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The Red Fiddle
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Sofia Leo
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November 13, 2011 - 5:53 pm
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BCShalom said:

Your a Scott, I'm a Jew, it ain't cheap, it is thrifty!!  Oy.  LOL

 

Shalom Shalom

You got that right! We are very frugal here at the South Beach DIY Center, preferring to do as much ourselves as possible - the OH is outside at the moment sanding away on his latest boat acquisition, a performance rowing shell that he hopes we will use to beat the pants off a local "pro" at the annual rowing race in Toledo. I dunno about my abilities to row crew for him, but we're gonna try.

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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Fiddlerman
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November 13, 2011 - 9:16 pm
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CatMcCall said:

......the OH is outside at the moment sanding away on his latest boat acquisition, a performance rowing shell that he hopes we will use to beat the pants off a local "pro" at the annual rowing race in Toledo. I dunno about my abilities to row crew for him, but we're gonna try.

That sounds like a lot of fun. I'd be into it for sure. Is there a lot of training involved when you do that? Or is it just a fun thing? flag_usa

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Sofia Leo
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Fiddlerman said:

CatMcCall said:

......the OH is outside at the moment sanding away on his latest boat acquisition, a performance rowing shell that he hopes we will use to beat the pants off a local "pro" at the annual rowing race in Toledo. I dunno about my abilities to row crew for him, but we're gonna try.

That sounds like a lot of fun. I'd be into it for sure. Is there a lot of training involved when you do that? Or is it just a fun thing? flag_usa

For me, it's just a fun thing and I'm not interested enough to "train" for it. He, on the other hand, is quite serious about rowing, although he usually rows traditional rowboats for exercise. The "pro" was a huge jerk last year and now M. is out for revenge amuse I imagine we'll be out on the water a couple of times a week as the Rainy Season winds down.

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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BCShalom
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November 14, 2011 - 9:18 pm
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I am salivating over some of these violin You build em kits.  I don't think my wife would understand.  I purchased four motorcycles a Travel Trailer and a new Pickup Truck in the past two years.  I did give her a Prius for Chanukah, but.....

It looks like so much fun and the possibilities of coming out with a very valuable instrument really makes me want to try.  I did look at all the tools that you can get for building violins, and decided that I would have to do it professionally to pay for them.

So if you would all send me orders for 10,000 bucks each, I'll get right on your fiddles!!   devil-violindancing

 

Shalom Shalom

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Sofia Leo
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BCShalom said:

I am salivating over some of these violin You build em kits.  I don't think my wife would understand.  I purchased four motorcycles a Travel Trailer and a new Pickup Truck in the past two years.  I did give her a Prius for Chanukah, but.....

It looks like so much fun and the possibilities of coming out with a very valuable instrument really makes me want to try.  I did look at all the tools that you can get for building violins, and decided that I would have to do it professionally to pay for them.

So if you would all send me orders for 10,000 bucks each, I'll get right on your fiddles!!   devil-violindancing

 

Shalom Shalom

LOL! If you can get $10,000 for your first fiddle you are some kind of craftsman! You can get by with about $100 worth of tools, less if you have a wood carving friend or relative. You don't have to go in for all the fancy specialty tools for a kit build, and I'm proof of that. And really, you can work on a kit on a TV tray if you want to, so there's not a lot of space investment, if that helps your arguement with the Missus cheers

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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BCShalom
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LOL, That price would keep the peace at home.  Three violins in the house would be two too many, according to her.  It looks like it would be fun.  Oh well, perhaps later.

 

Shalom Shalom

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BCShalom
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So if, and I say if, I decide to build one.  What kit do you recommend.  They are priced from 48 dollars to 600 plus.  I would imagine that the mid range kit would be easier to work on and that the more you spend the better the possibility of the finished product would be depending on your effort attention to detail and skills.

Not Rocket Science, that's a good one. No, it is Violin Science.  LOL. couldn't resist.

