Gary M

Thanks Davide. That looks like something to try. By the way, thank you for all the great YouTube videos that you post. I have learned a lot from them.

I did give it a try and was partially successful. The plane was nice and sharp, and I was able to get quite a thick slice but not as long as I would need to make a decent sized piece of purfling. The idea of an extra body or two to help pull on the plane seems like a good one now that I have tried it on my own. Right at this moment in my life taking time off to make some purfling is simply not going to happen. This morning I got some bad news about the crack in the back wall of my little basement shop that is going to put everything on hold for a while until I get it repaired. Thanks for the input though.

That is a good idea. I will try that this afternoon. Thanks.

Yes, but this messes up my timeline. I'm still in my "count them on one hand" violin phase. I always assumed that after I was done with the second or third hand maybe I would try a viola. I played viola in middle school and switching from violin drove me crazy enough to quit altogether and start playing the guitar so my relationship with violas is ambiguous. Still, it is going to take some time for this pile to dry out so maybe my timeline is still OK. Thanks for your input!

Thanks. I love that idea but unfortunately the longest piece is only 28 inches long. I had no idea cricket bats were made of Willow. Looking at Wikipedia it may be a different species though.

Thank you Davide. I wasn't aware that the bark was an attraction for woodworms. I'll see what I can come up with. I really can't use all of this material. I make one or two violins a year and maybe a couple of Ukuleles. Some of it is likely to end up as treads on a rebuilt staircase down at the beach.

Absolutely. I also need a place to stack it. It is very wet so it is going to take some time to dry. Thanks.

We needed a dead tree taken down at the lake house and, because I had just paid for a bundle of lining material, I asked the fellow who would be doing the work if he ever ran across any black willow. He said that He did all the time and since nobody wants it for woodworking or firewood (there are several nearby campgrounds) they just put it in the chipper to make mulch. He asked how much I needed and I told him, "just a chunk." He said that he'd be happy to cut off a piece and drop it by on the day he removed the tree, no additional charge. So, today they came by to remove the tree and this is what he left me. Maybe I should start making Bases. Anybody want some? Happy to share the wealth. Just stop by.

I have a question that this forum is uniquely positioned to possibly answer. Last year I posted a trip report here of my visit to the now closed Meyers and Halverson violin shop in Nashville, Michigan. Among the items I acquired from the current owner there were two mimeographed books, the second edition of the Hill and Hill, Antonio Stradivari, His Life and Work (1644 - 1737) and the first edition of The Violin-Makers of the GUARNERI FAMILY (1626-1762) Their life and work. I compared the text to the printed versions of the books, and it looks to be identical except that these are typed and copied. These books are in two hole punched binders. And my questions are simple, Why do these exist? Where might they have come from? I have some theories, but they are just that. Any ideas?

You might try MicroMark. They have all kinds of odd tools for model work.

Robert I sent you a private message in the Maestronet private message system.

I have a Foredom with the H.50 power chisel. It makes lots of chips in a real hurry. I use it mostly for roughing out stuff. If Stradivarius had one there would be a lot more of his instruments out there. The downside of the power chisel is the vibration. After a long session I can still feel it for a while. (I'm getting up there too) The rotary motion of burrs and sanders is much smoother but even they can vibrate a bit, particularly the rougher burrs. Also be prepared to deal with a sharpening issue. More wood cut in a shorter time means tools can dull faster than hand carving.

Hello Alan. Thank you very much for your post. I'd appreciate any input you might be able to offer. I have a great deal of information I was able to gather from the Internet and older published materials in research libraries but some of it needs additional citations and context. It is currently in Wiki format. With your permission I'd also like to take this off line. I'll send you some contact info in a private message on this site and we can go from there. Thank you again Gary M

We have been doing zoom meetings lately. On Feb 5th we had Maurizio Tadioli, violinmaker from Cremona, Italy who presented on two topics: Building a violin without a mold (“ghost form”) and Techniques for making decorated instruments. Pretty interesting stuff. You can get more info at https://michiganviolin.org/

Nothing Kiljoy about it for my part. It is what it is. You gave the OP an expert analysis. I'll go back and review my scroll notes when I head back north and refine my eye for scroll-work. I had a new insight. Can't speak for the OP but as far as I am concerned, All good.