Posted by Chet Bishop on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
I decided it would be appropriate to have a new cello for the Musical Instrument Makers' Show at Marylhurst...just now beginning, and the show is the last weekend in April. We'll see what I can do. :-)
This will be based on the 1712 "Davidov" Stradivari cello, again, but with a one-piece back, this time. I have a slab of old-growth Big-leaf Maple heartwood that I really like. It rings like a bell, and has flame that is pretty inspiring. :-) (I do love the pretty wood...)
I have the blocks cut,but not in the mold yet. I hope to get them in this week, and then get moving at a faster pace. I am currently teaching a class on Certified Welding Inspection, preparing a group of people for the national exam, so I am kinda busy, but I think i have a chance.
Here is the slab for the back:
I planed off a little of the rough surface, so you can see the flame, somewhat. Not everyone will use heartwood, but I really like it. I will try to keep adding photos as the cello emerges.
Thanks for looking.
Chet
13 comments on “Beginning a new Cello”
fiddleiphile Says:
Thursday, January 24, 2013 @7:18:48 AM
That IS one beautiful piece of wood! Good luck.
fiddlerd Says:
Thursday, January 24, 2013 @8:04:57 AM
Good luck, keep us updated. Looking forward to the pictures.
Mandogryl Says:
Thursday, January 24, 2013 @11:36:46 AM
How do you keep that from cupping?
Very nice!
lawrence lamear Says:
Thursday, January 24, 2013 @2:11:48 PM
Always like to see what you're working on, Chet. You've made some lovely instruments, and I appreciate it when you post photos. Looking forward to seeing more of the cello work in the future.
Chet Bishop Says:
Thursday, January 24, 2013 @6:35:38 PM
Mandogryl; I dried the slab in a pile of similar slabs, stickered with wood in between. It is about 1-1/2" thick, by 17-3/8" wide, by 34" long, and it stayed pretty flat...about 1/4" of cup. It may begin to move more, when I get as far as graduations, but it may not, too. I expect that what I will do is plane off the edges on the cupped side, so that it is flat on that side, leaving the outside of the curve to enhance the arch.
Lawrence, fiddleiphile and fiddlerd; thanks for the votes of confidence. I hope I can make good progress. The class I am teaching at work is preparing folks for a test that costs about $1000 to try...and if you fail, the money is gone; so I have to treat that as pretty high priority. But I want the cello done, too. :-)
Thanks for the encouragement, all.
Chet
amwildman Says:
Sunday, January 27, 2013 @2:10:25 PM
Looks like a good piece to start with. Love the flame. Keep us updated, Chet.
Chet Bishop Says:
Monday, January 28, 2013 @6:45:59 AM
I intend to do so...I did get the blocks in the mold and shaped to receive the ribs.
I hope to bend the ribs tomorrow evening. Then, if all goes well, I hope to install the C-bout ribs Wednesday, and get the front joined and all the remaining ribs in place by Saturday.
At that point I can trace the plates, cut them out, and really get moving. The neck is already cut out, but I have not begun carving it. As soon as I have something worth taking photographs, I will post more photos.
Chet
Chet Bishop Says:
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 @6:16:13 AM
Well...once again, things aren't going as fast as I would like them to. I had an appointment for an echocardiogram yesterday afternoon, so I didn't get home as soon as I wanted. I spent a little time talking with my son at his house, and helped him align a couple of pieces of drywall he was hanging, and thinned the ribs for the cello to 1.6mm.
Tonight I hope to scrape them smooth, cut them to length, and bend them. If I feel up to it, I may try to glue in the C-bout ribs. Dunno. Haven't had much energy lately.
Mandogryl Says:
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 @7:47:20 AM
Chet, maybe you can begin a photo album at your profile of this build. I am doing so as well with my cello build, though my progress will not be a swift as yours. Thanks for the update.
Chet Bishop Says:
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 @8:37:10 AM
Hmmm. never thought of that. Don't even know how. Guess I will have to look into it.
Thanks for the tip.
Chet
Chet Bishop Says:
Thursday, January 31, 2013 @7:42:44 AM
I did get the ribs cut, scraped and bent last night, only to discover that the last one (one lower bout) was too thin in one spot-- evidently it had been cut close to a face of the billet that had a dip in it, so when I thinned it, it became paper-thin at that spot. I went and grabbed another from the same billet, which was full thickness throughout, and thinned it before cutting it to size. It perfectly matches the good rib, as it was from the same place in the same billet. Tonight I will bend it and glue the C-bout ribs in place.
I might have gotten it done last night, but we had a call that my brother-in-law was hit by a car on his motorcycle. He is not badly hurt, as it was a low-speed collision, but he can't remember much about it and the miscreant left without rendering reasonable aid or offering insurance information. (grrrr!)
I hope to have the garland complete this weekend. Then I will post more pictures.
Anyway, that whole deal took a lot of the evening.
Chet Bishop Says:
Thursday, January 31, 2013 @7:44:33 AM
I hope to lay out and begin work on the scroll this evening while the glue dries on the C-bouts. That will be encouraging.
Chet Bishop Says:
Friday, February 1, 2013 @10:52:15 PM
Did some work at my son's place last night, so nothing on the cello until this evening, the C-bout ribs are glued in place, and I have laid out the scroll and neck on the billet, so it is ready to begin carving. I have a young fellow coming up tomorrow to work on his viola. Hopefully I will get a good deal done, too.
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