Kevin M. said:

That is how I build them by setting the top first then you don't have to worry about the heal.

That's one disadvantage with the kits - they all have the back glued to the ribs. The instructions have you closing the box and then setting in the neck, which is "traditional," but it's much more difficult than it has to be, IMHO - gluing the belly to the ribs and then setting the neck would be more logical, but then fitting the bass bar would be more difficult...We get what we get and have to make it work

A bit more progress on the Red Fiddle. Before fitting the purfling, there were a few cosmetic flaws to clean up on the belly plate that appeared to be dried glue.

While scraping the flaws, the grain started to really pop, which is a joy to see.

It's hard to see in the photo above, but is very visible in person - the darker grain lines are now even darker and more defined - no more "fuzzy" look. I plan on finishing the belly with a scraper (no sandpaper) so I hope you like a "corduroy" fiddle top, MGN

Next up was to fit the purfling. The purfling is the black/white/black strip that goes around the edges of the top and back plates and helps prevent cracks from traveling from the edges into the plates of the fiddle.

With this particular kit, the purfling channels have been cut (quite badly in some places - see the corner in the photos above) just this much too narrow for the purfling to fit. Argh! Here's where patience (and OCD) come in very handy - it's scrape, cut, scrape, cut, a little here, a little there, while using a small piece of purfling as a gauge until the entire channel is the right size.

Finally it was all dry fitted in, with the corners mitered and the bee stings lookin' pretty good, even if I say so myself -

A nice batch of fresh hide glue later and it was ready to carve down to the proper level. Ignore the break in the purfling strips at top and bottom - the purfling in those areas will be removed to fit the neck and saddle.

The purfling is quite hard, being infused with glue of unknown origin. The outer black strips are "fiber," whatever that is, the inner white strip is wood of some sort. The best way to take it down quickly is with a very sharp gouge -

Followed by a finger plane and scraper. Sandpaper is a very bad idea (hard lesson learned, there!) as the black "fibers" embed themselves into the pale wood of the spruce belly and take freakin' forever to sand out. Look at that bee sting! All four corners look just as good and I couldn't be happier.

And then I cut my thumb wide open* with my new (very sharp, obviously) carving knife so building has been suspended until the gash heals up a bit. Darned inconvenient, I tell you - can't even hold my fiddle bow comfortably.

* Don't worry, MGN, I didn't bleed on the fiddle - everyone knows the blood goes in the varnish, right?

Fiddlerman said:

I didn't know that, but then again, it's called "The Red Violin" right?

In the movie the violin builder added some of his wife's blood to the varnish, basically infusing her spirit into the violin, which explains the Gypsy woman's predictions.

Kevin M. said:

CatMcCall said: I plan on finishing the belly with a scraper (no sandpaper) so I hope you like a "corduroy" fiddle top, MGN

 

Why do you call it corduroy.  Is that because of the look of the grain or is it because the grain is popping up and becoming rippled?  If it is because it is rippling, use very little pressure on the scrappers.  Too much pressure will undercut the growth rings and give a rippled surface.  I learned that from messing up a top myself.

It's not my term, corduroy, but something I've heard other builders use. The Old Masters did not have what we know as sandpaper and so did their finishing with scrapers. Of course, no one knows if the belly surface was textured from the beginning, but many truly old violins now have a textured belly with very thin varnish, and that is the look I would like to achieve.

Having daily access to a cheap factory fiddle that was sanded and finished with a spray gun, I would love to end up with a finish that looks more hand crafted, more alive, if you know what I mean. If only I could get my hands on a truly old, well made violin to examine the textures and finish for myself...