Davide Sora's bench

[Davide Sora]

Eventually, I decided to join the Contemporary Maker's Gallery forum community, challenging David Burgess' concerns about copies and fakes, which is indeed real ones and I too sadly found several of my fakes violins and violas around. But since I'm going to mostly use the videos that I still put on my Youtube channel to show what happens on my workbench, the risk of providing inspiration to the fakers will certainly not increase, so here I am.

Of course I will post the new videos that I will shoot, for those interested in seeing the ones I have already done I suggest using the index on my site, because they are really a lot and on the Youtube channel there is a limitation to the number of those shown on the page, the oldest are no longer shown even if they are still present and can be viewed by searching for them in the Playlist section.

This is the link to the video index, clicking on the titles in red will open the corresponding video: https://davidesora.altervista.org/videos/

This is the video that contains the instructions to get there from the home page of my Youtube channel and how to use the index: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hadIStJtKps

I would like to remind you that each video has the English translation of the texts and captions, which can be found by opening the description page below the video by clicking "show more" on PCs or by clicking the small arrow on the right of the video title on mobile phones.

[MikeC]

Good to see you here Davide.  You have inspired me to make videos.  I have not made any yet, perhaps this summer when I start on the next one.   

[Davide Sora]

Here is my last effort, adapting the tuning pegs, the first step in starting the violin set-up.

This is the video that shows the entire operation in a condensed version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPwNEr_2wwA                                                                       

All the videos titled "...from start to finish" are condensed versions, for those who do not have the patience or the need to go into more detail. You will not find these videos in the general index on my site, which is dedicated only to the detailed ones.

 

Here are the detailed ones:

1 – Violin pegs fitting – Part one – Finishing the taper of the shaft

2 – Violin pegs fitting – Part two – Reaming the holes in the pegbox

3 – Violin pegs fitting – part three – Cutting the length and finishing of the head

4 – Violin pegs fitting – part four – Holes for the string

5 – Violin pegs fitting – part five – Application of the peg paste

6 – Violin endpin fitting

 

Enjoy!

[ctanzio]

Davide, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Your videos are a fabulous resource.

[Davide Sora]

2 hours ago, ctanzio said:

Davide, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Your videos are a fabulous resource.

Thank you.

I also very much appreciate your contribution to the Maestronet forum, especially when it comes to complicated topics on acoustics, where my understanding often falters, and your posts often help.

[Thomas Coleman]

That's great news Davide.  Your work is very inspiring to me and I have really enjoyed your videos for several years now.

[Davide Sora]

2 hours ago, Thomas Coleman said:

That's great news Davide.  Your work is very inspiring to me and I have really enjoyed your videos for several years now.

Thanks Thomas.

I decided to post them here too to have an extra place where to answer any questions, receive criticism or simply have an exchange of views. Using the comments section of the videos is fine because they remain available to a greater number of people, but often there are limitations such as not being able to post images or increase the level of interaction as we can do in this forum.

[Davide Sora]

As a side note, I am still learning something from this forum too, such as this tip I got from @David Burgess post some time ago about colophony. I don't know if he apply it the same way, but that's the idea and it works fine for me:

https://youtu.be/sXJ0X5wtg9o?t=364

 

[David Stiles]

On 1/3/2022 at 10:33 PM, Davide Sora said:

Here are the detailed ones:

1 – Violin pegs fitting – Part one – Finishing the taper of the shaft

2 – Violin pegs fitting – Part two – Reaming the holes in the pegbox

3 – Violin pegs fitting – part three – Cutting the length and finishing of the head

4 – Violin pegs fitting – part four – Holes for the string

5 – Violin pegs fitting – part five – Application of the peg paste

6 – Violin endpin fitting

Great timing Davide, saw this as I was about to start my setup.  

Thanks for your generosity. 

[Davide Sora]

9 hours ago, David Stiles said:

Great timing Davide, saw this as I was about to start my setup.  

Thanks for your generosity. 

You're welcome!

Check that your shaper matches the reamer, it's the basic thing to get a good fit. This is not shown in the videos, I take it for granted.

[Steven Bollman]

Davide, your videos have been invaluable to me in guiding me through my first two violins. You have done such an amazing job of showing the step by step process of the many functions that go into making a violin. I honestly could not have succeeded with the same confidence without your videos and guidance in private messages. You are a mensch of the highest order and I salute you for your contribution and gift of sharing your experience. Thank you kindly, Steve.

