Woltz's Violin/Fiddle Build

I'll get started properly on this once I've got the bulk of the woodwork out of the way on the Rick and Strat builds. But I thought I'd start the diary anyway. If there is interest in the process I'll aim to take plenty of photos to show everything step by step. It'll be a lot of work with hand tools rather than power tools.

Here's the main resource I'll be referring to and the plan for the building form. This plan is based on a Stradivarius but I also have a plan for a Guarneri.

https://i.imgur.com/c3wqYQx.jpg

Interesting.

Oh my...

* gets popcorn *

Looking forward to this immensely

Will be following with interest.

My hat's off to you. I shied away from building a simple wooden box!

Much Respect Woltz! My overarching ambition is to build an acoustic and an arch top in the distant future. The VERY distant future at the rate things are going.

Cheers everyone. I'm still getting sorted with materials and some of the tools I need.

But I started on the templates for the form.

Left is a del Gesu 1734 form. Right is a modified Strad form. Haven't decided which I will use yet so I'm in the middle of doing the template for both.

https://i.imgur.com/SiK3ENG.jpg?1

I've been doing more research and have added another plan for consideration. Here is the outline for the Strad Messiah

https://i.imgur.com/5oG9fUh.jpg

I have no real preference from a body shape perspective. Although I like the sound of Guarneri Violins. The main consideration for me is neck length given that I have large hands. Here is the comparison (Guarneri on left, Strad Messiah in middle, modified Strad from Ossman book on right):

https://i.imgur.com/8OE5hMX.jpg

I also stopped by Thor's Hammer and found a quarter sawn piece of Douglas Fir which I grabbed three sections out of. Here is one of the sections so you can see what they looked like.

https://i.imgur.com/DymnsBm.jpg

Doesn't look too good but here are the boards I was able to get out of the other two pieces after I avoided the runout, most of the nail holes and most of the splits. The discolouration in the top right, couple nail holes and couple minor cracks left I should be able to work around when I rough cut the shape and then do the carve.

https://i.imgur.com/OMCCBdK.jpg

And here is a piece of queen ebony I got pretty cheap ($15) that I'll aim to use for the fingerboard.

https://i.imgur.com/PMQzjw4.jpg

I was hoping to use the Southern Silky Oak I have here for the back and sides but it isn't dry enough yet so I need to do some shopping for back, sides and neck timber.

Decision made! Strad Messiah it is.

Here are the cleaned up templates.

https://i.imgur.com/Te8YoOH.jpg

And I've marked out the form on the plywood. Ready to cut out.

https://i.imgur.com/74goZFL.jpg

And I've been getting the tools I need. Finger planes, purfling marker, scrapers, dog leg chisel and I modified a heap of pegs to use as clamps for the linings. I've also grabbed a little slow cooker to use to heat my hide glue, I'll take a photo of the set up when I do the first lot of gluing.

https://i.imgur.com/GYX2lcn.jpg?1

I have tool envy.

Ah the finger planes, a purchase I have dithered over for a number of years....kudos sir.

What's the plywood shape for? You already have some templates, so is it another template or is it for bending things around?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blinddrew

I have tool envy.

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Haha I'm about to buy a couple more tools as well. It's a bit of an outlay now but I'm hoping to make a few violins and I don't know what access to power tools I'll have over the next couple years so trying to make sure I have the tools to do them completely by hand.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

Ah the finger planes, a purchase I have dithered over for a number of years....kudos sir.

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I admit, I cheated here a bit. I purchased a cheap chinese set off eBay. Time will tell whether I should've just sucked it up and bought the ibex ones or something similar.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

What's the plywood shape for? You already have some templates, so is it another template or is it for bending things around?