 

Shalom Shalom facepalm

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Sofia Leo
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BCShalom said:

So if, and I say if, I decide to build one.  What kit do you recommend.  They are priced from 48 dollars to 600 plus.  I would imagine that the mid range kit would be easier to work on and that the more you spend the better the possibility of the finished product would be depending on your effort attention to detail and skills.

Not Rocket Science, that's a good one. No, it is Violin Science.  LOL. couldn't resist.

 

Shalom Shalom facepalm

Since I've only seen two kits from a single eBay seller, I don't think I'm qualified to make a recommendation.There are reviews all over the 'net, but be warned that the Real Luthiers scoff at all of them dunno

I've heard the "in the white" fiddles from International Violin are good in the mid-price range (I would really like to get one of the $50 specials from China just to see how good it is) if you want to just practice varnish technique.

My philosophy is to get the cheapest kit - for the wood and scroll carving it's a deal that can't be beat. You can then spend more money on higher quality fittings and time to re-graduate the plates, etc. to end up with something of really nice quality.

How far down the Violin Building rabbit hole do you want to go?

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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BCShalom
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November 15, 2011 - 11:57 pm
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Well the only way I am going to get that ten thousand dollar violin, will be to build it!  I guess one cheap practice fiddle and then a fairly good quality kit?  Or is all the tone wood the same when to comes right down to it.  I have read that it is both ways.  Sounds like two rabbis debating, and they have five different opinions.

I would love to have a home built that was of exceptional quality.  Were my abilities to blossom with the cheap 48 dollar fiddle, of course.  Perhaps it would be a great hobby.  I could build them and donate them to a local school to advance Music Appreciation. It would keep me off the streets and out of trouble!  Right?

Of course Right.

 

Shalom Shalom

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Sofia Leo
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BCShalom said:

Or is all the tone wood the same when to comes right down to it.  I have read that it is both ways.  Sounds like two rabbis debating, and they have five different opinions.

I could build them and donate them to a local school to advance Music Appreciation. It would keep me off the streets and out of trouble!  Right?

Of course Right.

I really don't know about tonewood - there is enough debate (with documented proof) to back up any point of view you might choose to defend. I would really like to use native Oregon woods, just because I'm contrary that way amuse and don't feel that anyone has to follow a 350 year old tradition if they don't want to. Take a look at Jessupe Goldastini's fiddles, for just one example of what is possible if you think outside the box.

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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BCShalom
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You have to get really old seasoned wood to keep from cracking and with a good close grain too right?  I have nothing against good WASHINGTON STATE wood!

LOL, or Really High Colorado Wood with really tight growth rings. ???? 

Either way it would be fun to compare notes if I do try to do this.  I would have to graduate the plates, I couldn't just do the varnish and glue thing. I am a frustrated perfectionist wit out the skills or the ambition as to date.  But it really does sound like an interesting way to spend my evenings.  Work slow, seek bargin tools. I have found some less expensive tools and plans to make some of the tools myself, at least talk about building my own tools.  Sounds like something that is going to draw me in, slowly but surely.  I keep looking at the stuff. 

Well when my wife goes balistic, I shall give her your name and sign her into the blog!  LOL.....Live to fight another day ehhh?

She is really supportive of my desires and silly plans.

 

Shalom Shalom

I would love to see it finished! 

 

how cool it is going to be!laugh

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Sofia Leo
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The Real Luthiers all seem to agree that close grain for the spruce top is very important, but if you look at pictures of the Masters, they didn't seem to care quite as much. Many of the Real Luthiers prefer maple (the more flames, the better!) for the back, but others swear by poplar (especially for violas,) cherry or mahogany  or other woods that have a similar density. Some days it seems like a crap shoot to me laugh

Orcas Island Tonewoods would have just what you need, and they're "local"...

Graduating the plates, setting in the purfling, fitting the bass bar - it's all a very meditative way to spend one's time, IMO, and it's not like you're collecting classic cars or something that takes up a lot of space...

