Violin Forum/Message Board

[LPVest]

Greetings.
I have my back glued together and one side planed flat. What is a good way to cut away the excess wood to get the roof top shape?

[kjb]

many people use chisels and or scrub planes, just be very careful of you edges that you don't break off or chip, especially on the top, the grain is in a good position to do that.

also you should have an idea of what shape you are looking for and templates for that shape.

there are probably u tube videos of this, good luck and have fun.

[Mat Roop]

You may fing this article helpful...
http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/844403/STRAD_zethelius_hela.pdf
Cheers, Mat

[Cliff Green]

LP
Here is my method. Using the already constructed rib garland, I draw the outline on the plate. With a band saw or bow saw cut the outline of the plate a couple of mm oversize and not forgetting to leave the button on the back. Now I use a drill press to establish depth marks at the usual places for arching templates (widest limits of bouts, corners, narrowest limit of c bout). These marks when connected give the longitudinal shape. Initially, I use a scrub plane to hog off excess straight across the plate and then a bench plane to smooth the outline as I get close to the expected limits. When the long arch is shaped then I cut the purfling table/platform 9 or 10mm for the upper and lower bouts and 6 to7mm C bout. The convex areas between the long arch and the platform can be reduced with flat planes and the concave areas with gouges. In all of this material removal I try to leave an extra mm or two and do my final arching with templates, thumb planes, and scrapers. As you can see I remove most of the material with flat planes which I find very efficient.
PS. I owned an Inca planer/joiner 10"wide before I started violin making. To save work I usually run the plate through the planer down to 1 or 2mm over the thickest part of the arching, say 17 or 18mm for 16mm arching but of course this is not necessary with good and sharp planes. I'm just lazy.

[LPVest]

Thanks guys for your responses.
LP