Violin Forum/Message Board

Benedict White · Member Joined: 27 Jan 2011 Posts: 113

I raise the question, in the main because I am assured that post setters one can buy are not very good and need re work and in part because I am somewhat financially challenged at the moment so will have to make all my own tools.

I have started on the planes, may or may not have to make the gauges, will make a thickness tool, because it seems to me that no one makes a proper one... and so on.

So... can we? Should we?

bata · Member Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Ontario

They tried to do this on "Maestronet' without success, due to selling and buying problems.
Edit...Disregard above.. thought you were looking to make and sell or swap tools.

Benedict White · Member Joined: 27 Jan 2011 Posts: 113

I am looking to discuss making tools... for those who have the time and interest or necessity rather than a replacement for our genial host.

ghammond · Member Joined: 22 Jan 2011 Posts: 42

I wouldn't mind seeing a "Violin Tools" area. Just like we currently have the "Violin Making and Restoration Forum" area and a "Bow Making Forum" area.

I am new to violin making, but I'm beginning to realize that the subject of violin tools are a world all their own. I have been doing a lot of research on chisels as of late and to say there is a lot of information to learn about them is an understatement. But I don't know if people feel as though the current "Violin Making and Restoration Forum" that we have now is fine for discussing violin tools and we don't need a separate area/forum for this discussion. I guess the benefit to having it all under one roof, so to speak, is that you can search the whole forum at once if you're looking for something specific. So, either way is fine with me. I'm a newbie so my opinion shouldn't count for too much. I'll step back and let the veterans decide. Wink

sebastiaan56 · Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:20 am Post subject:

As a violin newbie I was going to ask for some details on what to look for in a post setter so I would really value a tools area. Searches produce lots of hits but also a lot of less relevant information.

ghammond · Member Joined: 22 Jan 2011 Posts: 42

So, who would we ask about this? Lemuel?

Mat Roop · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:56 pm Post subject:

For sure Lemuel is the one to ask... but IMHO too many sections reduce the frequency of visitations and consequently reduces the responses.
Why not just post your question in the making & restoration section... you will get a response!
Cheers, Mat

Mat Roop · Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:05 pm Post subject:

Here is what I would do for a post setter... Take a foot long piece of about 10 or 12 guage wire, pound one end flat on a steel base until the end is feather thin and tapering to the wire shape in about 1 inch. grind off the wide sides to about twice the width of the wire, bend it to shape. With the sharp end stab the post and insert into the instrument. Bend the other end to form a grip of some sort. Once you play with it and get to know what shape works best for you, make a better one from a small (instrument type) screwdriver.
I'd attach a pic but am not at home to do so.
Hope this helps...Good luck! Mat

Lemuel · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:31 pm Post subject:

I've also been thinking of ways to make information more available, presentable and organized to forum members...but not too sure on how to go about it. There is lots of good info collected over the years. There's also a lot of redundant information - obviously given for those starting out. And of course there is not so good information that I would like to clean up. Combing through the forum to categorize the information would be resource intensive at the moment.

As Mat said, too many sections would reduce the frequency of visitations and responses.

It's all fuzzy at the moment. Any ideas are welcome.

Benedict White · Member Joined: 27 Jan 2011 Posts: 113

Well, I get to see where the new posts are at the moment, and go there to have a look, and read even if I am not interested. If I think I can say something useful I do. I presume others do the same so a new forum would not, as far as I can tell, reduce visibility of posts or the likelihood of a response.

L P Reedy · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:28 pm Post subject:

Don't presume too much. This is the only part of the forum I normally look at and, for me, that is not likely to change. I am interested in tool making but not in looking in another location.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:09 am Post subject:

I agree with LP. This forum is hardly over-used as it is. Spreading it thinner doesn't make much sense to me. The probability of me checking yet another forum that doesn't get used much is pretty remote.
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Benedict White · Member Joined: 27 Jan 2011 Posts: 113

Well, under luthiers forums we only have 3, one for making restoration, one for bows and one for double bases. I can't see adding one more would be that much of an issue... and you do get to see which ones have new posts by looking at the index.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:33 pm Post subject:

It is if you check the number of sites a day that I do. It's OK if you want to do it, I just doubt I will check it.

By the way, when I go to a new forum site, the first thing I look for is number of posts vs number of forums. If I see a forum with 15 different boards and scant postings in each, I just figure it's not a popular place, probably not hanging around. Usually such places are new, with some eager guy who's just discovered he can make a separate forum for each letter of the alphabet, so he does. Each has three posts, all from him.

To get a site going you have to make it easy for people. Checking 15 forums to see if there are more new posts than the latest (usually just the recent one shows) is not all that exciting. This site, with just three forums, or whatever, is at the low end of popularity, anyway. If it gets diluted further, it won't make it look better; it will look worse.

I think forums usually break into smaller pieces because one forum gets overloaded. This site, with a couple of posts a day, isn't anywhere near overloaded enough to set up another forum that gets a post a week.
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mr_violin · Member Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 52 Location: Chicago

Just for the record, I agree with LP Reedy on this too.

"Don't presume too much. This is the only part of the forum I normally look at and, for me, that is not likely to change. I am interested in tool making but not in looking in another location."

Larry Lewis