robertdo Report post Posted February 24, 2011 what is the gray-blue paint on the inside of the ribs? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jerry Lynn Report post Posted February 24, 2011 what is the gray-blue paint on the inside of the ribs? it's a slurry of fiddle and case dust mixed with water that solidified as it dried. I had cleaned the back already. I'm saving adding any moisture to the ribs till I have couter forms made. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iburkard Report post Posted February 24, 2011 That's why I'm always very skeptical of supposed mineral ground use on the interior of instruments. So much crap settles inside that it's not funny. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DonLeister Report post Posted February 24, 2011 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken Pollard Report post Posted February 24, 2011 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iburkard Report post Posted February 24, 2011 So much wildlife in the shop! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Tseng Report post Posted February 24, 2011 I just strung up a new violin and , in few more days, it will be delivered to the customer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
difrangia Report post Posted February 25, 2011 My old German honey Da Salo copy & I have been killin' a few bridges over the past couple weeks. Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iburkard Report post Posted February 25, 2011 Interesting ivory (?) dowel inlay? The string grooves look really sharp and deep (E string). David... nice! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
actonern Report post Posted February 25, 2011 David Tseng: Is that tin foil inside your lamp reflector housing? If it is, what advantage does it provide? Best regards, E Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
difrangia Report post Posted February 25, 2011 Iburkard, Pre-ban ivory. There is pencil graphite in grooves that, I believe, makes the string look too deep. It's a work in progress. I'm going to lower the strings more to my liking. Reason why I positioned the inserts this low in the bridge. I've also made up a bridge for the same violin with tagua nut inserts. Thinking about a mammoth and maybe other materrials for the inserts. I'm probably tinkering with my old wore out ears more than the instrument, trying to see if I can discern the difference between different bridges on the same machine. This is about my eighth or tenth bridge (total). A scroungy beginner; I have a lot to learn. That's why I'm in here. Thanks for any feedback/advice. Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Tseng Report post Posted February 26, 2011 David Tseng: Is that tin foil inside your lamp reflector housing? If it is, what advantage does it provide? Best regards, E The aluminum foil is to reflect more light and heat out. The other big lamp (not shown) also has Al foil in the shade. I use this lamp to keep the wood warm while applying glue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Tucker Report post Posted February 26, 2011 Thinking about a mammoth and maybe other materrials for the inserts. I'm probably tinkering with my old wore out ears more than the instrument, trying to see if I can discern the difference between different bridges on the same machine. This is about my eighth or tenth bridge (total). A scroungy beginner; I have a lot to learn. That's why I'm in here. Thanks for any feedback/advice. Steve Steve, Very interesting. If you need a bit of mammoth, PM me. This reminds me a little bit of one of my routine meatball repairs (not that what you are doing is meatball) where the bridge is too low. Some of the violins I get in for repair are so cheap, that they do not even warrent a new low grade bridge, so occasionally I will use ebony squares and the square needle file in order to insert a hard platform under the string just to get them working... This $79 beauty (for the violin, case, and bow) had the E string laying on the fingerboard (when new) - five minutes tops for the repair. I don't like to even waste time thinking about how to go about doing these type of repairs, and so, I have some quick, cheap, routine repairs that are ready to go - like this one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Tucker Report post Posted February 26, 2011 I have some quick, cheap, routine repairs that are ready to go - like this one. I have noticed that at least the E string likes the ebony insert. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
difrangia Report post Posted February 26, 2011 ctviolin, That's an interesting quick-fix and it probably got a student playing at a reasonable cost, I suppose. A large part of the efficient repair of anything is the initial assesment of the most efficient fix for the existing problem. One cannot be justified in doing a heart transplant on a heartburn patient nor trying to treat an amputation by applying a band-aid. Thinking about what I just typed, I'm not certain that it fits or makes sense. At any rate, the ebony mini-block fix looks like a quick and appropriate fix for the instance that you described. Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Tucker Report post Posted February 26, 2011 ctviolin, That's an interesting quick-fix and it probably got a student playing at a reasonable cost, I suppose. A large part of the efficient repair of anything is the initial assesment of the most efficient fix for the existing problem. One cannot be justified in doing a heart transplant on a heartburn patient nor trying to treat an amputation by applying a band-aid. Thinking about what I just typed, I'm not certain that it fits or makes sense. At any rate, the ebony mini-block fix looks like a quick and appropriate fix for the instance that you described. Steve Correct. Anymore at least half of the school kids I get in the shop, are for repairs on under $100.00 online violin kits. Many families here are at the poverty level. I have a reputation with the teachers for repairing almost anything. It's both a good and a bad thing - some times I think I'm simply wasting time. Then again, some of the students come back for years for real repairs and rehairs, even past graduation, and a few have wound up buying one of my own instruments as an upgrade when they outgrow their student instrument. In a small town like Roswell, word gets around. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Tucker Report post Posted February 26, 2011 And, I'll be honest - money isn't everything - I love my work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Spencer Report post Posted February 26, 2011 Here's numbers 3, 4, and 5. I've been working on them for a while now bringing them along all at the same sequence to reinforce the making skills. Bellys have the bars installed and are essentially ready to go. The ribsets are done except for thinning the linings and final shaping of the blocks. I have 2 of the backs arched and the third one I'll go and start the arching as soon as I figure out how to upload the pics! How much fun can a guy have!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
actonern Report post Posted February 26, 2011 Hi Mike: After staring at Del Gesu instruments forever those corners on the Amati model look soooo long and elegant! (and the rib stock on that violin has the type of curl I love the most) Hope to see it varnished up... Best regards, Ernie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Tucker Report post Posted February 27, 2011 Here's numbers 3, 4, and 5. Mike, Nice. #'s 4&5 (the dark maple ones) are slab cut, right? What kind of maple are you using? Is it local? Under varnish that wood is going to look superb. I love that slab grain pattern. Are you thinking that you might have to color the bellies darker in order to match the maple, or are you going to go with a "contrasty" look? I've seen makers go either way. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnCockburn Report post Posted February 27, 2011 Here's numbers 3, 4, and 5. I've been working on them for a while now bringing them along all at the same sequence to reinforce the making skills. Bellys have the bars installed and are essentially ready to go. The ribsets are done except for thinning the linings and final shaping of the blocks. I have 2 of the backs arched and the third one I'll go and start the arching as soon as I figure out how to upload the pics! How much fun can a guy have!!! Posh bench! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Spencer Report post Posted February 28, 2011 Ernie, Those corners are long and I think I will shorten them up just a bit As I have a tiny bit of room for adjustment. I'm lovingly refering to this instrument as my mongrel as it has a bunch of different influences combined, hopefully they won't be to misplaced when combined into one instrument! Amati form, Del Gesu ish ffs and arching. Craig, It's some type of soft maple, sorry I can't tell you more than that. It was some figured wood we picked up years ago at the shop I work at that came from a hardwood seller in the East. the color was too dark for the project so it sat around for years. I got necks, ribs and backs for 3 and 4 from that one piece. The fronts for those two are sitka and engleman. 5 is red maple and red spruce from a Robert Crosby here in Vt. I'm not sure about the finish yet as I haven't done any tests to see how it will look. Thanks for starting this thread Craig! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mountain Luthier Report post Posted February 28, 2011 If you had knocked on my door 2pm Friday, you would have caught me "yellow handed". I had just mixed a batch of oil color glaze to apply by hand to my cello. I had applied egg white, gamboge and a thin coat of spirit varnish days before applying the color. A big yellow cello hangs in my workroom under UV lights. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salve Håkedal Report post Posted February 28, 2011 On my bench now.. David B. Youallknowwho will probably call it kinky, but I'm just trying to carve a cupids head! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Tucker Report post Posted February 28, 2011 On my bench now.. David B. Youallknowwho will probably call it kinky, but I'm just trying to carve a cupids head! Very nice. (Seems appropriate, it has been my overwhelming experience that cupid is often at least a bit kinky) On the bench today. As you can see progress is being made on the quilt back - today I hope to purfle it. Edgework, corner work and purfling have always been one of my weakest areas. Please feel free to point out the obvious errors this far. For me, this is better than usual. I could use some constructive criticism, as my edgework never looks anywhere near top notch. I’m going to use all wood purfling for the first time today, because I’m tired of the way fiber purfling “smears” when worked… Purfling groove a tad too close to the edge? Should I make the channel further in and treat the edge accordingly and ignore its proximity to the purfling? Thanks for looking. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
