Once the turning was one, I began shaping the blocks with a file and a card scraper. I varnished the piece using black lacquer (for the finishing) and an oil-resin varnish that I then buffed.
Category Archives: Processing steps
To craft the tuning pegs, several types of wood can be used: ebony, rosewood, boxwood, pear wood and jujube wood. I used wild pear wood, since it is harder than the common variety of pear tree. I then used a manual lathe and different gouges to shape the pieces.
Today we have many high-precision instruments that speed up the various stages of work, but the old luthiers of the past, like the most famous Amati, Guarneri, Stradivari, managed anyway to create the splendid instruments that we still admire today. Fascinated by their history, after various researches I managed to build various tools that I … Continue reading Ancient tools for violin, viola and cello crafting
The card scraper is an essential tool for a luthier and it has to be always well sharped. For this step, having to carve the scroll of the violin, I shaped the card scraper very carefully to enter the scroll cavity and began working on it with great care.
The making of the ribs (made from the same wood as the bottom) requires great attention, especially if the wood is of a so-called “curly” quality, prone to breaking. Having prepared the ribs a little wider than the required size, I started working by fixing them with a clamp on the workbench, to then bring … Continue reading Manufacturing a copy of Stradivari’s Cremonese: the ribs