Violin Making
Day
24 Finishing
This is one page in a series about violin making by hand in the traditional way. Please see the introduction for more, and our violin making courses if you are inspired to make a violin yourself.
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Today violin maker Derek Roberts finishes shaping the edge and does the final scraping. |
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cuts a chamfer around the front and back edges.
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A file is used to soften the edges of the chamfer. |
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The file does not give a very fine finish, so the shaping and smoothing of the edges is completed with abrasive papers of different grades. |
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Above, a cork is used to support the abrasive paper as Derek shapes the corner. Left, a thin strip of wood is used as he shapes the bottom bout. |
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Here Derek uses a small teardrop shaped scraper around the margin of the instrument, where the arch rises up to meet the edge. |
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This picture shows how the edgework and the fluting over the purfling blend together. |
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The whole instrument is then scraped very lightly - front, back, ribs and scroll. This produces a better finish on the larger surfaces of the instrument than can be achieved with abrasive paper. |
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The violin is ready for varnishing. |
Are you interested in learning to make a violin, or developing your violin making skills? See our Violin Making Courses. Our resources page has recommendations for books and suppliers for violin making.
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