Getting moldy

I've had this one in mind for a while and since the current crisis is giving me some slack time at work, I figured I'd just go for it.
A teardrop fiddle is a violin, but shaped more like a teardrop than an hourglass. I'm making this up as I go, so hang on for the ride!

Tonight I made the mold for the body. I used a scrap of 3/4 inch plywood. The mould is used to hold the end blocks and to shape the thin strips of wood that are called ribs. I cut most of everything else I needed in my shop and will bring the whole thing to work. Providing the current unpleasantness doesn't keep me away from work, where my tools for this live, I should have it done in a few weeks.

The mold, wood for the plates, and a violin neck that I had laying around.

I created the shape by tracing one of my violins, preserving the width at the waist and tapering it to the neck.

Other than the obvious shape difference, is there a difference to the volume or tone or playability of a teardrop vs. a normal fiddle?

 

Getting moldy

I've had this one in mind for a while and since the current crisis is giving me some slack time at work, I figured I'd just go for it.
A teardrop fiddle is a violin, but shaped more like a teardrop than an hourglass. I'm making this up as I go, so hang on for the ride!

Tonight I made the mold for the body. I used a scrap of 3/4 inch plywood. The mould is used to hold the end blocks and to shape the thin strips of wood that are called ribs. I cut most of everything else I needed in my shop and will bring the whole thing to work. Providing the current unpleasantness doesn't keep me away from work, where my tools for this live, I should have it done in a few weeks.

The mold, wood for the plates, and a violin neck that I had laying around.

I created the shape by tracing one of my violins, preserving the width at the waist and tapering it to the neck.

This looks to be a very interesting build, waiting for the next update.

 

Getting moldy

I've had this one in mind for a while and since the current crisis is giving me some slack time at work, I figured I'd just go for it.
A teardrop fiddle is a violin, but shaped more like a teardrop than an hourglass. I'm making this up as I go, so hang on for the ride!

Tonight I made the mold for the body. I used a scrap of 3/4 inch plywood. The mould is used to hold the end blocks and to shape the thin strips of wood that are called ribs. I cut most of everything else I needed in my shop and will bring the whole thing to work. Providing the current unpleasantness doesn't keep me away from work, where my tools for this live, I should have it done in a few weeks.

The mold, wood for the plates, and a violin neck that I had laying around.

I created the shape by tracing one of my violins, preserving the width at the waist and tapering it to the neck.

Other than the obvious shape difference, is there a difference to the volume or tone or playability of a teardrop vs. a normal fiddle?

- Dave Polaschek

Theoretically I think it should be not as loud. Basically everything that led to the shape of a violin was to make it louder. And since mine hasn't the upper two bouts, or shoulders if you will, the player will have to hold it by the neck to place the instrument under the chin. It should also be easier to play the higher notes on the fingerboard because of the lack of those upper bouts.

 

Getting moldy

I've had this one in mind for a while and since the current crisis is giving me some slack time at work, I figured I'd just go for it.
A teardrop fiddle is a violin, but shaped more like a teardrop than an hourglass. I'm making this up as I go, so hang on for the ride!

Tonight I made the mold for the body. I used a scrap of 3/4 inch plywood. The mould is used to hold the end blocks and to shape the thin strips of wood that are called ribs. I cut most of everything else I needed in my shop and will bring the whole thing to work. Providing the current unpleasantness doesn't keep me away from work, where my tools for this live, I should have it done in a few weeks.

The mold, wood for the plates, and a violin neck that I had laying around.

I created the shape by tracing one of my violins, preserving the width at the waist and tapering it to the neck.

This looks to be a very interesting build, waiting for the next update.

- Oldtool

Much of the progress will depend on my workload at the shop. There's not a lot going on with the schools closed in our area. Nobody's breaking their instruments.

 

Getting moldy

I've had this one in mind for a while and since the current crisis is giving me some slack time at work, I figured I'd just go for it.
A teardrop fiddle is a violin, but shaped more like a teardrop than an hourglass. I'm making this up as I go, so hang on for the ride!

Tonight I made the mold for the body. I used a scrap of 3/4 inch plywood. The mould is used to hold the end blocks and to shape the thin strips of wood that are called ribs. I cut most of everything else I needed in my shop and will bring the whole thing to work. Providing the current unpleasantness doesn't keep me away from work, where my tools for this live, I should have it done in a few weeks.

The mold, wood for the plates, and a violin neck that I had laying around.

I created the shape by tracing one of my violins, preserving the width at the waist and tapering it to the neck.

That's an interesting project to follow!

 

End blocks

The rough end blocks, made of a chunk of 2×4 are glued to the mould temporarily.

