Violin Forum/Message Board

[Rob H.]

I'm trying to verify the identity of an old tool that someone told me was used for making violins, please let me know if you recognize this tool:








Thanks for taking a look.

[byacey]

It's hard to tell but it looks like some kind of rudimentary peg shaver.

[Romanelli]

100% is a peg shaver!!! Is not rudimentary, just old and briliant, like all old tools.
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Desiderius Romanelli

[byacey]

The piece that flips out from the handle, is that how you set the taper for the peg?

[Andres Sender]

It would seem so, and that is ruddy brilliant.

[Rob H.]

Thanks for the replies, according to the owner:

"It was meant to trim the sounding post with the required precision."

He had a patent date listed as March 3, 1890, but this date is not a Tuesday, and since most all patents were issued on Tuesday the date might be incorrect. I've searched Google Patents but didn't have any luck, I thought that if the patent date was wrong then maybe his explanation for the tool could also be incorrect. The patent text is barely visible on another photo, but is almost impossible to read.

Then again, it might have been patented outside of the U.S.

[byacey]

A soundpost lathe of sorts? This is probably closer to the truth because I can't see how a repeatable taper could be cut for a peg with that flip-out piece. A soundpost however only need to be brought to the right diameter.

[Andres Sender]

A shim behind the flip-out piece would work nicely, but that was assuming the lack of diameter control wouldn't be an issue.

I like it as a soundpost trimmer also, although a draw plate with a range of sizes suited to violins would possibly be better and easier to use.

[Steven Potter]

Speaking from a machinist point of view... (I've never made a violin)

I also suspect this could not possibly have the precision required to turn pegs to the required taper.

Also, from the wear marks on the end of the middle section, it appears it was origonaly formed as a "V block" and only the first 1/3 actually did any work; i.e. it was probably only used to add a chamfer to a shaft already sized on a lathe. What's strange is that the clearance between the cutting edge and the V-block looks like it's barely 1/8" inch. What part on a violin is this small?

Just my 2 cents. Please don’t flame a humble newbie; I’m just here to learn.
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Steven Potter
Toronto

[byacey]

It's hard to judge the depth of the "V" from the photos. Soundpost are best left without the edges being chamfered because the sharp edge helps keep the post from moving around. Looking closer, it appears the "V" is blind on one end; so it doesn't make sense for turning a soundpost down to the correct diameter either if you can only do half the post at once and then having to flip it around for the other half.

[Mat Roop]

Is the tool for a lefty?..seems awkward the way it is. Mat