Violin Forum/Message Board

[jessupe goldastini]

ok one more time....

out of one peice of wood.....

the end block and neck block are part of the ribs....

ther are no corner block....there are no blocks at all...nothing gets glued to the mold except the neck and end lumps...the only seem in the entire structure is where the two lumps that comprise the neck block are joined together....the neck is set just like any other ....

the only difference is that the neck and end block are of maple instead of spruce, as they are the same peice of wood as the ribs...

there is only one seem in the entire rib structure....that of the neck block seem....it is one continous peice of wood......

if layed flat prior to bending......the end block is in the center of the 30 somthing inch long peice of wood......in the bout area the ribs are thicker and then on the ends the neck block joins

so imagine that you made a 2.5 mil rib that was 30 somthing inches long then yoiu took a standard end block and glued it on in the center....then you took the neck block and cut it in half....then glued one on each end......

basically thats what i make out of one piece of wood.....

so the rib structure is of one peice of wood.including the "blocks"...and the liners run from the neck block to the end....only 4 long liners needed for the entire violin....

the neck block functions just like any other, and therefore the neck is attached just like any other and may be serviced just like any other....

i'm quite into one peice structures that have as little interuption as possible.....

i repeated several times that there are no CORNER blocks.....or blocks in general.....as a block is an idividual peice of wood....the parts of the rib structure that function as the blocks are the same size as standard blocks....however as they are not separtate individual peices of wood therfore i do not consider them "blocks"....this is not a vestigal form....it makes perfectly good sence and works very well....if any thing i have made the structure stonger ,more simple and more likely to vibrate sound properly as there are no....none....seems in the entire rib structure{barring the neck block joint....no thin peices of wood glued to a thick block....no several small peices , put together to form one peice....

thats ok if you can't imagine it....thats ok if you don't think it works....

because i know it does.....and i think its a better design....

you guys keep on building yer modle t's....me.....i'm going in a differnt direction....

[Chet Bishop]

There is one difference, though it may not really matter: On the Model T you seem to scorn, the blocks have the grain parallel to the centerline, not perpendicular, as yours is. In my experience, that will tend toward splitting, laterally. I hope you have no trouble with it, but I currently have a Chinese viola open, and I notice the grain is crossways on the block (as you describe), and the neck block is already splitting laterally. (it is new) So I will have to replace the blocks before reassembling the viola.

Cornerless violins are not unheard of, and have one obvious practical aspect, but it is offset by a disadvantage, that you have to actually have a 30-32" piece of ribstock to start with, instead of six pieces 6-8" long. I have not always had the luxury of long ribstock.

Good luck with your project. I hope it turns out fine.

[jessupe goldastini]

thanks for your response....your points are very true...that issue with the grain direction at the fold is the only "downside" i can think of....however....as it is not spruce...it should maintain structual stability within itself...spruce due to its grain pattern could be more suceptble to spliting once "dry'ed out"....when cut in a small block...maple while dimensionaly unstable within its expansion and contraction parameters, is very stable within its internal grain structure...ie. small peices will shrink and swell, but will not crack.....small peices of softwood are prone to spliting ad cracking......and even though the cut down to the 2.5{eventual 1.2/3}...is thin.....it stabalizes the whole stucture by being one piece....

[DonLeister]

Bulerias,
Here is what I do to install linings. I have a caning chisel- long thin , stiff back sort of a chisel , I have thinned it the last 1/2" to just under the width of my lining stock (1.7 mm).

I use a one piece mould (13 mm thick) I aim the chisel in the direction the lining is to go into it, with the bevel facing the mould and a small scrap block under the chisel so that it enters the block parallel with the mould. Wiggle the chisel while pushing the chisel and prying up the waste. The block (corner) has to be backed up by a solid support (dowel, block or pin in the benchtop) to keep from pushing the block off of the mould.
This works better with spruce blocks since the waste breaks off straight up. I have not found any American willow that is very straight.

For the end blocks, a mortice is not usually found. What I do is cut the end of the lining with a slight bevel (the short side of the bevel is to the rib) and the long side wedges itself into the endblock , as long as you cut the lining just slightly long. This gives the lining and rib a little extra strenght against shock at the rib/endblock join. Also helps keep the lining tight to the ribs. It's pretty quick too.
Hope this helps.
Don Leister