Monthly Archives: August 2019

2 posts

New Viola – part 2 (rough arching, purfling)

Instrument Making

On the violin family instruments, purfling is used to protect the edges from damage as well as to add another layer of elegance. Cleaning out the channel and fitting the purfling perfectly in the instrument plates is one of the most time-intensive tasks for me. I always breathe a sigh of relief when it’s been glued in.

I like to do some rough arching before I inlay the purfling. Here, the platform around the edges has already been leveled in preparation for the purfling channel.
The long arch is one of the most distinctive features of the da Salo instruments I’ve studied. This one is still in progress.
In order to see the arching, a dark room with a directional light makes all the difference.
The purfling channel has been cut, now just cleaning up the corners before fitting the purfling.
Corner closeup, about halfway done with the cleaning.
The purfling is “dry fitted” before gluing.
Purfling is glued in place! Now I wait until it dries before the next step.

View the next article here: New Viola – Part 3 (rough thicknessing, f-holes)

Starting a new viola – pt 1

Instrument Making

I’m getting started with a new viola build this summer. I’m using a slightly modified version of my previous viola, which was based on a Gasparo da Salo instrument. Here are the first few steps:

The first step in building a new instrument is joining two book-matched pieces for the top. Sometimes, it is also necessary to do this for the back when not using a one-piece back. This step requires incredible precision because the joint needs to be perfect. I use a long (and very heavy) jointer plane to get the job done.
Blocks are glued into the mold at the corners, top, and bottom. Those blocks are shaped and then the ribs are bent to fit perfectly around the mold and blocks. The bending iron (pictured on right) heats the wood so that it may be bent.
The outline of the instrument is traced on to the top and back plates.
After the rough shape has been cut out of the plates.

View the next article: New Viola – part 2 (rough arching, purfling)