Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 It needs purfling and pieces of the belly replaced. The white patch where the bridge sits is some kind of, white paint or something. Should I remove the white stuff? I think I might take the machine pegs off and replace them with violin pegs. This is because the machine pegs are hard to turn. Or, maybe I can fix them. I think I will need put a viola button in it. I looked inside but can't find a makers mark. It does have repair label from 1927.
Wood Butcher Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 I'd guess, based on the abysmal state of it, the white areas are going to be some kind of filler, possibly plaster of Paris, wall filler, or car body filler. Hope it was free!
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 It was cheap! I need get that filler off and see what kind of damage is there. I don't think it's body filler, seems kind of soft. If it's messed up bad under the filler, I think I can patch it with thin strips of spruce and hide glue? You should see it after I repair it. I think I can remove that with a chisel and mallet.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 Oh it gets worse, the neck looks like it's in wrong placement on it. I think I might have break it free.
Spelman Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 Horrific...seriously one of the most effed up violins I've ever seen
Brian in Texas Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 Granted I'm a beginning maker, so my opinions should be weighted appropriately. The bad news is that it's so far gone that any attempts to resurrect it would require years of expertise and a Herculean effort, neither of which are warranted in this case. It's toast. The good news is that it would be impossible to devalue the instrument further. Therefore, I say feel free to practice repairing it. Just don't ever expect it to sound decent or be worth anything.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 The neck, it needs to be fixed don't it. Look at what it looks like under the filler. I used a 1/8" chisel and slowly scraped it away. Some varnish come off with it.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 1 hour ago, Brian in Texas said: It's toast. Toast is good with some cinnamon or jelly! I think it had so much string pressure on it, that it caved in the belly. But, I think it can be fixed with some thine spruce glued in. Then, carving away at it make it flush with arch.
Evan Smith Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 At first, I thought this would be a good candidate for a hole cut out inbetween the sound holes and a mirror placed there. Then it could be all painted pink, with a hello Kitty sticker on it and put back in eBay. You could start a trend and make a fortune Then I thought about those poor guys in med school and how hard they work, you know the dead ones, the cadavers, and you know, I thought this is a cadaver, and the rest of its life is being used to learn on, to be cut up, dissected, inspected and glued back together again. You can tell that it’s played the Tchaikovsky,Mendelssohn, Brahms, Beethoven, you can just feel it in your bones. What a better way to end a life, in dignity and for a good cause.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 There is MOOOORE about it. I looked in the button hole, and looked at the belly. It has had wood glued to the bottom of it. On the bass side there is a dowel rod running across the belly, it covers a crack that is in the f hole there. Then, there is some awful looking wood under a sound post crack. The placement of the sound post, is on top of this very poor wood, and there is a dent in it, right there. You can see the sound post sunk into the wood right there. I will have to remove the top and remove those pieces. That wood dowel on the bass side on the f-hole, I don't think it is needed. That wood sheeting on the crack on the sound post, I don't think it's needed either. But, maybe I need to put a repair right there, but not in the place of the sound post? I remember reading here on maestronet, that you have to put cleats on that. But what I am seeing is not cleats, it's some very poor work. Looking at the neck block, it looks like it had some kind of strange plastic glue on it. When I remove the top I can see this better. the bass bar looks good. That is why I looked inside.
Evan Smith Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 Should you get your car repaired? it’s totally your call, did it belong to your grandfather?
Foldejal Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 1 hour ago, Steelbeatinviolin said: Toast is good with some cinnamon or jelly! I think it had so much string pressure on it, that it caved in the belly. But, I think it can be fixed with some thine spruce glued in. Then, carving away at it make it flush with arch. I am really jealous of your free time. Wish I have only a fraction of it.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 I got the top off, but messed things up on it. but never mind that, look at the repairs under it. Also, there is no neck block. Explains to me why the neck is wrong. I will have to try and carfully get those ripped pieces off the neck, and glue them back to the belly.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 I still think it can be saved, with some chopping and cutting, little bit of welding I can put it back on the road.
GeorgeH Posted June 13 Report Posted June 13 24 minutes ago, Evan Smith said: it’s totally your call, did it belong to your grandfather? How did you know? He won it in a card game in a submarine launching drones off the coast of Switzerland during WW I.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 The violin smells like a cigar. Why do they always smell like cigars?
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 @Foldejal I am attempting to turn the antique violin repair into a part-time business. So far I have two violins at Tarisio Auction house.
Steelbeatinviolin Posted June 13 Author Report Posted June 13 I was able to get that wood that was hot glued to the belly off. The glue is some kind of, thermal glue. I was able to melt thru it with a hot chisel. But there is much damage and glue all over it. I am scared to remove the bass bar, because I think it was put on with the thermal glue. My next goal, is to glue the belly back together from it having broken and split.
Brad Dorsey Posted June 14 Report Posted June 14 What do I think about it? I think you should restore it and enter it in a violin competition.
FiddleDoug Posted June 14 Report Posted June 14 6 hours ago, Steelbeatinviolin said: I got the top off, but messed things up on it. but never mind that, look at the repairs under it. Also, there is no neck block. Explains to me why the neck is wrong. I will have to try and carfully get those ripped pieces off the neck, and glue them back to the belly. The good thing is that you can't make it any more worthless. That's what's called a through-neck violin. No upper block, and if the neck angle is wrong, it takes a lot of skilled rebuilding to make it correct. A word of advise- Don't ever work on any kind of decent violin. The chances of you screwing it up, at this stage of your lack of knowledge and skill, is just too high.
Foldejal Posted June 14 Report Posted June 14 5 hours ago, Brad Dorsey said: What do I think about it? I think you should restore it and enter it into a violin competition. I think the easiest way will be to put it back on the road, as OP wrote. Put it back on the road, and wait for a car.
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