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The plywood shape will be the form (inside mould). 6 blocks of wood are temporarily glued to it, then the ribs are bent and glued to the blocks of wood. Then the lining (basically the same as kerfing just without the relief cuts) is glued to one edge of the ribs. Then the plywood form is removed. Then lining is glued to the other edge, then the top and back can be glued on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woltz

I admit, I cheated here a bit. I purchased a cheap chinese set off eBay. Time will tell whether I should've just sucked it up and bought the ibex ones or something similar.
.

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Would mind sharing your cheat link?😁

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

Would mind sharing your cheat link?[emoji16]

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Haha mate they are just one of the sets available on ebay for around $110 - 120. I'll let you know what they are like when I start using them. They are much cheaper than the ibex stuff which is around $170 - 190 for just one.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woltz

Haha mate they are just one of the sets available on ebay for around $110 - 120. I'll let you know what they are like when I start using them. They are much cheaper than the ibex stuff which is around $170 - 190 for just one.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

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I just spent my tool budget on a baritone neck.😭 finger planes will have to wait.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

I just spent my tool budget on a baritone neck.😭 finger planes will have to wait.....

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I know the pain. There is always something that I "need". haha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

I just spent my tool budget on a baritone neck.😭 finger planes will have to wait.....

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Where did you get the neck from? Be aware that there are baritone necks, which need a suitable body to match, and conversion baritone necks, which are longer overall and will convert a standard guitar e.g.a Strat into a baritone. The PBG baritone necks were true baritone necks, normally with 21 or 22 frets, but were generally being bought as if they were conversion necks (which generally need 23 or 24 frets to accommodate the extra neck length required to take up all the extended scale length), with a subsequent inability to be intonated as the bridge was in the wrong place. I pointed this out to Adam after there were a few complaints during builds, and I think they got removed from sale. What was worrying was the number of people who bough one and didn't complain. They can't all have made custom baritone bodies for them!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

Where did you get the neck from? Be aware that there are baritone necks, which need a suitable body to match, and conversion baritone necks, which are longer overall and will convert a standard guitar e.g.a Strat into a baritone. The PBG baritone necks were true baritone necks, normally with 21 or 22 frets, but were generally being bought as if they were conversion necks (which generally need 23 or 24 frets to accommodate the extra neck length required to take up all the extended scale length), with a subsequent inability to be intonated as the bridge was in the wrong place. I pointed this out to Adam after there were a few complaints during builds, and I think they got removed from sale. What was worrying was the number of people who bough one and didn't complain. They can't all have made custom baritone bodies for them!

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I wasn’t actually aware of that Simon, so I probably should have checked first. Thank you for pointing it out.
However, being the FrankenLab, it really doesn’t make a huge difference either way. I will see what turns up and plan accordingly. There are a number of body blanks lurking behind Igor’s specimen jars so it shouldn’t be an issue. 😁🤔

I've cut out the mould. I just need to sand a bit and clean up the edges.

https://i.imgur.com/niZXyWo.jpg

I've just started making a practice neck out of some cheap pine to practice the carving.

https://i.imgur.com/p0m461I.jpg

And here are most of the timbers.

I decided to go ahead and use the Southern Silky Oak for the Back and the Ribs. The Fingerboard will be Queen Ebony. And the Front/Belly is Douglas Fir.

https://i.imgur.com/Pp7hjGm.jpg

The next steps are to cut out some corner blocks, plane and scrape the ribs down to the correct thickness and glue up the pieces for the top and the pieces for the back.

Ok so the piece of Queen Ebony I have isn't quite the right size so I ordered and have received an ebony fingerboard. I've also received the pegs, bridge, tailpiece and end pin.

I don't know about the you all but I always feel like time passes so quickly and I realise that I've not been finding time for the builds.

Anyway here is an update.

