Violin Forum/Message Board

Builtbynick · Junior Member Joined: 07 Oct 2012 Posts: 6

This will be my first attempt, after reading several books and doing research to make a violin, so please excuse my nievate. I drew an outline of the bottom plate of the violin I wish to copy and want to create a mold for that instrument. Common sense tells me that mold has to be a bit smaller so that the violin plate overlaps by...I would guess 3/32" to 1/8". My guess is that the procedure would be to make a copy of my violin plate outline and find the exact center of one of the corners and use that as the guide to draw it out by hand. Is this the usual way or is there a better procedure to accomplish this?

thank you
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Joseph Leahy · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:11 pm Post subject: Re: Making a mold

Builtbynick · Junior Member Joined: 07 Oct 2012 Posts: 6

Joseph Leahy · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:02 pm Post subject:

Michael Darnton · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:57 pm Post subject:

To work from an outline you need to draw a line inside the outline, 2.5mm (overhang) + 1mm (rib thickness) =3.5mm. Because things tend to grow, thanks to pencil line thickness, 4mm even is probably a good number to really use. Then at the corners you need to draw it all in with the real rib thicknesses and the length of the miter as it will actually be. If you do that, you'll see that corners that are simply measured in from the outline won't work, and get much longer than you intended, so you need to turn the curves inwards, stubbier a bit, to make the corners, and also remember that the margin on the corners is very slightly larger than on the rest of the violin. You can get the idea here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdarnton/5719675576/in/set-72157626719359016/
and here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdarnton/5719122885/in/set-72157626719359016/

This might be helpful, too: go to http://violinmag.com and look for the article on Stradivari corner blocks.
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Michael Darnton · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:37 pm Post subject:

It appears that I actually paid attention when I shot this picture. If you print it so that the back from the bottom to the right of the button is 354mm long or a bit smaller (not larger!), the widths will be correct also, and you can use it to make a mold.
http://www.frankalmond.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/lipinskitb-1.jpg

The head should be printed to 105.5mm long, and you can make a scroll template from that: http://www.frankalmond.com/?page_id=9
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Builtbynick · Junior Member Joined: 07 Oct 2012 Posts: 6

Thank you all for your valuable and much appreciated advice. I will begin my work and share my progress with you.

From time to time, I may ask for more advice as my project continues. I hope you can bear with me as this is my first violin.

Thanks again.
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Amateur violinist.
Woodworker, wood carver.

ctviolin · Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject:

fjodor · Member Joined: 28 Jan 2013 Posts: 60

Chet Bishop · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:08 pm Post subject:

Ah, Fjodor!

Whyja hafta show that? Smile

I have never come close to making a scroll that perfect. Now I'm gonna feel all inadequate.

Great work, Fjodor!
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pmccombs · Member Joined: 15 Jan 2013 Posts: 87 Location: Utah

fjodor · Member Joined: 28 Jan 2013 Posts: 60

Much thanks for the kind words!

I have a question regarding fluting on Stradivari scrolls.

http://www.kevinleeluthier.com/stradivari/Harrison_Scroll_4.jpg

If you look at this picture of the back of the Harrison stradivari from 1693;
the fluting looks quite shallow and seem to be cut with a small radius gouge, is this style something that is consistent with most strad scrolls or does it vary with different periods/models?

Michael Darnton · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:18 am Post subject:

Strad scrolls fluting is flattish in the middle, then curls a bit tighter towards the center spine and the bevels. The best way to do this is to use a smaller gouge for the curled areas and clear out between them with a flatter one, sort of in stages. Some people start with four lanes with a small gouge, and then clear out between each outer pair, but I work it all down together, switching gouges as needed.
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fjodor · Member Joined: 28 Jan 2013 Posts: 60

Thanks for the information. I tried to do something like that on this scroll so it seems like I was on the right "path" at least.

fjodor · Member Joined: 28 Jan 2013 Posts: 60

Builtbynick, since the thread went a bit off the original topic I want to post a link to a Strad article by John Dilworth, that I found helpful. It's about making a mold from a poster.

http://www.skyline-apa.com.au/Family/Violin/Stradposter.pdf[/url]