[Andreas Preuss]

Davide, that’s really nice that you post your collected educational videos here. I won’t imagine the work you put in them.

I am sure they will serve a huge community of young makers as inspiration for clean and excellent workmanship. I have already recommended some young makers here in Japan to watch them and the greatest thing is that the pictures talk for themselves across all language barriers.
 

Mille Grazie! 

[Davide Sora]

Thanks @Steven Bollman and @Andreas Preuss for the appreciation.

In any case, I will never tire of specifying that what I show in my videos is just my own construction system, it does not pretend to be The Method. Those who want to try to follow it do so at their own risk.

The initial idea when I started making them was to show my clients how their instruments are made, making them as detailed as possible so that they can also be useful to anyone who wants to try building violins is somehow just a side effect. Although some of my colleagues do not appreciate these "revelations", I have always said to myself: why not? Basically, I don't think it's enough to see "how to do", the hardest obstacle is always putting passion and perseverance to learn and improve, and this is not for everyone. Those who have, I think deserve to get some help.

[Mike Atkins]

Your videos really help put information I've read about violin construction into perspective. The time and dedication and attention you give to every detail also helps encourage me to take my time and work carefully. Another thing that's obvious is how sharp your tools are, often I'll be working and don't stop to take those few all important minutes to renew the edges of my tools and that's usually when things start getting messy. Seeing your work really helps encourage me to do those little things that make all the difference no matter what I'm making. Particularly when I see the beautiful instruments that you make.

Very appreciative of your work and the time you've taken to offer it to others.

[Davide Sora]

Thanks @Mike Atkins , it's always nice to know that my way of working is inspiring for someone.

However, I realize that it is certainly also a source of slowdown in work, which for some professionals who have to deal with costs could be viewed in a negative way. But I also believe that in violin making it is always a matter of personal choices, whether they concern quality or price, to each his own...

[Peter K-G]

.

[Davide Sora]

My method of establishing the position of the centers of the violin pegs. Nothing revolutionary, just a system that works like any others (the good ones).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o4nlyaURtM

Probably the only thing different from the usual is the method for establishing the position of the A peg (a secret revealed), which I place using an arc tangent to the volute. Sounds sensible to me, but does anyone do it this way or am I the only one? Well, not that really matters...

[MikeC]

Why is there a greater distance between the E and D pegs, why not have all four pegs equal distance between them?  Not just on your violin but I see that is standard on all violins.   I'm just curious why they are spaced that way.  

[Don Noon]

1 hour ago, MikeC said:

Why is there a greater distance between the E and D pegs, why not have all four pegs equal distance between them?  Not just on your violin but I see that is standard on all violins.   I'm just curious why they are spaced that way.  

You want to maximize the space between G and D pegs on one side, and A and E on the other side so that there is room for your fingers for tuning.  That means putting the G&E and D&A pegs closer together.  It also looks nicer.

[Davide Sora]

2 hours ago, Don Noon said:

You want to maximize the space between G and D pegs on one side, and A and E on the other side so that there is room for your fingers for tuning.  That means putting the G&E and D&A pegs closer together.  It also looks nicer.

Exactly.

[MikeC]

Ok that makes sense. 

[Davide Sora]

Time to make some soundpost:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ise9gvrwTBQ&t=6s

For the soundpost I prefer to use spruce of medium density (from 0.40 to 0.42 g/cm3) with medium/fine grain, an excellent source of material are the cuttings left over from bassbars. In any case, the most important and I would say fundamental thing is to make sure that the grain is straight and that the direction of the fiber is arranged longitudinally, i.e. using split pieces, which is not always obvious in the pre-machined cylindrical soundpost sticks that can be found on the market.

[scordatura]

As usual Davide, your videos are so helpful to us. Ne plus ultra!

[Davide Sora]

22 hours ago, scordatura said:

As usual Davide, your videos are so helpful to us. Ne plus ultra!

Thanks, glad to be of some help, even when I show very simple and I would say intuitive techniques like this.

In this other video some more information about the simple fixtures I use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1TerpVX6A

 

[Advocatus Diaboli]

On 1/14/2022 at 3:46 PM, Davide Sora said:

My method of establishing the position of the centers of the violin pegs. Nothing revolutionary, just a system that works like any others (the good ones).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o4nlyaURtM

Probably the only thing different from the usual is the method for establishing the position of the A peg (a secret revealed), which I place using an arc tangent to the volute. Sounds sensible to me, but does anyone do it this way or am I the only one? Well, not that really matters...

Almost exactly how I do it!