Brian Timmons's Bench

[Shunyata]

Great work, Brian.  My first violin wood was sourced from Home Depot… and it looked like a Hope Depot violin.  Yours looks very respectable!

Since I know you have the disease now, I wanted share part of my learning journey.  I was fixated on getting the scroll volute right.  Professional violins always looked so delicate and mine did not.  (Mine also had serious symmetry defects… yours is great!)

You might want to try a few things with yours…

In your photo you can see that your flats are relatively… flat.  Making them U-shaped, especially in the final tight turns, creates a huge difference in look.

Cut the volute deeper, especially in the first 90-180 degrees winding off the throat.  Taking this material out really lightens the look of the very tip of the scroll.

As you work your way around the scroll, carefully monitor the height of the verticals and make sure you have smooth transitions in volute depth.  Davide Sora’s plans give you good targets.

Finally, don’t try to do it all in one go.  Make a first pass all the way through to get the general, balanced shape.  Then a second pass to refine the shape with the ideas I have mentioned.

[Davide Sora]

While we're at it, remove those sharp edges from the edges of the nut. They should end at zero with the fingerboard, with no visible corners and, above all, no sharp corners that can be felt by touch. The players will appreciate it.

 

 

[Evan Smith]

Fiddle sounds pretty good for a 'Lunatic', how soon is the viola gonna be done.

Now you've started something and Billions await with baited breath, or maybe garlic breath.

No pressure here!

[Brian in Texas]

On 7/4/2025 at 11:00 AM, Shunyata said:

Great work, Brian.  My first violin wood was sourced from Home Depot… and it looked like a Hope Depot violin.  Yours looks very respectable!

Thanks! I appreciate all the scroll related advice, it's much needed.

[Brian in Texas]

On 7/4/2025 at 11:29 AM, Davide Sora said:

While we're at it, remove those sharp edges from the edges of the nut. They should end at zero with the fingerboard, with no visible corners and, above all, no sharp corners that can be felt by touch. The players will appreciate it.

Thank you for the feedback! This is exactly the sort of detail that I need to improve.

[Brian in Texas]

On 7/4/2025 at 5:55 PM, Evan Smith said:

Fiddle sounds pretty good for a 'Lunatic', how soon is the viola gonna be done.

Now you've started something and Billions await with baited breath, or maybe garlic breath.

No pressure here!

Thank you! The viola is still a good ways off from being done. I've done some refining to the outer archings of the back. Yesterday I went out to the shop to make myself a viola cradle so I can begin hollowing out the inside face.

[Brian in Texas]

Carving the outside of the back plate is done, now it's time to hollow out the inside. Who needs a gym membership?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-R4hTNg1Lpk

I know that the buffing wheel isn't exactly the most optimal way to finish the edge, but someone told me that I'm actually losing sharpness by doing so, which makes sense now that I think about it. I need to invest in a 12,000 grit stone, but they're about $100.

[eliseveldt]

sharpning on a buffing wheel for the higher grits is what teachers tought at the woodworking school in the netherlands so i think its a good way but you need a bit more of a stiffer wheel for it to work well.

[Brian in Texas]

28 minutes ago, eliseveldt said:

sharpning on a buffing wheel for the higher grits is what teachers tought at the woodworking school in the netherlands so i think its a good way but you need a bit more of a stiffer wheel for it to work well.

Like a dedicated leather stropping wheel, perhaps? Or would that be a slight downgrade from just buying a 12,000 grit stone?

[eliseveldt]

11 hours ago, Brian in Texas said:

Like a dedicated leather stropping wheel, perhaps? Or would that be a slight downgrade from just buying a 12,000 grit stone?

here where i live there are difrent grades of hardness or density in the wheels but its just cotton. im not sure about leather never used it

[Vincent C]

On 7/14/2025 at 6:34 AM, Brian in Texas said:

Carving the outside of the back plate is done, now it's time to hollow out the inside. Who needs a gym membership?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-R4hTNg1Lpk

I know that the buffing wheel isn't exactly the most optimal way to finish the edge, but someone told me that I'm actually losing sharpness by doing so, which makes sense now that I think about it. I need to invest in a 12,000 grit stone, but they're about $100.

If interested, I can recommend the Naniwa Gouken Kagayaki 12000 stone in 

the 10mm thickness which is available on Amzn for about $43.  Fairly good

feedback, and will get tools very sharp.  It does like to warp a bit, but it's

manageable.  Good stone.

[Brian in Texas]

17 hours ago, Vincent C said:

If interested, I can recommend the Naniwa Gouken Kagayaki 12000 stone in 

the 10mm thickness which is available on Amzn for about $43.  Fairly good

feedback, and will get tools very sharp.  It does like to warp a bit, but it's

manageable.  Good stone.

I ended up buying a 12,000 grit Shapton glass stone. Thank you for the recommendation, though.

