Violin Forum/Message Board

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

The removal of top plates from instruments often leaves bits of spruce on the ribs and blocks where the wood gave way before the glue did.

It occured to me that makers of new work could size this edge area on the top plate with something, with the result that subsequently applied glue would hold enough to do the job, but not so much that the spruce would split away in subsequent repairs. Something like a Shellac size?

I'm only talking about that little track where rib/linings/blocks contact the plate.

Any merit in this type of thinking?

Best regards,

E

Michael Darnton · Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:46 am Post subject:

You're supposed to use glue that's about half-strength for this job, but I also brush a wash of very weak dewaxed shellac on the under edge. I mean one pass of shellac at 1:10 or 1:20 compared to normal. That's just enough to make the glue let go instead of the wood fibers when the joint breaks. As far as I know, I'm the only maker who does this, though I've mentioned it to a couple of friends, so maybe they do it also. I started doing it to facilitate top removals when I was doing bass bar experiments, and it worked so well, I watered it down a bit more and just kept doing it. Seams might open a little more often at first, but I glue them for free when it happens.
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actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

Makes lots of sense... I'm going to start doing it. Consider yourself on notice that you can no longer claim you're the only one!!!

MANFIO · Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:07 pm Post subject:

I remember of a German maker, perhaps Martin Schleske, who mentioned in his site that he used a veneer (perhaps maple) under the top in the glue contact area.
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jacobyfineviolins · Member Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 55 Location: Omaha, NE

Mr. Darnton, that's great!
Manfio, I tried craft paper with Sanghoon Lee at the Prier shop, because I got so fond of facing the bottom of my crack-closing towers with it.
It was a mess, and my fear that little bits of it would eventually buzz if they waved free of the gluing surface made me scrape it back out.
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MANFIO · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 7:04 am Post subject:

Interesting, but I would make it with wood, not craft paper. I will try Michael's idea too.
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Michael Darnton · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:10 am Post subject:

I think I saw somewhere that Schleske may have gone "on" to some strange thing involving replacing the edges of the top with a harder wood, up to the purfling, and probably farther in underneath--odd (odd things in the violin world are usually not considered good things) and a potential nightmare for the future restorer.
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MANFIO · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:24 am Post subject:

Ha!!! That was good!!!
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DonLeister · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:13 am Post subject:

I do the same thing as Michael with the thinned dewaxed shellac. I knew I read it on the web somewhere so now Michael gets credit.
It helps reduce the splintering when a top comes off, in my experiences at least. Same thing about seams, maybe a little more might open but not a big deal.

John Schmidt · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:33 pm Post subject: