Category: Made Local

  • Kalia Kliban turns pegs for the Redwood Violin

    Kalia Kliban turns pegs for the Redwood Violin

    I talked with woodturner Kalia Kliban back in December about making some pegs for the violin. She had cleared some time in her schedule, done some research, made some jigs and tools and was now ready to turn the pegs. We visited her shop in late February to watch the turning process, and to interview…

  • Project update 6 – A salamander, a label, twisted tailgut and local press coverage

    Project update 6 – A salamander, a label, twisted tailgut and local press coverage

    I’m having trouble knowing exactly what to report on. The videos covering the details of the various processes involved in making the violin are lagging so far behind what is currently going on in the workshop that I worry that there are many points in each video that need context and further explaining. I cant…

  • The bass bar, scroll carving and tailgut making

    The bass bar, scroll carving and tailgut making

    Violinmaking The bass bar is a little supporting strut running the length of the violin, under the bass foot of the bridge. The bass bar’s mass, its shape, position and the way that it is fitted, all have tonal implications for the finished violin. To finish the ribs, I removed the mold that they were…

  • Refining the Plates. Finishing the glue. Marquetry?

    Refining the Plates. Finishing the glue. Marquetry?

    This week I continued work on the plates, the back and top of the violin. The Redwood top The redwood is very light. I measured the specific gravity (density compared to that of water) at 0.27 which, compared to the 0.37 – 0.40 of the spruce that I normally work, with is very light. From…

  • Strings for the Redwood Violin

    Strings for the Redwood Violin

    The strings are the one part of the Redwood Violin that I am not planning to make myself. While it looks like a doable process it is quite involved and I simply dont have time at this point. A second reason is that modern synthetic strings sound different to traditional gut ones and if the…

  • Help Wanted – Machinist

    Help Wanted – Machinist

    Can anyone recommend a local machinist to make these metal parts?

  • Violinmaking at last! Making the Ribs

    Violinmaking at last! Making the Ribs

    I’ve finally got started on making the Redwood Violin. At last I’m going to start to find out how my substitute materials will work. Comparing woods On the ribs (sides) I get to use three of the woods that I’ve collected. The applewood planes and cuts very nicely, leaving a smooth finish off the blade.…

  • Materials Review

    Materials Review

    I’ve been collecting materials for the Redwood Violin for a couple of months and now I have the wood that I need to get started. Heres a review of what I have and what it will be used for. There are still a few finishing materials like varnishes, dyes and pigments that I need to…

  • Re-sawing the applewood

    Re-sawing the applewood

    I normally get the wood for my violins in billets from Europe, pre-sawn to sizes that are easily digestible by a violinmaker. For that reason I’ve never bothered to acquire the machines that most modern wood shops have. The applewood came in a nice five by two foot plank. In violinmaking school I was shown…

  • Violin Pegs

    Violin Pegs

    Materials Violin pegs are normally made of a hard wood, the most commonly used are ebony and rosewood. The favorite wood for the high end pegs that you’ll see on Stradivari violins is English boxwood, stained to a honey color with nitric acid. English box pegs look beautiful after about 70 years of use have…