Instrument Making

Building a violin from start to finish

by |Published

A few photos of the process.

This is where it all begins.
Cutting out all the pieces.
After a bit of rough arching on the fronts of the plates
The purfling is inlaid by hand.
Blocks are glued into the mold which will provide support for the ribs.
The ribs are bent to shape and glued to the blocks. The basic scroll shape is cut out.
I like using a photograph on the scroll as I shape it.
I use a drill press to help me gauge the thickness of the plates as I carve them out.
One of the scariest moments for me is cutting out the ‘f’s
Back is glued to the ribs, and the bass bar is fitted to the top.
Closing everything up.
The neck needs to be fitted perfectly into the body mortice.
The neck is slimmed down into its final shape. Next step, varnishing!