Then they are carved to curved shape to hold the ribs of the instrument. The ribs will be glued to the end blocks.

Final sanding makes them ready to hold the ribs.

 

End blocks

The rough end blocks, made of a chunk of 2×4 are glued to the mould temporarily.

Then they are carved to curved shape to hold the ribs of the instrument. The ribs will be glued to the end blocks.

Final sanding makes them ready to hold the ribs.

OK, you've got my curiosity in gear. Do the end blocks become a permanent part of the instrument? Sounds like it, they are temporarily attached to the mold, then glued to the ribs.
I'm waiting for the next post.

 

The Ribs

The ribs are mahogany measuring about 18 inches long x 1 1/4 inches wide x 1mm thick. I bent them using the odd object in the upper right of the photo. A heat gun blows bvery hot air through some plumbing fittings to heat the brass nipple. the moistened rib is held against it and gently bent. I brought 7 ribs to work to bend. I managed to use them all up, but came out with the 2 good ones I needed. They crack if you work too fast.

Then, using a bunch of small clamps and the holes in the mold, I glued the bent ribs to the end blocks.

 

The Ribs

The ribs are mahogany measuring about 18 inches long x 1 1/4 inches wide x 1mm thick. I bent them using the odd object in the upper right of the photo. A heat gun blows bvery hot air through some plumbing fittings to heat the brass nipple. the moistened rib is held against it and gently bent. I brought 7 ribs to work to bend. I managed to use them all up, but came out with the 2 good ones I needed. They crack if you work too fast.

Then, using a bunch of small clamps and the holes in the mold, I glued the bent ribs to the end blocks.

Looking more like a fiddle with every post!

 

The Plates

I'm making the top and bottom (front and back) plates from mahogany for the back and pine for the front, (it may actually be poplar.)

I cut deep kerfs in the edges and cut the rest by hand.

Then I glue the edges together.

There are several reasons to create the wide plate this way, but for me it was

a) I didn't have wood that wide

b) The hope of getting a cool, bookmatched grain pattern.

 

The Plates

I'm making the top and bottom (front and back) plates from mahogany for the back and pine for the front, (it may actually be poplar.)

I cut deep kerfs in the edges and cut the rest by hand.

Then I glue the edges together.

There are several reasons to create the wide plate this way, but for me it was

a) I didn't have wood that wide

b) The hope of getting a cool, bookmatched grain pattern.

Really like this series! Following with interest!

 

Linings

Linings are strips of wood that thicken the top and bottom of the ribs to aid in gluing the front and back onto the ribs.

They have to be bent with a heat iron just like the ribs. I also discovered that mahogany is too brittle and dug out what may be oak or poplar to use.

The linings are clamped for gluing with special lining clamps.

Today I gained 50 of these special lining clamps. The household lost 50 clothes pins.

Only one side can be glued at a time.

Finished.

 

Linings

Linings are strips of wood that thicken the top and bottom of the ribs to aid in gluing the front and back onto the ribs.

They have to be bent with a heat iron just like the ribs. I also discovered that mahogany is too brittle and dug out what may be oak or poplar to use.

The linings are clamped for gluing with special lining clamps.

Today I gained 50 of these special lining clamps. The household lost 50 clothes pins.

Only one side can be glued at a time.

Finished.

I've seen those special lining clamps, in the most unusual place, the dollar store has them.

 

Holes and Bars

To make the sound holes, or F-holes as they are called, I glued a template to a piece of thin aluminum plate, added reference marks and cut it out with an exacto knife

Then, locating them on the top plate, I traced the holes and cut them out with my scroll saw and finished them up with a knife and sandpaper.

Last I glued on the bass bar. If this were an arch top violin I'd have to fit it, but with a flat plate it's just a matter of gluing. I will say that I miss my set of homemade bass bar clamps. I forgot them at work, so I had to scrounge around in my collection at home.

 

Holes and Bars

To make the sound holes, or F-holes as they are called, I glued a template to a piece of thin aluminum plate, added reference marks and cut it out with an exacto knife

Then, locating them on the top plate, I traced the holes and cut them out with my scroll saw and finished them up with a knife and sandpaper.

Last I glued on the bass bar. If this were an arch top violin I'd have to fit it, but with a flat plate it's just a matter of gluing. I will say that I miss my set of homemade bass bar clamps. I forgot them at work, so I had to scrounge around in my collection at home.

So far so good! This will turn out in a nice instrument!

 

Coming together

After the glue dried I used a chisel and a small plane to pare down the bass bar and taper it on either end. Why? Because everyone else does.

Then the top plate/front is glued on.

Next a mortise is cut to receive the root of the neck. This can be a little tricky as the mortis controls whether the neck leans left or right or holds the fingerboard too high or too low.

