Violin Forum/Message Board

[BK]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone might have some advice about how to remove the top plate of the violin. Is there one particular technique that is preferred over others?

I purchased a "beater" violin to use as a diagram for making my first violin. It's a new Korean violin that does not have real purfling or a real finger board, so I didn't feel bad about dissecting it for educational purposes.

What I was told is to take an exacto knife, work the blade into the seams between the top plate and ribs and just kind of work the blade back and forth all the way around the violin until you have the top plate off. This worked alright for the most part, although I did find myself straying in certain areas and accidentally cutting the ribs here and there. It wasn't a great job on my part by any means, but I also think the original maker did not use hide glue and may have used some concoction of super glue or gorilla glue to seal the top plate to the ribs.

In any case, I was wondering if perhaps there is a better technique than simply working the exacto blade around the top. Perhaps it is better to heat the seam with a blow dryer before you begin? Maybe the exacto knife method is the recommended procedure and I just need more practice? Or maybe there's another preferred way altogether?

Thanks,
BK

[FiddleDoug]

An exacto knife is a bad idea (too sharp, could slice through a rib, or into the top). A typical opening knife is more like a thin spatula than a sharp knife. Of course, an opening knife really only works well with hide glue. If you've got some other kind of "super adhesive", you may have to resort to something more aggressive, like a band saw, or detonating cord.
_________________
Doug Wall

www.wallindependent.com

[BK]

Great! Thanks FiddleDoug!

That's very helpful. I did, in fact, cut into the rib a couple times even though I was trying my best to be extremely careful.

I performed a quick search on "opening knives" and found this post on the maestronet forum:

Hello Ben:
If the violin is assembled with white/yellow glue, you will have a hard time, probably losing a layer of wood.....unless a hot knife is used, then you risk burning the wood a little.
First, you need an old fashioned kitchen knife...one shaped like a wedge from the thin cutting edge to the wide back of the blade. Make sure the knife is not sharp....just a little sanding of the cutting edge is ok. Next, you need a regular kitchen knife. Cut the length of the blade in half, then bevel the cut end so that it looks like a chisel, except rounded. Sand it smooth. This knife is used to start an opening at the seam...somewhere. Hopefully, a seam will already be partially open...if it is an older violin. The opening of the seam with the "chisel" knife is expedited with a drop of alcohol on the blade, running to the point you are inserting in the seam. Care, of course, with the alcohol. Also, the seam will open suddenly, if hot hide glue closure...so make sure thicker part of blade doesn't suddenly shoot in...cracks may result if that happens.
Then, at the opening you have made, use the wedge-shaped knife to do the rest. Insert the thin end, place a drop of alcohol on the blade near the seam...get it to run to the seam. Proceed to insert the knife more and more to the wider part, and move the knife slowly...another drop of alcohol if it doesn't pop. Loud noises are normal and expected. No loud noises mean you are cutting wood or have white/yellow glue. Loosen all the way to near the upper and lower blocks.
Use a razor saw, free the ends of the saddle...use an old sound post and place it against the saddle top at the body. Hit the post with a sharp lick...small hammer...if animal glue, will pop right out. If the glue is too strong, the saddle will break. Sometimes, the varnish line at the saddle needs scoring with a razor blade, and a little alcohol dribbled to the joint...not much!!!, then the sharp lick. To loosen at the lower block is tricky. German violins...and some others...are glued with elephant hide glue ....
Use the wedge shaped knife, turn so it approaches the block from the inside. Run some alcohol down the blade, and push...watch the top...if a crack starts, stop, and do the same thing from the other side. If the top is from sawn wood, not split, you will get a big divot (chunk of wood cracked out on inside of the top) on one of the halves...with a two piece top.
Now, at the neck, run a razor blade between the top plate and the neck heel...to prevent split-outs later. Use your thin artists spatula to work between the rib and top at neck don't go too far in. Then, repeat at the neck block what you did at the heel block.
After the top is off, make your first duty re-attaching divots, and closing the cracks, if any. Some tops come of easily, others need a stick of dynamite!!
Good luck,
Al
PS: Rule of thumb: Keep the knife blade 90 degrees to the grain...parallel to the grain causes cracks..go slowly, don't hurry. Factoid: Alcohol "freezes" hide glue, rendering it very weak...for a second or two, due to the coolng effect of evaporation. Lastly, some supply shops sell an opening knife...funny shaped thing...guess it it ok, always made my own.