Posted by Chet Bishop on Friday, April 12, 2013
In my case, since the mold is collapsible and comes apart in several pieces, it is pretty convenient to get the mold out. I use a small electric screwdriver to remove eight drywall screws, and back off twelve more, and the thing just comes right out...no fuss. The twelve that were just backed out are the ones securing the corner blocks and neck and end blocks in the mold. So, here is the corpus, fresh off the mold, with all the blocks still square and rough, and the linings only roughly trimmed, not scraped.
So-- the next hour or so was spent chiseling, planing and scraping all those blocks to their final shape, and scraping the linings as smooth as I could get them. Here is what it looked like afterward:
So, the next step is to get the back plate in place. I aligned it carefully, checking all the margins to see that the overhang was fairly even all around, then clamped it in place, dry, using spool clamps. After I was satisfied that the overhangs were correct AND the elevation of the fingerboard was correct (an easy thing to mess up, as the corpus is quite floppy at this point), then I clamped everything solidly, and began removing a few clamps at a time, and inserting hot hide glue, using a palette knife. I washed off the excess glue with hot water, and re-tightened all the clamps.
Here the cello is in all its spool clamps, with one bar clamp to secure the button to the heel of the neck.
After the glue was thoroughly dry, I removed all the clamps and began trimming edges, and perfecting the scroll and heel. The heel was almost a half inch high (which I expected...we leave extra, so that the heel and button are trimmed and shaped together, and match perfectly when we are done.) The scroll was still quite rough. I spent the rest of the day and late into the evening, scraping and planing, and trying to get the cello ready for finishing. Finally ran out of steam about nine PM, but it is nearly complete. Here is what it looks like tonight:
Actually, I typically use a very weak water-base stain first, which will make the spruce a tan color, instead of cream-colored. Then I will sand it lightly with fine micromesh, seal it, and start applying varnish. (On the home-stretch, now!)
For those wondering about the pegs, saddle, nut, etc.; I wait until the varnish is complete before adding those fittings.
13 comments on “Final assembly of the Davidov-model Cello...on the home-stretch, now!”
Larry Rutledge Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @4:20:06 AM
Off topic, but here's some free advertising you may want to check out. To get more folk seeing your work. bluegrasstoday.com/directories...location=
Larry Rutledge Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @6:13:21 AM
Not even a hint of the top secret, made on the space station, carried by hand at nite, never crossing water. Ground? :)
Chet Bishop Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @6:47:04 AM
Mine is pretty simple. Haven't gotten there yet.
I have used a variety of things. Right now I am using rosin. The first cello, I used rosin in a turpentine solution to saturate the surface pretty thoroughly, but it took several days to dry fully, in warm weather. It is cold and rainy right now, and I don't have any extra days to wait (show is coming up in two weeks) so I am going to use rosin in an alcohol solution, which, of course, evaporates much more quickly. I'm a little scared by it, though, because excess alcohol has been known to crack the center glue-seam on the front plate (been there), and I realllly don't want that to happen.
We'll see how it turns out. I've used it before with good results, but, as I say, it is scary. After the rosin sealer I add a coat of yellow spirit varnish, then a coat of propolis/varnish mix, for color, and move along from there, as I see fit. Thee may come a time when I go back to oil varnishes (almost guaranteed), but for now I am using spirit varnishes.
BTW, thanks for the link. I will check it out.
Chet
Larry Rutledge Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @7:24:53 AM
Just a teasing about the ground, I know youve seen em, mostly older school trained builders try to make you think they got their ground from some monk and only they know how to apply it :) From what I've seen your gonna give em a run for their money at the show, get us plenty of pictures. We may have to send you and your builds over to Italy next year! Cremora (sp) bad thing about it, they keep your fiddles if ya win.
Chet Bishop Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @7:35:16 AM
Wow! I didn't know that! If you win at VSA, it is your fiddle, and someone will be right there to want to buy it, most likely. I would not be happy with that sort of arrangement. What is the possible gain for the maker? Just the status?
Larry Rutledge Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @12:49:11 PM
I could be wrong Mr. Bishop, I'l look again. But I remember as I read about it If I built one and won it I would want my fiddle back. Maybe they just keep it for a yr or sumtin, I'll check. Seems like we had an American winner not long ago, maybe ask him. Getting old, may have it confused with the old bull contest.
Mandogryl Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @1:20:45 PM
Looks great, Chet! Congratulations!
Chet Bishop Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @1:59:54 PM
Thanks. I have spent the last three or four hours scraping and getting things varnish ready. My wife is checking for flaws right now...she has a more critical eye than I do.
Larry Rutledge Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @3:12:26 PM
It was Mr. David Gusset who won First Prize/Gold Medal for Violin Making
"Antonio Stradivari" International Triennial Violin Making Competition in Cremona, Italy, 1985.
Instrument acquired for permanent display in the Antonio Stradivari Museum in Cremona, Italy.
First prize out of 212 violins from 31 countries.
The only American to ever win this honor.
Simone Fernando Sacconi Award
Special award for "the instrument most representative of classical Cremonese ideals." Chosen among 339 instruments from 31 countries, Stradivari Triennial Violin Making Competition, Cremona, Italy, 1985.
First Prize for Cello Making
Violoncello making competition sponsored by the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers in conjunction with the 1986 American Cello Congress, Bloomington, Indiana.
Three Gold Medals
International violin making competitions sponsored by the Violin Society of America, 1978-1980.
Designated Hors Concours
Violin Society of America, 1984.
Prize Winner
Violin making competition at New York's Lincoln Center, sponsored by the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers, Inc., 1984.
Bronze Medal
Paris International "Violin Making Competition and Exhibition, sponsored by the city of Paris, 1991.
Prize for Workmanship
1st Louis Spohr International Competition in Kassel, Germany, 1983.
Larry Rutledge Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @3:20:33 PM
I thought I read it somewhere, seems they put yer fiddle in their museum. We could say you were the second American to win! They say acquired, you may agree to a small price before the judging?
Chet Bishop Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @3:44:20 PM
I would imagine it was something reasonable. I know David; he lives about three hours south of me. He will be at the show two weeks from today. He drives the same kind of car I do. :-) can't be all bad. :-)
Larry Rutledge Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @4:22:59 PM
Must be in the water, seems like a whole lot of really good builders out your way :)
Chet Bishop Says:
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @4:36:28 PM
Well...there are a bunch around the Willamette valley, I s'pose-- and some more around Seattle. David definitely does superb work. Paul Schuback, in Portland is world-class, and he trained a whole bunch of the others around the area. That alone may explain it.
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