Then the neck is glued into that mortise, being sure that the neck is aligned correctly.

Finally the back is glued on, thus 'closing the box.'

 

Coming together

After the glue dried I used a chisel and a small plane to pare down the bass bar and taper it on either end. Why? Because everyone else does.

Then the top plate/front is glued on.

Next a mortise is cut to receive the root of the neck. This can be a little tricky as the mortis controls whether the neck leans left or right or holds the fingerboard too high or too low.

Then the neck is glued into that mortise, being sure that the neck is aligned correctly.

Finally the back is glued on, thus 'closing the box.'

Seems like that mortise might be the trickiest part of the build. Looking good so far!

 

End button

The more of the preliminary set up one does before finishing the instrument, the less likely the finish will be marred by tools.
Here I am reaming out the hole for the end button which will hold the tailpiece.

In case you noticed, I brought this in to work today as a time filler. We're back home today as you'll see in tomorrows's photos.

 

End button

The more of the preliminary set up one does before finishing the instrument, the less likely the finish will be marred by tools.
Here I am reaming out the hole for the end button which will hold the tailpiece.

In case you noticed, I brought this in to work today as a time filler. We're back home today as you'll see in tomorrows's photos.

Hmm. I would've thought you'd sand the top and bottom down to the ribs before boring the hole for the end button, or am I confused again?

 

The saddle

Before finishing, I like to create the saddle and the space it will be installed on the instrument. The saddle is a piece of hardwood which supports the tailgut of the tailpiece.

I'm making this one froma piece of maple. Usually I like to use cherry, but my cherry bits are currently kind of big. Eventually I'll make matching nut from the same maple so that they match.

I use a combination of knife, chisel, saw, and disc/strip sander to shape the saddle.

And after finishing the instrument, I will glue it in its place.

 

The saddle

Before finishing, I like to create the saddle and the space it will be installed on the instrument. The saddle is a piece of hardwood which supports the tailgut of the tailpiece.

I'm making this one froma piece of maple. Usually I like to use cherry, but my cherry bits are currently kind of big. Eventually I'll make matching nut from the same maple so that they match.

I use a combination of knife, chisel, saw, and disc/strip sander to shape the saddle.

And after finishing the instrument, I will glue it in its place.

Another challenging mortise, but less so than he one for the neck, it appears. Getting closer! Thanks again for posting all the steps. This is a fun build to watch.

 

Shaping the tab

After the neck id glued on the tab that attaches the back of the instrument to the heel of the neck must be trimmed. My tab is actually a tiny bit short, so I cheated a bit by paring the heel of the neck down to fit. Then I carved and filed and sanded till the tab had the same profile as the heel.

I wet the mahogany in this second shot, so it has some contrast.

 

Shaping the tab

After the neck id glued on the tab that attaches the back of the instrument to the heel of the neck must be trimmed. My tab is actually a tiny bit short, so I cheated a bit by paring the heel of the neck down to fit. Then I carved and filed and sanded till the tab had the same profile as the heel.

I wet the mahogany in this second shot, so it has some contrast.

Such a small detail, but I bet it's pretty important to how the fiddle feels.

 

Stain

I wanted to stain the top plate to tone down its 'whiteness'. I used Golden Oak stain and I like the way it borought out the grain of the pine top. These first two pictures show the difference.

After staining, I put the instrument out in the sun to sunbathe. My belief ius that it helped the stain dry.

 

Stain

I wanted to stain the top plate to tone down its 'whiteness'. I used Golden Oak stain and I like the way it borought out the grain of the pine top. These first two pictures show the difference.

After staining, I put the instrument out in the sun to sunbathe. My belief ius that it helped the stain dry.

Looks fabulous!

 

Reaming the peg holes

Tuning peg holes are tapered and have to be reamed out. The taper matches the peg shaper which is a pencil sharpener-like device.

 

Reaming the peg holes

Tuning peg holes are tapered and have to be reamed out. The taper matches the peg shaper which is a pencil sharpener-like device.

I wondered about that. You used a pre-assembled neck, right? I wasn't sure if the peg holes were standardized enough that they'd be pre-reamed for you. Or if necks like that were sold with matched pegs…

 

Last of the glueing

Glueing the fingerboard, saddle and nut (not shown) onto the neck and body. I'm using an ebony fingerboard that I previously purchased.

Note my very expensive saddle clamp tape!

 

Last of the glueing

Glueing the fingerboard, saddle and nut (not shown) onto the neck and body. I'm using an ebony fingerboard that I previously purchased.

Note my very expensive saddle clamp tape!

Looks like this is coming together very nicely.

