FORUM

I had an anxious moment, thinking that bocaholly’s recent trek into diy went south.  

Very interesting adaptation of a baroque tailpiece.  Looks like fingerboard was wedged for more projection (that repair looks decent).  A spline joint down the center of the bow head and the insertion of a thin slice of ebony (or similar) should correct the bow.  

Steve, an idea for you.  Harbor Freight makes a saw blade sharpener that takes about a 4 inch diameter diamond blade.  I purchased a few “scratch and dent” examples for $20 each.  If you replaced the blade with a thin metal cutting blade with fine teeth, it would be fairly easy to make a bow head holding jig for the cut.

Hi bocaholly.  The patch is too low on the bout to involve the sound post (which is situated approximately midpoint on the f holes).  Cleats are typically used because they have less mass.  The current patch is a rather useless repair since the wood grain is running parallel with that of the plate (one split will force the other to accompany it in defeat).  

I have heard of, but never seen an example, of the bass rib carved from the same piece of wood with the front plate.  That is the way violins were made “back in the day” when good wood was plentiful and time had little relevance.