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The Making of a Bergonzi violin 1 preparing the mould and blocks | 2 The Rib Garland | 3 Linings I'm now making the Viotti model violin alongside the Bergonzi. I thought it would be better to do things twice while I'm at it - but I'm not so sure really. The rib garlands are now complete on both - and the linings are glued in on the face that glues to the back plate. This is the face where I levelled the blocks to the glass plate - which makes it easy to mark the ribs and trim to just proud of the final edge. The lings and ribs are then trimmed to the line - and the whole mould/rib assembly flatted on a sanding board. This is a quick an easy way to get the ribs level. Even if you bow the rib face - as often is done on the belly, one can sand the whole thing to a shallow curve. Despite being both made from Scottish sycamore from the same region and the same supplier - these woods, from different seasons felling behaved very differently. The Bergonzi ribs bent well on the hot iron. Both were taken from block form, so I could check the run out - yet the Viotti ribs were the worst I've done for a while. It was very deeply figured, but just seemed not to want to bend and I had to resort ot more damping than I ever do. Sods law of course - I had only just enough for the viotti of the same wood ! I just made it - splitting the centre rib 'just' past the corner.
The linings are willow - I'm currently using English red willow ( well its a red colour ) but don't have a great deal left. The last lot I had was too heavy and hard. Ok maybe for blocks - but I tried some for linings and it was just not like willow at all. Willow is light, and very flexible and springy. You only have to work a bit of willow to realise why they make cricket bats from it ! Unforntunately - most of the cricket bat makers are so ' stuck in their own little world' that if you approach them for willow they seem to choose to ignore you ! Amazingly - most British cricket bats are made in India. They send all their willow blanks there - they make the bats and send them back - so they can stick a label on them ! Now though - the preservative they use for treating the willow is being benned - and nothing else woks - so they're stuffed. Of course - they could actually make the bats, but then they would not make huge profits, just normal ones ! So I generally buy my willow from friendly European suppliers - who have a real interest int heir products ! Apart from 'withies' - for basket making - actual willow in timber form has virtually no use apart form musical instrument linings and bats ! It does not even burn very well. It hates power tools - clogs up all the saws ! But its a joy to plane and work by hand. Essentially I could now finish the belly side - levelling the ribs to their final heights and completing the other set of linings. Or - I can have a break form them and get on with the back plate. I now have the finished surface for glueing to the back - so can mark out the plate outline. This is marked around with a sharp hard pencil - using a small washer of the right size, with the pencil in the middle as a spacer, to give a line approx 3mm over rib edge. In reality - is difficult to get the right washer. Ideally 2.5mm would be right - leaving a bit of line on. I get used to what I use. The Bergonzi back is one piece - so just needs flattening plane on the inside face. The viotti needs preparing for the back join. On this piece it needs to be done carefully - as I have little height spare mid plate - and I have to wing the lower edges, so must make sure I have the spare offcuts long enough for the wings. This was common on old instruments, on both backs and fronts. |
