Books › The Repairing & Restoration of Violins, 1903 › scan 66
Scan 66
The Repairing & Restoration of Violins, 1903
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 52. See the scan on archive.org.
1until satisfactory. As this part of an Italian violin is not cut so mechanically as many people imagine, another and perhaps quicker way, if means are to hand, is to use thin paper and with some heelball, used by shoemakers, rub the edges that may be felt through and under the paper held in position against it. If the paper is kept from shifting a very good clear line can be obtained. The process may be adopted for the other parts instead of using the veneer, the latter would, however, be useful as a permanent guide or template, keeping its shape. This would not apply of course to tracing of the back part, which must of necessity be of a material that will bend or fold over.
3Having procured a piece of sycamore, very old if possible, and with the closest resemblance in curl, texture and colour to the scroll to which it is to be attached; it must be squared up and made equal so that the tracings of the two sides of the throat may be placed in position and transferred. This must be done so accurately that the new throat shall not be out of the square or twisted. More, of course, will be traced down than will be actually left, the reason will soon be perceptible. If the tracing is clear and well defined it will not require touching; but if any part is not well brought up, it may be made sufficiently so by carefully running a pencilled line over the fainter one. The next step will be to get rid of the superfluous wood. This will be most readily done by a bow-saw after securing the block of wood in a vice, if these are not within reach, it can be done at a sawing mill where steam saws of different sizes and degrees of tooth are ready at a moment's notice and the removal of any sized masses of wood hard or soft is effected with remarkable precision and rapidity.
5When the sawing is complete, the fining down, or smoothing of the sawn surfaces may be proceeded with. This may be done with a file, having one side curved, the other flat, and of rather fine tooth; a glass papering will then complete the process so far as the profile view is concerned. Further progress will be made when the
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