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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Fiddlerman
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November 16, 2011 - 7:19 am
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That is a real cool link. I get more and more tempted every time I read this thread. I know that I don't really have the time right now but still I think about it. Am I going mad? Building from scratch like this is even more tempting but sooooo much more time would be necessary. Are you thinking about building one from scratch CatMcCall?

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Sofia Leo
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Fiddlerman said:

That is a real cool link. I get more and more tempted every time I read this thread. I know that I don't really have the time right now but still I think about it. Am I going mad? Building from scratch like this is even more tempting but sooooo much more time would be necessary. Are you thinking about building one from scratch CatMcCall?

After I finish MGNs fiddle I will be building two fiddles from scratch, one a Strad model and the other similar to a Maginni, maybe even with double purfling smile

The thing about building fiddles is that you can walk away when you're busy and come back and work on it some more when you have time - it's not like you'll forget where the parts are to put it back together, like disassembling a car engine. You don't need much room, either, just a good table. The hardest part will be rough cutting the wood and form, but if you have a woodworker friend with a planer and band saw, that will get you going.

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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myguitarnow
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It's pretty cool that a lot of people are showing interest in making violins. When I was in highschool I took wood shop for one of my classes and built speaker cabinets and if any of you remember DLK speakers, that was my neighbor that invented them. I put those in my cabs and still use those speakers in my cabs to this day. If you do searches online for DLK speakers you will find them.

I built a guitar as well (from a kit) but sold that to help get a Les Paul guitar. I still have my Les Paul and hope my home made guitar has a happy home somewhere out their ;-) Now I have a chopped out motorcycle in the garage in pieces and my wife is not happy with the progress so I found a mechanic to finish what I turned into a disaster. jimi-hendrix

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BCShalom
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November 16, 2011 - 2:22 pm
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Hey, my guitarnow, at least you didn't buy four Harleys in two years!!!  Talk about a wife that isn't too happy!!  I took the better part of valor and got rid of two of them.  And gave one to my son, the newest Marine in the Corps.  Semper Fi!  Like Father Like son.  Awwwww.  

Yes, a good wrench is someone who will keep your wife happy with your chopper.

You need to post a picture of it when it's done.  I trust it is American Iron from Wisconsin?  X X

 

Shalom Shalom

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Sofia Leo
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The bass bar is in. The first step is to mark the location on the inside of the top, being sure to put it on the bass side -

Image Enlarger

Three small pieces of wood are then lightly glued along the lines to keep the bar straight while fitting and gluing -

Image Enlarger

White chalk is rubbed onto the top where the bar will go to test the bar for high spots -

Image Enlarger

Then it's a matter of rubbing the bar lightly across the chalk and taking off the excess wood until the bar fits snugly against the top plate -

Image Enlarger

A plane, scraper and/or sandpaper can be used to shape the bass bar and I used all three this time around. The fit has to be pretty exact so it doesn't vibrate loose or fall out someday.

Clamped up and drying over night -

Image Enlarger

The smudges are water used to clean off the excess glue and will be further sanded out when the clamps come off.

The bass bar with both fiddle kits was partially shaped when the kit arrived, making it fairly easy to get a good fit. I'll further sand and shape the bar when the glue is dry.

A good pictorial of fitting an unshaped bass bar can be found here.

Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com

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Fiddlerman
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November 21, 2011 - 11:27 pm
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Very nice Cat. Thanks thumbs-up

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Kevin M.
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I like the cleats to keep the bass bar from sliding around.  I have had one move on me when clamping and then had to reheat and reglue.  That hide glue sure does set up fast.

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BCShalom
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I think I am going to get the 48 dollar kit and see what I can do with it.  I have all the hard ware on order now, so all I need it a saddle, glue and a glue pot. Planes and scrapers.  It would be so wonderful to play a violin you had a small part of bringing into this world.  LOL  can't wait to give it a whirl. I can convert my sons old bedroom into a work shop.  He can sleep on the couch when he comes home on leave. 

 

Shalom Shalom

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