Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.

Currently working on errors from the latest (SimplePress) forum update. Many issues have been resoled and others are being worked on. Thank you for your patience.

AAA
Avatar
Please consider registering
guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed Topic RSSsp_TopicIcon
Finished my first Kit Violin
Stewmac Violin Kit
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (1 votes) 
Avatar
mkogan

Member
Members
July 17, 2022 - 2:37 am
Member Since: January 30, 2018
Forum Posts: 19
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

About 3 years ago my wife purchased me the StewMac Violin Kit. This is the one about 75% complete. Well I finally finished it!

It required installing purfling, carving the fluting/recurve, carving the mortise and setting the neck, cutting/installing soundpost, carving the bridge and fitting strings, etc. Then Varnishing.

Overall it went smooth, but there were some challenges/frustrations along the way.

Cutting the mortise and setting the neck was quite stressful to ensure it was straight and proper height, etc. but went mostly OK, I did have to add a little filler back in on an edge after I was done.

Next challenge was that I thought I needed to shape the pegs, so I attempted to do one and F-D it up. I then purchased another set of pegs and proceeded to F up another one. The next try I got the 1 peg shaped and didn't touch the other 3 originals. So for now I have a missed match set of pegs that the casual observer won't notice. Along with the pegs, the original endpin was undersized for the hole, so I had to replace that also.

Finally, varnishing, I used the Joha kit, the base layers and color layers went down beautifully, but the final clear coats were very frustrating as they would leave micro-bubbles that needed to be sanded out quite heavily. Ultimately I got it smooth and clean, but there are some imperfections that I can see and a real Luthier would notice right away, but overall it looks really good.

As for sound, well, it sounds great and projects very well with inexpensive D'Addario Ascente strings. I know I'll be swapping these out for better strings, I've actually already ordered a different E strings as this one seemed fairly shrill during initial testing.

The bow pictured is just the stock bow from the Tower Strings Legend set. I just ordered a Fiddlerman Brown Carbon Weave bow to go with this violin.

 

Not sure why, but the photos all rotated....

20220715_172704.jpgImage Enlarger20220715_172407.jpgImage Enlarger20220715_172716.jpgImage Enlarger20220715_172739.jpgImage Enlarger20220715_172407.jpgImage Enlarger20220715_172649.jpgImage Enlarger

Avatar
Mouse
July 17, 2022 - 6:01 am
Member Since: December 26, 2018
Forum Posts: 6292
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Nice job. Thanks for sharing that.

Here is a link to @mkogan's original post about his kit:

Stewmac Kit for X-Mas

🐭

                  Learn Violin and Fiddle

                   on

                         Fiddlerman's Fiddle Talk Forum

Avatar
ELCBK
USA
Members

Regulars
July 17, 2022 - 11:57 am
Member Since: June 10, 2020
Forum Posts: 9025
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@mkogan -

Beautiful! 

Congratulations on getting it completed! 

Hope you'll share how it sounds sometime. 

https://clipartart.com/images/emoji-music-clipart.png

 

- Emily

Avatar
SharonC
Members

Regulars
July 17, 2022 - 2:14 pm
Member Since: June 25, 2020
Forum Posts: 1772
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@mkogan  Looks great! The finish looks really good--Congrats on completing it! gold_star

Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.

Avatar
ABitRusty
Members

Regulars
July 17, 2022 - 11:43 pm
Member Since: February 10, 2019
Forum Posts: 4374
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

@mkogan that looks great!  very cool.  congrats on this.

Avatar
mkogan

Member
Members
July 18, 2022 - 12:38 am
Member Since: January 30, 2018
Forum Posts: 19
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Thanks, now I just have to practice and get past Twinkle Twinkle!!!  LOL

I'll see about getting some video once I get some practice in. 

In the meantime, I'm debating what my next project should be.

Thinking about one of the kits from International Violin. They appear to be 1 step up from this as the top is not glued to the back/ribs. After that step up to the one that is rough shaped front, back and rib material.

Forum Timezone: America/New_York
Most Users Ever Online: 696
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 197
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today oneloudmime
Upcoming anonkid, KindaScratchy, freesbee, Allenph, MsJoy, ARCoyne, Gringo, Sandybourne, Guido, A. V. Suvorov, Scrap, DennisS, JiminTexas, mcwey, Andie.Kae, Giovanni
Top Posters:
ELCBK: 9024
ABitRusty: 4374
Mad_Wed: 2849
Gordon Shumway: 2846
Barry: 2690
Fiddlestix: 2647
stringy: 2477
Oliver: 2439
DanielB: 2379
Mark: 2277
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 3
Members: 31771
Moderators: 0
Admins: 8
Forum Stats:
Groups: 16
Forums: 84
Topics: 10912
Posts: 138820
Newest Members:
DorthyPacocha, Juanraynor SP, NicholasReed SP, CarmenBrown SP, peopleshost_1, SergeViner, ruchishah SP, lobos, foron, frefuhf SP
Administrators: Fiddlerman: 16581, KindaScratchy: 1760, coolpinkone: 4180, BillyG: 3747, JoakimSimplePress: 0, MrsFiddlerman: 2, Jimmie Bjorling: 0, Mouse: 6292