spring 2020

This is some unprecedented spring. Luckily violin making can be done from the home. I'm scattering in the occasional dawn walk to see some green and hear the birds.
I've carefully tuned my violin plates to the thicknesses I think are optimal for these particular pieces of wood, and finished the edge work on the two back plates. They can now be glued to the ribs.

In the background you can see two plaster casts leaning up against the wall. They are casts of the front and back of the two new violins I am working on, so that I can keep a record of the arching shape, and remember how they looked and if I want to change anything or keep it the same when I make the next violin. These casts are negatives. When I have a moment later on I will make another set of casts from these negatives, so that I end up with positives again.
In the foreground the back and ribs of one violin are clamped up to be glued.

In the mean time the fronts have also progressed. The f-holes and thickness are done and bass bars have been fitted.

I've also been thinking about the varnish for these two violins. Last summer's varnish course in Dinan was very inspiring and I've built up a collection of varnish samples. It's starting to look like an obsession.

And I've had a plaster casting session, making positive casts from the negatives mentioned at the top of this page: