Violin Forum/Message Board

ollieken · Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:19 am Post subject: Violin Bridge

I am wondering how they make a violin bridge I seen a link how they cut blocks out of a log but not how the holes are done. I cant see them cut
out one at a time & have them all the same exact .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKJPlk8KnUg

http://www.savarez.fr/anglais/aubert.html
clk visit our work shop Ken

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

I think you would drill the holes.

ollieken · Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 1:07 pm Post subject: Bridge

Kjb I know that you can get a drill to drill a square hole Round drill
first then four small blades cuts the round parts when the drill goes past the wood The square part of the drill attachment don't turn if I
remember a friend has some of them must look it up Ken

Chet Bishop · Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 1:46 pm Post subject:

I have no idea whether this is what is done, but there is a cutting process available today that would work very well: water-jet cutting. It is fast, accurate, easily adaptible to CNC programming...very expensive, though.

I was amazed at the accuracy and speed with which the man in that video cut out the bridge-heart with the jewelers saw. Very impressive.
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https://bluefiddles.com
https://fivestringfiddles.com

L P Reedy · Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 5:23 pm Post subject:

Ken,
What square holes are you talking about? My bridges don't have any.

Chet,
You are more easily impressed than I am. I just roughed out a bridge on my scroll saw. Not done, but already it looks better than that. Mine is a special ultra low heart design that I can't buy. I need to make a pattern from this one.

I don't know how they are mass produced either, but it has to be mechanized somehow. I have noticed that many of the ones I get have the same slight irregularity in the cutting.

Chet Bishop · Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 8:27 pm Post subject:

If I did it on a scroll saw it would look better, too...the fact that it was done that quickly with a hand saw is what impressed me.

I have only made one violin entirely with hand tools...and the sample was ample.

I like a bandsaw a whoooole lot better than a bow-saw. But the jewelers saw demo made me kinda wish I had one. I have a coping saw, but I can't do fine work like that with it.

Maybe I'm easily impressed....who knows...
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Chet Bishop
https://bluefiddles.com
https://fivestringfiddles.com

Mat Roop · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 12:16 am Post subject:

I really don't know , but I always thought they were laser cut.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rvSdDTgUww
Cheers, Mat

ollieken · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 8:57 am Post subject: jp

Jp I don't have square holes in my bridge I just mention that there is drills that will make square holes & maybe they have a drill made to cut the
holes in bridges Mat that is amazing machine I made a couple bridges with a scroll saw sound ok looks not as pretty as factory but I still have my fingers Chet Do you suppose he had that cut before & just making it look easy? Ken

Chet Bishop · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 9:30 am Post subject:

L P Reedy · Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:36 pm Post subject:

Actually, a jeweler's saw cuts very fast with the right blade. I find them hard to control but that is largely a lack of practice and having only one hand. I run my scroll saw at very low speed but still get a cut that needs cleaned up.

Lasers do scorch the edges and have only been available fairly recently. I knew a fellow who tried one for cutting wooden clock gears. He didn't like the burned cuts.

I suspect a two step process using a semi-automated scroll saw but I think the bridge makers are somewhat secretive about their exact methods.