MikeC's bench

[MikeC]

I made a short video of trimming the block to final length.   My video making skilz need some work.  

 

[MikeC]

making the tail block.  Neck block is the same process so I won't bother videoing that one. 

 

 

 

[MikeC]

Thinning the ribs to final thickness. 

 

 

[MikeC]

[ernym]

 I haven't been able to work on any violins for awhile so it's nice to watch video's of other builders at the bench. I like your thicknessing gauge. I would clamp it to the bench so it doesn't move around while marking the ribs for final thickness. Looks like your old block plane is working well. What type of steel is the iron? Keep posting the vid's please!

[MikeC]

Thanks E!

Yes you're right I need a way to clamp the thickness thing, what's it called in Italian, il tatto ?   Actually I tried clamping it in the vise but that didn't work so I edited out that part of the video.    The one in the Strad museum has two cutouts for clamps.  I need to do something like that.  

What kind of steel?  I have no idea.     It's an old plane my brother gave me,  was probably dad's before that.  There were two blades and I cut grooves in one of them to make it a toothed blade.  I used a dremel with cutoff wheel to cut the grooves. 

My plan is to video the entire process from start to finish but I need a better camera.  I've been using an iphone and it has some limitations. 

I also need to do some kind of introduction video but I'm camera shy, but I'll do one sometime soon.   

[MikeC]

Here's a closeup of the block plane and blades.  I don't know what the hole is for in one blade.  That's the one that I cut teeth into.  I have no idea what would have made all those horizontal marks on the surface of that blade.  I can't imagine that's from the manufacturing process but maybe it is.  ? 

 

[MikeC]

Just a short video today.  Gluing the corner blocks and end blocks to the form.  I didn't want to go to the effort of cranking up a glue pot for this so I used modern glue,  it's only temporary and won't be part of the finished instrument so it should be allowed for this purpose.  

 

 

 

[ernym]

20 hours ago, MikeC said:

Here's a closeup of the block plane and blades.  I don't know what the hole is for in one blade.  That's the one that I cut teeth into.  I have no idea what would have made all those horizontal marks on the surface of that blade.  I can't imagine that's from the manufacturing process but maybe it is.  ? 

Nice old Stanley, 9-1/2? 

I have an early 9-1/2, 1800's I think.  I still use it for initial stock removal but replaced the original blade. Not sure why that hole is in your blade.

[ernym]

I use liquid hide glue when gluing blocks to the form if I don't feel like making hot glue because it can be washed off. Tite bond may require some sanding to clean up. Nice form! 

[MikeC]

yeah liquid hide would be better.  I had some but it was way to old and through it out.   I like your plane!  much better than mine.   

[ernym]

32 minutes ago, MikeC said:

 I like your plane!  much better than mine.   

I rarely use it but it's a cool collectable piece. First PM-V11 blade I've tried and it seems pretty good. 

[Evan Smith]

On 12/11/2023 at 3:03 PM, charliemaine said:

 I haven't been able to work on any violins for awhile so it's nice to watch video's of other builders at the bench.

Boy I hear that.

My nose hurts, my ass hurts, my navel hurts, my nuts hurt, I would love to make a fiddle,, but so much work.

6 mos ago I shattered my femur next to the hip joint, doing tricks on roller skates, couldn't help myself, before I knew it, it was over.

Last time I saw you, you shulda kicked my ass and straightened me up, what a mess I got myself into,

Watch en these builder threads is inspiring to say the least.

Yo E

[Evan Smith]

Things are lookin good Mike.

[MikeC]

.

 

 

[MikeC]

40 minutes ago, Evan Smith said:

Boy I hear that.

My nose hurts, my ass hurts, my navel hurts, my nuts hurt, I would love to make a fiddle,, but so much work.

6 mos ago I shattered my femur next to the hip joint, doing tricks on roller skates, couldn't help myself, before I knew it, it was over.

Last time I saw you, you shulda kicked my ass and straightened me up, what a mess I got myself into,

Watch en these builder threads is inspiring to say the least.

Yo E

39 minutes ago, Evan Smith said:

Things are lookin good Mike.

Thanks Evan!

Sounds like you had a bad break there.  I hope everything heals and you can get back to normal.

I've never been on roller skates but I like to go fast on a machine that can kill me lol.  Hopefully I won't be crashing my motorcycle any time soon.   My dad used to say everything that don't hurt, itches.  and now that I'm 62  I know what he meant by that.  

I'm just getting over Covid for the second time.  It was fatal,  but I got better.      fatal for the virus I mean.  The virus did not survive.   

 

[ernym]

3 hours ago, Evan Smith said:

Yo E

Yo Evan, OUCH!...You'll heal up and get back to the bench, I have no doubt.

[Matthew_Graesch]

On 10/26/2023 at 8:50 PM, MikeC said:

I'm going to try a varnish experiment.  I have some rosin dissolving in turpentine, then I'll mix linseed oil with it.  No cooking just a cold mix.  I don't know how that will turn out,  but I'll test it on some scrap wood.  

 

Also I'm making end block and corner block templates for Strad's P form,  copied from the CT scan on the Titian poster.   I used some horse/rabbit sauce on this and like the contrast with no loss of chatoyancy.  

 

How did the turp/rosin/oil unheated varnish turn out?  I tried it once and it didn't dry well despite looking nice....curious how yours did.

Thanks

Matt

[MikeC]

8 hours ago, Matthew_Graesch said:

How did the turp/rosin/oil unheated varnish turn out?  I tried it once and it didn't dry well despite looking nice....curious how yours did.

Thanks

Matt

Hi Matt,  

I had the same experience.  It doesn't dry well although it looks nice.   When it comes time to varnish this next violin, I'll make some varnish the usual way by heating the rosin and oil.   

[MikeC]

 

 

 

With holidays and cold weather and an unheated shop, I haven't been doing much.  But the weather was nice yesterday so I shaped the end blocks.   I'm not very good at making videos yet.  The iphone doesn't like to focus on closeups.  

 

 

 

[MikeC]

Bending C bout ribs.  Rather than a proper bending iron, I use an iron pipe and a torch, and an old leather belt for the strap.  

 

[MikeC]

[MikeC]

A new addition to the shop.   I saw this on fleabay and liked the shape of it so I saved a picture and thought I can make one of these but after hem hawing for a while I decided what the heck, I'll buy it.  

The metal parts were very rusty but I soaked them in Evapo Rust and it works great! 

 

[Andreas Preuss]

6 hours ago, MikeC said:

A new addition to the shop.   I saw this on fleabay and liked the shape of it so I saved a picture and thought I can make one of these but after hem hawing for a while I decided what the heck, I'll buy it.  

The metal parts were very rusty but I soaked them in Evapo Rust and it works great! 

 

Sorry to ask, what is the purpose of this device? Just curious.

[Wood Butcher]

It looks like a homemade router plane.