A Strad Inspired Violin - Log 11/23/2009

Monday, November 23, 2009


Carving the Scroll

The basic shapes of the neck and scroll were laid out in pencil using measurement and tracing rubbed on to the surface of the block of wood. The tracing was done from an accurate full size photo. The use of the tracing and rubbing techniques result in more accurate dimensions than use of a template. Using a band saw the shapes are cut out. The basic shape after sawing and tracing are shown in the photo below.

Before further carving of the scroll and peg box the center line must be determined, scribed very lightly and penciled onto the wood. Below Ben scribes the line.

Below, again using the photo from the Strad Medici as an accurate basis, dividers set at 26mm are used to mark the maximum width of the scroll around the center line and lines are applied in pencil.

In the next photo the shape of the back side of the scroll is clearly visible in pencil.

Below the lines of the peg box, top of the front, and treble side of the scroll are shown.

Next we can see the saw and saw cuts made on the bass side of the peg box and scroll and are perpendicular to the side. The wood has been clamped to the work table for greater ease of carving. These cuts are sawed down to the outside pencil line. This will also be done to the opposite/treble side once this side is carved.

Then the process of chiseling away the unneeded mass of the wood block begins.

Below the bass side of the peg box has been carved.

Using the sawing technique cuts are made tangential to curves around the lower spiral of the scroll. However these cuts are not an exact 90 degrees. Since Strad scrolls tend to be some of the closest ones to 90 degrees he will do that later in the finishing.

The process of chiseling begins.

Ben has unclamped the wood block and will hold it in his hand to allow more control to the finer cuts with gouges, chisels, and files.

Here having chiseled the rough shape Ben refines it with a file.

Ben shows the block as initially carved on the bass side. He observed that he was taught in school to finish the scroll in steps with each step completely finished before moving on to the next. However, he tends to work in a somewhat less methodical process working on it keeping in mind the whole piece rather than individual parts.

Before proceeding further with carving of the scroll Ben has measured and marked the points at which he will drill the peg holes. Although it is traditional to do otherwise, he prefers to drill these pilots hole early on before mass has been removed from the peg box. In his opinion there is less chance of splitting or splintering of the holes using this approach. There is a total distance of 52mm from top to bottom of the peg box. The holes have to be positioned so that when the pegs and strings are in place no strings rub across other pegs.

Below the pilot holes for the pegs are drilled using the drill press.