Violin Forum/Message Board

[John Cadd]

An awkward ,delicate job is making openings in the corner blocks to hold the linings . To simplify this I used a small Chinese drill which is about half the size of a Dremel . I used a 1.5 mm drill which does most of the work without needing any pressure . Very narrow chisels need some kind of equal and opposite support on a garland which might not like the pressure or leverage . The pocket shape can be drawn on the block. Straight down drilling to a set depth is easy . Then angled drilling loosens the fibres enough for the thin knife blade to widen the slot. After the knife the drill is good for cleaning out the bottom of the pocket . The combination reduces physical strain on the garland . The drill is used very lightly and zig zag movements clean it all out . The drill works without any sideways pressure and for cleaning out the fibres it`s at it`s lowest power setting . That saved me stabbing my finger (again ) with a purfling chisel tool .

[catbrain]

do you drill in sideways at the bottom of the imaginary pocket -- and then cut upwards from the hole with an exacto tip ? (to forn a rectangular box/void) ?

Or- are you drilling down from above---- ?

I would think the former would be easier- in that the blocks cut very easily going up and down-

[John Cadd]

The drill I used has the bit poking out 7mm --- to avoid getting too deep .The end of the drill body would be obstructed by the ribs . So I drill downwards first , Then tilt the drill to chew away wood left between the holes already made. That has made it easy for a sharp thin knife to shape the hole . But knives are not any good for picking out the loose fibres .That`s the next job for the drill again .It all puts very little force on a garland .