[MikeC]

I just got a suehiro cerax combination stone,  1000 and 6000 

[Jay Higgs]

Howdy from San Antonio, Brian.  1-2 years ago, a guitar luthier friend told me "you have to try diamond dust on MDF for sharpening."  This just didn't sound very precise to me, so I put it off.  Then I tried it; dang! I thought I was pretty good at sharpening before that.  Attached is a pic of what I use.  The syringes contain the diamond in a thick liquid, and it goes such a long way that I still haven't used much of it yet.  I finish with stropping; note if you press too hard stropping or use a soft buffing wheel, you are actually dulling the edge because the deformity creeps up on it.  Contact me if you are in San Antonio at some point; it would be great to have you come by my shop.  jayluthier1@gmail.com

[Brian in Texas]

12 minutes ago, Jay Higgs said:

Contact me if you are in San Antonio at some point; it would be great to have you come by my shop. 

Thank you for the invitation! The same goes for you should you ever find yourself in the DFW area.

I have family in Austin that I normally visit for Thanksgiving. San Antonio is just a hop, skip, and a jump away (at least as far as distances in Texas are concerned). Perhaps I could make a detour sometime.

[Brian in Texas]

Work continues (slowly) on hollowing the back plate. The really basic info in this video won't be a revelation to anyone on MaestroNet, but I aim my videos at a more general audience that isn't familiar with the intricacies of woodworking and luthiery.

@Jay Higgs In other news, my quest to find a willing teacher nearby looks to have taken an extremely promising turn.

Yesterday morning I messaged a local guy that sells really nice violins on Facebook Marketplace to see if I could get his dealer’s evaluation on my work (since I’ve already gotten some player feedback). He said that he’s going to be moving away shortly, but said I should hit up this local maker, Ivan.

I messaged Ivan shortly after, asking if I could pick his brain and learn a few things sometime. We talked for a while, and he invited me over to visit this Sunday, at which point he gave me his address, and I was stunned.

So it turns out that there’s this violinmaker living within walking distance, like three streets over from me. I had no idea! He's just not on the same forums as I am, apparently. Really nice guy so far, and he does INSANE work. If I have a chance to learn anything at all from this gentleman, I'll be a very lucky guy.

His website: https://www.bonevviolins.com/gallery/violins

Again, the pictures here are not my work.

[Pluto Vermin]

Haha.  That's a great break for you.  It looks like he engages in some flights of fancy, but with good craftsmanship.  

I can't complain about the sound of this one for sale either!  Good find.

 

[Brian in Texas]

I met with Ivan yesterday at his home shop, and he's a really nice gentleman. He's also self taught, but with over 60 instruments under his belt. I showed off my violin #1, and in his Bulgarian accent he asked, "Are you ok with criticism?" To which I said, "Please, rip me to shreds. I need to know what to improve on and how."

And sure enough, violin #1 was politely critiqued to hell and back. I knew there were a lot of things wrong with it, but he picked up on a lot of details that I overlooked. He said the neck will need to be reset, as it's too high. He did compliment me on the arching of the back plate and the cleanliness of the center joints of my plates, saying that's one area where he still struggles.

With everything wrong with my violin, it wasn't a good day for my ego. But that's not why I went over to see him. I was hoping for a detailed takedown of what I need to work on, and that I received. Overall, he said that my first violin was still better looking than his first. 

I also brought along the viola I'm working on, which is currently just a rib garland and a half-completed back plate. This was also thoroughly critiqued, and I got a lot of useful tips that I can use going forward. There are areas where my curves really don't flow around the edges just right (see attached pic #1 to see my clumsy work). Part of this is due to me basing my mold around tracing a photo of a Strad from Tarisio's website. The other part is due to me cutting my purfling channel by hand, and my hand is rather unpracticed.

He's a big proponent of the accuracy to be had with metal templates, which I will try on my next instrument. He also likes using a Dremel to cut the bulk of the purfling channel, doing the corners by hand. The result is very clean.

The rest of the pics are Ivan's work. His personal scroll model (2,3) is really intriguing. It's very captivating to my eye. He's also a fan of compound bass bars (4), saying that all of his recent instruments feature these, and that there's a marked improvement in sound compared to his earlier instruments. Apparently it allows more of the top plate to move efficiently. I don't know enough to weigh in on that approach, but it may ruffle the feathers of some traditionalists. The Viking ship scroll (5,6) left me speechless. And his inlay work (7) is really inspiring, as well.

We left off with him saying that anytime I hit a wall or I feel lost, to drop him a line and we can work it out together. I said, "Well, I feel lost most of the time, so hopefully you won't get tired of having me around." He's definitely going to be an invaluable resource to have around as a beginning maker fumbling my way around in the dark. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity to learn.

[Will Turner]

From a fellow newbie maker, Great job on the center joins!   That's high praise from a maker with 60 instruments under their belt.

That compound bass bar is intriguing.   While perhaps not "traditional", at the same time I do feel it is also traditional in the sense that the old masters experimented in their designs as well.   Antonio Stradivari may have started with instruments close to the Amati designs but had his own unique "Stradivarius" designs that impacted the industry significantly.    Then there is Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù' who started with patterns that were closer to Stradivari's at the start and then evolved into his own.

That purfling inlay work, so incredible!   Ivan is a talented maker, I would love to develop that ability over the decades. 

I'm less than a 45 minute drive from Jackson Maberry @JacksonMaberry, I need to build up the courage to contact him about a visit for some constructive criticism and guidance if he has the time and is willing.    Still balance a career, so it might be a couple months before I can do that. 

I have received great advice and some feedback here on Maestronet, including you, like most human beings I crave the "atta boy!" but know that I also need the "here's the areas you really need to focus on".    I look forward to your next instruments based on the great feedback and your clearly talented skills in woodworking will produce.

 

[Brian in Texas]

Some good news and some bad news.

The good: Got a chance to try a new handmade cello last night.

Remember how I mentioned meeting up with Ivan Bonev, the violinmaker that lives three streets over from me? This was our second meeting at his home.

This time, a maker friend of his just recently finished making a cello and was wanting to hear how it sounds. The other maker, Chuck Conti, is the gentleman pictured here with his wife. Ivan is behind the camera. The cello sounds good! But be glad there isn’t video, as I am woefully out of practice.

It was a fantastic evening with music, Thai food, talking shop as makers, and a copious amount of drinks. Good times! I’m grateful for having met such a skilled maker that’s so forthcoming with advice and know-how.

And now the bad: Having shown Ivan my viola in progress, he’s of the opinion that I should completely start over from scratch.

The overall outline of the ribs, and accordingly, the plates seem to be rather wonky and unbalanced looking. This is due to my inexperience, and working from a photo from Tarisio’s site and not an actual quality poster / template.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but I appreciate his choice to give an honest assessment instead of uncritical encouragement. As a beginning maker, that kind of blunt honesty is exactly what I need in a teacher.

[Brian in Texas]

On 9/26/2025 at 9:42 AM, Will Turner said:

I look forward to your next instruments based on the great feedback and your clearly talented skills in woodworking will produce.

Thank you, Will.

[Brian in Texas]

I'm having to completely start over on this viola. Instead of poplar, I just procured a one piece willow back that I'll be using on this. I'm over the disappointment of having to start all over, and now I'm back to being excited for it. The best sounding cello I ever played had a willow back, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it sounds with a viola.

On Saturday I'm planning to visit with Chuck Conti, who made the cello I just tried out. He has lots of viola plans and templates, so that I can borrow one for my project. Once the plans are in hand, Ivan Bonev, who lives in my neighborhood, will help me start plotting out the mold.

Yeah, I could be mad or bitter about having to start over, but I know that with Ivan's help, this viola will be so much better than I'd be capable of making it on my own. I'm very grateful to have met such an experienced maker that is so giving with his time and expertise.

[eliseveldt]

2 hours ago, Brian in Texas said:

I'm having to completely start over on this viola. Instead of poplar, I just procured a one piece willow back that I'll be using on this. I'm over the disappointment of having to start all over, and now I'm back to being excited for it. The best sounding cello I ever played had a willow back, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it sounds with a viola.

On Saturday I'm planning to visit with Chuck Conti, who made the cello I just tried out. He has lots of viola plans and templates, so that I can borrow one for my project. Once the plans are in hand, Ivan Bonev, who lives in my neighborhood, will help me start plotting out the mold.

Yeah, I could be mad or bitter about having to start over, but I know that with Ivan's help, this viola will be so much better than I'd be capable of making it on my own. I'm very grateful to have met such an experienced maker that is so giving with his time and expertise.

really cool. ill be following. where do you. get such a piece of willow. most pieces i can find are not as usable.

[Brian in Texas]

48 minutes ago, eliseveldt said:

really cool. ill be following. where do you. get such a piece of willow. most pieces i can find are not as usable.

Ivan had it sitting in his wood pile and offered it up. According to the sticker on the ribs (which is admittedly hard to read in the photo), he originally got it from https://www.oldworldtonewood.com/. Although perusing this site, it seems that willow items are presently out of stock.

[Matthew_Graesch]

On 9/29/2025 at 12:47 PM, Brian in Texas said:

Ivan had it sitting in his wood pile and offered it up. According to the sticker on the ribs (which is admittedly hard to read in the photo), he originally got it from https://www.oldworldtonewood.com/. Although perusing this site, it seems that willow items are presently out of stock.

I used to order from them regularly, but you're right, they do indeed seem to be slowing down lately.

Interested to see what you think of the willow.  I recently got a very large piece of willow that will be used for the next 20 years of corner and end blocks, plus hopefully a viola or small cello.