SUMMMer 2020

Now we are at the end of summer already and measures to deal with the corona virus are still present everywhere in daily life. But luckily things seem to be loosening up again. Here and there even the odd live concert is taking place again (moment of writing end of August). The violinmakers' workshop in the Royal Academy in London is still closed. I'm looking forward to it opening again. Till that time I am working from home on my own two currently in progress violins, and also spent a few weeks in the workshop of Philip Brown Violins in Newbury to help out when the shops opened again at the end of June. Working in isolation can be a blessing for violinmakers and I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to work in the quiet with all my attention on making violins. But it was also a celebratory occasion to be able to get out of my workshop and learn to talk again with colleagues in Newbury. 

I've now closed the bodies of the two violins. The fronts are glued to the ribs as are the backs. It's now time to shape the edge work of the fronts, which I left square till after gluing, so as not to dent the soft spruce with the closing clamps.

The bodies are now ready to be completed with the scroll. First I make a start with the neck shaping, as it is more difficult to do this when it is attached to the body.

Then I cut the mortice in the body and keep adjusting it till the neck fits it with the right projection and angles.

The button on the back is still square, and the neck needs more shaping. With a compass I draw on the shape of the button and with a knife I do most of the shaping of the button and the heel.

The violins are now finished in the white. In the mean time I have been continuing with my varnish samples.