 

Carving the nut

I'm forming the nut from a piece of maple, just like the saddle. It starts out as a chunk which is square on the sides which attach it to the fingerboard and the neck.

The nut does not need to stick up very far above the fingerboard. Here I have drawn a line with a pencil to give me a target during the carving.

I do my carving freehand with a sharp chisel and later a file to smooth the nut out. Sandpaper is also used.

 

Carving the nut

I'm forming the nut from a piece of maple, just like the saddle. It starts out as a chunk which is square on the sides which attach it to the fingerboard and the neck.

The nut does not need to stick up very far above the fingerboard. Here I have drawn a line with a pencil to give me a target during the carving.

I do my carving freehand with a sharp chisel and later a file to smooth the nut out. Sandpaper is also used.

Familiar with that from guitars, but the nut on those is thinner. I'm assuming there's less tension on fiddle strings, so the nut doesn't have much force on it?

 

Nut slots and neck scraping

There are several different ways to do some of the operations I'll be showing in the next few posts. It mostly depends on your background. A guitar person will have different tools and philosophies than a dedicated bowed strings tech. I come at these things from a woodworking point of view and I tend to use whatever tools I have at hand unless I need something in particular.

Here I have made the first two string slots on the nut. I used a razor saw and made them just inside the walls of the peg box. I am using a cheap Harbor Freight caliper to determine a spacing that will divide the nut for four string slots. It's more or less trial and error.

A view down the neck showing the back of the nut.

The back of the neck is scraped clean of the stain and smoothed. I will coat this with boiled linseed oil. Manufacterers usually just varnish or shelack the neck, but it needs to be slick and smooth for playing. Any time I have had to repair a neck, I've scraped it smooth and oiled it.

 

Nut slots and neck scraping

There are several different ways to do some of the operations I'll be showing in the next few posts. It mostly depends on your background. A guitar person will have different tools and philosophies than a dedicated bowed strings tech. I come at these things from a woodworking point of view and I tend to use whatever tools I have at hand unless I need something in particular.

Here I have made the first two string slots on the nut. I used a razor saw and made them just inside the walls of the peg box. I am using a cheap Harbor Freight caliper to determine a spacing that will divide the nut for four string slots. It's more or less trial and error.

A view down the neck showing the back of the nut.

The back of the neck is scraped clean of the stain and smoothed. I will coat this with boiled linseed oil. Manufacterers usually just varnish or shelack the neck, but it needs to be slick and smooth for playing. Any time I have had to repair a neck, I've scraped it smooth and oiled it.

For guitar nuts, I've got a needle file somewhere that's just the right width for the low E string. Works really slick, especially in the fancy graphite- and Teflon-impregnated nuts that were all the rage a few years back.

I think shellac and wax might work for the back of the neck too… or varnish and wax. I can't imagine either one working very well (at least new) without a little wax to make things more slippery…

 

Last bits

The last bit of the instrument to be added is the soundpost. It sits inside the instrument under the foot of the bridge on the treble side. The way it gets there is one of those great luthier mysteries. SEveral methods exist, but I prefer using the traditional 'soundpost setter' In a pinch a piece of bent clothes hanger wire could be used.

The soundpost for this fiddle is somewhat short because of the lack of arching in my front and back plates. This made it a little harder to position because of the cramped space inside, but I managed.

This a video showing a soundpost being set from the inside. [link]

Because of the uniqueness of each instruments arching, fingerboards projection, and desired action height, the bridge has to be custom made in order to function properly. Since my instrument is flat, I just had to flatten the feet of my bridge using a disk sander then create the radius to match my fingerboard.

I've played around with this instrument. It sounds good to my ear. I will eventually post a short video of it being played.

 

Last bits

The last bit of the instrument to be added is the soundpost. It sits inside the instrument under the foot of the bridge on the treble side. The way it gets there is one of those great luthier mysteries. SEveral methods exist, but I prefer using the traditional 'soundpost setter' In a pinch a piece of bent clothes hanger wire could be used.

The soundpost for this fiddle is somewhat short because of the lack of arching in my front and back plates. This made it a little harder to position because of the cramped space inside, but I managed.

This a video showing a soundpost being set from the inside. [link]

Because of the uniqueness of each instruments arching, fingerboards projection, and desired action height, the bridge has to be custom made in order to function properly. Since my instrument is flat, I just had to flatten the feet of my bridge using a disk sander then create the radius to match my fingerboard.

I've played around with this instrument. It sounds good to my ear. I will eventually post a short video of it being played.

It's a good looking fiddle, I think. My brain wants to think up other ways to set the sound-post, perhaps before gluing the front and back on, but I suppose the traditional ways are best.