I have cleaned up the form and then glued the corner blocks to the form. Next step is to do a quick sand to make sure all of the blocks are level, then I need to chisel the shape in the blocks (you can see my pencil markings). Once that is done I can finish thicknessing the ribs and then bend and glue the ribs to the corner blocks.

https://i.imgur.com/xf567DB.jpg

The screws in the form are to raise it slightly off the bench when gluing the corner blocks. This just gives me the option of choosing from two different methods of construction as I move forwards.

https://i.imgur.com/61LxkTX.jpg

This weekend I'm aiming to glue the piece for the top and back together as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woltz

I don't know about the you all but I always feel like time passes so quickly and I realise that I've not been finding time for the builds.

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We are singing from the same song book my friend...

Well I've barely been getting any time to work on any of the builds in the last couple of months. But today I got the chance to do some work on the Violin.

I shaped the corner and end blocks.

https://i.imgur.com/TrfhnGM.jpg

And then I bent the ribs.

C bout ribs bent.

https://i.imgur.com/kJeC3MJ.jpg

Bottom rib bent and test clamped.

https://i.imgur.com/MMgGqoF.jpg

Top rib bent and test clamped.

https://i.imgur.com/sSwYl19.jpg

Ready for glue up.

https://i.imgur.com/EibMkvz.jpg

If anyone is interested in my home rib bending setup then let me know and I can take a photo of it.



Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

Hi Woltz, it is looking good, and I would love to see the bending setup.
Regards Trevor

Mmmmmmmmmmm... riiiiiiiiiiiibssssss...

Sincerely,
Homer J Simpson

Looks good Woltz. Always interested in seeing DIY jigs of any kind, but I'm afraid I will live my violin building experience vicariously through you if you don't mind.

I presume you play said instrument?

Sterling work there Woltz, I too would like to see the bending apparatus. The more I look at this thread the more the itch to pull out my archtop plans starts to burn!

well this is proper lutherin!
I am in awe of your skills Sir!

So good Woltz.

One expects to see Strats here rather than Strads ;-) Pretty amazing build.

Thanks everyone for the kind words, I'm definitely no pro I'm just taking my time and following any guidance I can find from books and the internet.

McCreed I started learning 6 months ago (and I'm already better at Violin than I am at guitar haha).

As requested here is the rib bending jig.

https://i.imgur.com/ekKsODs.jpg

Before using it the first time I cranked up the heat to burn some of the galvanising off so I wasn't exposed to fumes when working.

Frankenwashie I want to do a 335 copy or PRS Hollow Body copy as well. But I have my scratch Tele to repaint, the Strat to sand and clear coat, this Violin to work on and I'm embarking shortly on making a Maloof style rocking chair so who knows when I will get time haha.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woltz

Frankenwashie I want to do a 335 copy or PRS Hollow Body copy as well. But I have my scratch Tele to repaint, the Strat to sand and clear coat, this Violin to work on and I'm embarking shortly on making a Maloof style rocking chair so who knows when I will get time haha.

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It’s a good thing The FrankenLab doesn’t have a massive backlog of projects to get through eh? 🤔🤯

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

It’s a good thing The FrankenLab doesn’t have a massive backlog of projects to get through eh? [emoji848][emoji2962]

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Haha we seem to suffer from the same affliction.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

First two ribs glued

https://i.imgur.com/k4ZdBzc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Am1bus7.jpg

And some pictures of my cheaper glue pot setup so I don't have to buy the ridiculously expensive glue pot from Stew Mac.

https://i.imgur.com/7tnfbaa.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/q1Q4u7f.jpg

I'm using the Behlen Hide Glue.

Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

It may not be pretty, but I’m sure it works just fine.
Necessity, Mother of invention etc etc. Love it!

I look at what you are doing and I’m in awe. I would never even attempt something like this.

Other ribs glued.

https://i.imgur.com/gTTombB.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HNyQMyh.jpg

Next step is to reduce the height of the ribs a bit and clean up the overhang at the corner blocks.

Then I will start work on the Belly and Back.

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Very nice work, sir.

Very cool Woltz.
I guess I could just wait and watch but, how does the neck get fixed?
Is there some kind of centre block that gets put in at the neck end?

Wonderful work Woltz, very meticulous.