August 2009
Can't see the blogs anymore
August 29, 2009 10:36
Hi! I can't see the blogs anymore.... is there a problem with the site?
4 replies
My newest instrument "Fanny Mendelsohn", a 16 inches viola
August 27, 2009 11:46
Hi! This is my latest instrument, a 16 inches viola which I named "Fanny Mendelsohn", Felix's sister, she was also a fine composer. Thanks again to Andrès Lepage for the photos and for test driving the instrument.
I'll take this viola and two more to my NYC viola trip from September 9 to 19.
Here we go:
Carving a scroll - step by step - part XVIII
August 6, 2009 13:12
This is the front view of the pegbox near the nut. Notice that just the outer side of the pegbox walls are chamfered, the inner parts remain not chamfered. The "floor" of the pegbox is finished with a chisel used as a scraper.
While working in the the neck, take care to avoid ebony dust reaching the maple because it will stain the maple, mainly if you are using sandpaper.
And finally, here the photo of the real McCoy and my new scroll:
My daughter Dora painting the inside of the pegbox with spirit varnish and Terra di Siena Brucciata:
And now the finished scroll, covered with my oil varnish:
Carving a scroll - step by step - part XVII
August 3, 2009 16:36
I still will have to make some refinishing on my scroll but now I'll work on the neck. Here I worked with an aggressive rasp till the final thickness of the neck, 18.5 and 20, I'll remove the wood betwen these points:
You may have noticed that my workshop is a mess....
Here I wrapped a coarse sandpaper in a round chisel handle to work in this region:
Here I'm cutting the neck root with my Japanese saw:
Working in the neck with a rasp:
Now I will shape the neck and fingerboard. I'll divide the side of the fingerboard in 3 parts:
First I'll round the two external thirds, preserving the central one that will correspond to the widest part of the neck:
Here a straight edge over the side of the fingerboard showing the central third as the widest part of the fingerboard:
On the part of the fingerboard that is not glued to the neck just the upper third will be rounded:
Here a shaped scraper is used for finishing the inside hollowing of the fingerboard:
I use my thumb's nail to guide me shaping this area (here not finished yet):
More entries: July 2009
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