Violin Forum/Message Board

[wm_crash]

Howdy,

I already have too many irons in the fire to think about violin making, but I read a lot about it. I have a few unanswered questions, if anyone would like to answer, I'd appreciate:

1. The maple parts, are they hard or soft maple? Is it acceptable to use kiln dried maple?

2. Which parts is it acceptable to cut with power tools? I can see how the back and top would need hand work, but I have trouble seeing someone cutting the ribs with a frame saw.

3. What parts is it acceptable to touch with sandpaper? Have not seen anyone use it on the back or top, but I've seen some people use sandpaper to finish the scroll and the edges of the plates, while others used scrapers and rasps only.

cheers,
wm_crash, the friendly hooligan

[Michael Darnton]

Soft maple will be easier to work; good violins can be made of either. Modern kiln dried is fine and very different from the process of 100 years ago which structurally was very brutal to the wood: there is NO evidence that modern kilning is inferior in any way, and these days any prepared violin you will buy has already been kiln dried to a certain extent. If you're trying to be traditional, don't use either maple; use European maple.

Power tools are OK, but you'll find that hand tools are easier for most jobs. Ribs are easier to cut with a band saw or table saw, though.

Use sandpaper when you need to. As your tool use gets better you'll find yourself using it less and less.

Your first violin your main worry should be getting it done. You can clean up your act later, and develop an Attitude about everything later, as you move on. :-)

In general if you hang around with real makers you'll find them much less concerned with doing thing the "right" way than amateurs are. As one of my very first employers liked to say: no one will know how you did what you did, but everyone will know if you never do anything.
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[L P Reedy]

I second about everything Michael said, but would add that European maple is a soft maple, so red, silver and bigleaf would be reasonable choices. Sugar and black are more dense and need to be worked thinner. They make good necks, though.

If anything, I prefer kiln dried wood. It presents fewer surprises. And rarely has worm damage.