til they get that cleared up. I thought the only thing they do is to change the focal length of the prescription lens, is that your understanding? My reading length is abt 14"-16" in my regular glasses, which is too far for some work. I asked him to make the focal length about 10". Ron.
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I'm guessing, but it seems to me that 'making it' as a maker requires many years of almost total committment- passing, for the most part, the repair end of the business. I would think most highly successful repair people are trained & have experience in making, but have chosen to pursue repairing- perhaps because it is a more stable and certain endeavor financially. And then, down the road, they find they have found their niche. Does this make sense?
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Michael, is the edge on the back of the violin posted on this thread "sharper" than usual (less rounded)? If so, what significance does this have, if any? Thanks, Ron.
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Seth- don't forget, though, you're going to have to lug that "no-shipping cost" piece of butcher-block across the country! Another alternative, for those who want a softwood top: I did a couple of tops with pine/fir sheets from Home Depot that come glued-up like butcher-block (not with end-grain up). It's cheap & easy, but needs to have some underlayment too, as it's only 3/4". BTW, everyone should know that you only apply VEGETABLE oil to buther-blocks. Ron.
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Thanks Andre- I'll go back & look again at (especially) the center bout cross archings. They are quite high- back 17.8 and belly 18.3. Now that I've read that the plates often bulge up over time too...
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I've made a couple of gouges from old chisels. To shape them, I first dressed an old grindstone to the desired curve (sweep), and used it to grind the underside of the chisel 2 inches or so up the shank. Then on a regular grindstone, I rounded the top of the chisel to match the sweep.
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Thanks, Manfio- if the corners on my template are accurate, should I still use a divider or compass to draw them on the blocks, instead of just tracing them from the template?
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Jeffrey & Andre- yes, I'm drawing the outline & archings on tracing paper first. I'm essentially duplicating one half of the outline (based on the back per Jeffrey's suggestion); and also duplicating one half of each arching diagram (using the highest-arched side). I don't see how the corners would be affected or changed doing this. Ron.
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When I click on a post (thread) that I haven't viewed before, if it has more than 1 page, it starts me out on the most recent page instead of at the beginning. It assumes I've seen the first page.???
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How about identifying the individuals in that motley crew?
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Yes Andre, I noticed my mistake re. the "Strad Poster"- I guess I was thinking Stradivari violin. All the drawings are "off" in that they show the distortions as you mention. The charted dimensions also reflect these differences. I'm "balancing" the outline, side to side, & also the archings. Am I doing the correct thing?
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I'm pretty sure Michael uses Chef Boyardee. (He's kind of a purist, you know)
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sorry, I forgot- it's a Pietro Guarneri 1704.
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Do I really want a violin to have different size Back & Belly? Ron
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No,it's the recent "freebie" from the Strad mag.(folded) So.. do I adjust the outline by eye & hand? Thanks, Jeffrey.
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All info incl on poster; dimensions on chart are "by caliper". Lower bout dimensions, for instance: Chart says, Belly 202.0, Back 203.5 Photos measure, Belly 206.5, Back 203.5 Diagrams measure, Belly 203.5, Back 203.5 Arching templates measure, Belly 201.8, Back 202.5
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I just acquired a poster w/photos, drawings, & dimensions, so will be making my first template. Problem is, neither the photos nor the drawings match the given dimensions (all 3 are different). I assume I should use the dimensions given, but how? Do I just "adjust" by eye & by hand? Thanks, Ron.
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An "upgrade" yes. Of course, I was speaking of repair labels.
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My 'contribution' was predicated on John's statement that Del Gesu was said (by Bachmann) to have used 'acorn wood' for some of the backs of violins he built. I'm now assuming that is not an accurate quote, and that Jacob's post stating that he "..always used exclusively acorn wood" is an accurate quote from the Bachmann book. This being the case, I officially withdraw my irrational logic.
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Apparently most makers put the labels in before the tops are glued on, but there seems to be a whole lot of non-makers, who install them through the f-hole.
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I see that "squirrel" in German is "eichhornchen", named after the oak tree "eiche". I would pronounce it "I' korn shen" - still alot like "acorn"... but a mistake in translating could be made here too.
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What is the German work for oak? I was only suggesting that it may be similar to other European (Norwegian being the one I'm aware of) words for oak. Do you know for a fact that "acorn wood" as used in the book was a 'translation gone haywire'? Or is that just your 'take' on it? Wouldn't it be strange for Bachmann, or anyone, to state that Del Gesu was said to have made SOME (my emphasis) backs of maple?
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"There is a lot of confusion about the names of woods. As someone said in another post "acorn wood could be a corruption of the latin "acer" or the German "ahorn" both signify maple." There are many similarities in languages- in Norway, a squirrel (because he lives in and on Ege, or Oak trees) is called an "Egern" which is pronounced almost exactly like "Acorn". I believe a reference to "Acorn wood" means oak wood. Ron.
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Not being able to find any mention of a maker by this name, I've about concluded my "Signor Lacona, Rome 1864" is a trade-named instrument. If anyone knows or has heard of the name, I would appreciate any info. "Rome" is spelled with an "e", which I presume would be an "a" (Roma) if it was really Italian. It doesn't appear to be that old, either. Ron.
