{"id":1408,"date":"2024-07-29T06:29:45","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T05:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.performanceware.com.br\/?p=1408"},"modified":"2024-12-11T04:36:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T04:36:30","slug":"some-random-thoughts-on-woodworking-violin-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riccardo964.techster.uk\/index.php\/2024\/07\/29\/some-random-thoughts-on-woodworking-violin-making\/","title":{"rendered":"Some random thoughts on woodworking & violin making"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As you embark in this journey I thought on making some (useful?) remarks on the art of violin making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine, you, used to screw up cheap pine, now having the opportunity of screwing expensive tone wood too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I joke, of course!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindfulness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One thing that attracts me to violin making is to focus on the present moment<\/strong>, slow down, and (really) think<\/strong> on whatever task at hand. Rushing into anything will only make things worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Preparedness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before embarking on instrument making or tool making, please, prepare<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have the materials? Glue is fresh? Are all tools involved duly sharpened? Do you have time to (really) think about the process and tasks at hand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also makes me remember of puttering<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That’s almost a lost art, and it also means to pleasantly occupying yourself with inane things<\/em>. In organisations, sometimes it happens that someone goes on leave or is made redundant and other simple things start to act in disarray. Most likely you let the invisible putterer<\/em> go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also, it makes me prepare<\/strong>: sharpening<\/em> tools, reasoning<\/em> about the task in hand, and most importantly: feeling proud<\/em> of my achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick note on sharpening<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Learn when<\/strong> to stop obsessing about sharpening<\/em> though: do you need a secondary bevel? Do you need a new jig? Diamond or stone? Is it sharpen enough? Must I sharpen my rasps?.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Microscopic view of a violin making 10mm Gouge Chisel showing the multiple bevels required for making a strad-like instrument and become rich overnight.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Woodworking or Violin Making?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Consider the following quote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When I made a cello with my son a professional violin maker specialising in cello making asked me why we chose the cello as a first instrument, commenting on how beautiful the instrument was. I asked him why and he answered, \u201cBecause it is the most difficult instrument of all to make.” My answer to him though was, \u201cWe didn\u2019t know we couldn\u2019t make one so we made it.\u201d<\/strong> You see, to me, violin making is total woodworking with the presumption of the job description. Tell someone you are a carpenter and the hearer just goes, \u201cOh.\u201d Say you are a violin maker and they go, \u201cOh, wow!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul Sellers, commenting on this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yes, revered O’Meister Paul – you can’t be more right<\/mark>: “violin making is total woodworking.” <\/strong><\/em>Of course, the lore, the mystique<\/em>, the narratives, all that crap (pardon my French), are but attempts to make violin makers sit on the realm of god-like creatures, when in essence, they are woodworkers. I digress.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Main (nature-based) ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s rather incredible that one can make a violin out of only wood and animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Isn’t it amazing that only nature based items can produce something that generates beautiful sounds?<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Animal (hide) glue’s major characteristic is to be reversible<\/em>, ie, one can repair a violin without ever breaking its constituent parts.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Of course a lot of those items are not sustainable, vis-\u00e0-vis Ebony wood (used in pegs, tailpiece, chinrest, and fingerboard), ivory, etc. There are companies thriving on attempting to substitute those items with quality replacements. One example is Sonowood<\/a> (Switzerland).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to go down this rabbit hole<\/em>, visit Vegan Violin’s website<\/a>. The maker’s glue is made out of wild berries and local spring water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other glues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I don’t know much about wild berry glue<\/em> (will “research” a bit more about it – this is one starting point<\/a>), however, one can make glue using this list of ingredients (YT video link<\/a>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n