Since my last post, which has certainly been a while, a lot has happened. Until April 12th, we once again had to shut down the workshop, due to the third national lockdown in the UK. Fortunately, during this time I’d… Read More ›
In the previous post, I mentioned work on this violin had been held up by the national lockdown, due to COVID-19 cases rising significantly. That first one ran from March, until August, and then we were back to work. Since… Read More ›
This nice old Mittenwald violin came to the workshop following a catastrophic neck joint failure. Being left inside a car on a hot day proved too much for the historic, and poorly done neck repairs. Eventually the neck block became… Read More ›
There has been a bit of an enforced break from working on the violin, namely due to Covid-19, and the subsequent lockdown here. The good news is that I haven’t forgotten what to do after all of this time, and… Read More ›
Scrolls can have a tough time, they are under constant tension and have four pegs wedged into them. Well fitted pegs work, but once they become worn and distorted, they don’t hold well, if at all. The tendency is to… Read More ›
It has taken a long time to get to this point, but finally will return to the bench from 3rd August. I’m pleased that my clients haven’t forgotten me, and have already taken some bookings for restoration work. Things are… Read More ›
As for everyone else, the last six months of my life have changed out of all recognition. In December 2019, there were the first news stories of a new virus, originating in bats, emerging from Wuhan in China, their subsequent… Read More ›
Since I began my career, I’ve always been interested in old tools, and dealt in them for many years. Part of this was to find tools for myself, the other part was borne from an interest in the designs, materials… Read More ›
In my last post, I mentioned all the faffing around in a different order to get everything ready. Now with that part done, I can get on and start construction. With the back and belly already roughly sawn out, I… Read More ›
Some years ago, I was lucky enough to get four pieces of quilted maple from Bosnia. While they had a similar type of figure, each piece was also different to the others, and unique in its own way. I gave… Read More ›
Previously, all the woodwork was finished, and it was time to get prepared for varnishing. As with anything, there is a considerable amount of preparation required for a successful outcome. After finishing an instrument, one of the first things I… Read More ›
Previously, the body had been assembled, scroll carved and fingerboard made. Now it’s time to unite everything, and get the viola ready for varnishing. I’ve covered neck setting and shaping in detail in some past posts. It is proably the… Read More ›
At the end of the last post, I’d got as far as grounding the violin. Not because it had been naughty, but rather to enhance the grain, give it some depth optically, and provide a sealing layer to prevent the… Read More ›
In my last post about the Wilton, all the principal parts of the instrument had been made, and the body was assembled. Once the neck joint has been cut, the neck can be set and glued, then the fingerboard temporarily… Read More ›
With the bulk of the rough work done, it’s time to move onto some of the more detailed and delicate jobs, such as cutting the soundholes, fitting a bassbar and carving the scroll. I place several location marks onto the… Read More ›
Recently a client came to the workshop expecting to get some work done on the spot. I had to apologize, and tell him I couldn’t fit in any more work that day, as I already had something booked in. He… Read More ›
This violin is inspired by the ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri del Gesu, one of the most famous Guiseppe Guarneri violins, and considered by many to be the greatest concert violin of all. The Lord Wilton was named after its 19th C…. Read More ›
It’s most common for the belly to crack, but of course cracks can potentially happen anywhere on an instrument when it suffers an accident. The ribs, being quite thin, are especially vulnerable, as we can see on this very fine… Read More ›
One of the most frequently encountered jobs which require an instrument to be taken apart, involve belly cracks. This wonderful Italian violin, made in Mantua around 1800 has suffered some extensive damage to the belly. As I’ve discussed on previous… Read More ›
Today, 100 years ago, the most wasteful conflict the world has seen ended. Millions of lives on all sides were wasted. The lives of those who survived changed forever, families shattered, a generation of men missing. Countries repaying debts incurred… Read More ›
