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.
Today violin maker
Derek Roberts finishes shaping the edge and does the final scraping.
First Derek cuts a chamfer around the front and back edges.
A file is used
to soften the edges of the chamfer.
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. Derek uses a cork to support the abrasive paper as he shapes the corner.
Derek uses a thin strip
of wood as he shapes the bottom bout.
He uses a small teardrop shaped scraper around the margin of the instrument, where the arch rises up to meet the edge.
This picture shows
how the edgework and the fluting over the purfling blend together.
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.
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.
All material on this site © copyright Derek Roberts, Leamington Spa 1999, 2000, 2001, 2014