Books › Violins and other stringed instruments : how to make them ; with numerous engravings and diagrams, 1906 › scan 14
Scan 14
Violins and other stringed instruments : how to make them ; with numerous engravings and diagrams, 1906
10 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1favour of artificially prepared wood, there is no doubt that naturally seasoned wood is by far the best, and most likely to improve with age and use.
3For the belly is required a V or wedge-shaped block of clean, even-grained Swiss pine, 15 in. long by about 5 in. broad, 2 in thick at one edge, and tapering to about ¾ in. at the other. This block should be cut on the quarter shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 3 shows the piece marked for sawing down. This method gives the reeds or veins, which are portions of the concentric rings, running vertically through the wood in the direction of its thickness. A like result is obtained by using the middle board, but in this case the two halves of the back or belly would not necessarily correspond in grain or in figure; and as work is to be done with a half pattern, from a centre line, it is better to have the wood cut as in Fig. 3. It is only when cut on the "quarter" that pine gives the beautiful mottled and silky appearance known as "flower." The table from which the belly is to be made should, when jointed and planed true (as in Fig. 4), be ¾ in. thick at the ridge. Care should be taken when selecting this wedge to see that it has been "riven" or split, not sawn, so that the fibres have run in their natural direction.
5The back is generally of sycamore, cut also on the quarter; the stripes or bars in sycamore show at their best only when cut in this way. These strong bars or waves are termed the "figure." The piece for the back should be 15 in. long, 1⅛ in. thick at one edge, and about ¾ in. at the other. Good back wood is very valuable, and the pieces are therefore cut so fine that there is very little margin for waste.
7The "ribs," or sides, are of sycamore, and may easily be purchased in strips, cut for the purpose, 15 or 16 in. long, by 1⅛ in. broad, and about 1⅛ in. thick. They should not require much cleaning up before being ready for use.
9The neck is cut from a block of sycamore, 10½ in. long, 2 in. broad, and 2½ in. deep, and the 2 in. side
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