• This is one of those photos that’s more for me than for you. I am about to start laying down varnish on this instrument. The transformation from unvarnished to finished is huge, but the incremental change between each step is often subtle. It can be difficult to even remember what it looked like even the day before. I try to take a lot of photos on the way to help me better gauge the process and think about the direction it’s going in and asses what and how much more I do or don’t want to do. So this is mostly a reference photo for myself to help me with the process ahead. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    This is one of those photos that’s more for me than for you. I am about to start laying down varnish on this instrument. The transformation from unvarnished to finished is huge, but the incremental change between each step is often subtle. It can be difficult to even remember what it looked like even the day before. I try to take a lot of photos on the way to help me better gauge the process and think about the direction it’s going in and asses what and how much more I do or don’t want to do. So this is mostly a reference photo for myself to help me with the process ahead. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • It all starts with getting your tools sharp. All sharpening is, is removing, via abrasion, a bit of metal from your tool so that both sides of the cutting edge meet in a perfectly defined—and thus sharp—vertex. With straight edged tools, like chisels, that’s fairly (forgive the pun) straight forward. Both sides of the edge are flat planes so a flat sharpening stone does the job perfectly. Violins, however, have curves. And that means I also need some curved edge tools like gouges. The inside edge of those aren’t flat but curved, like a half-pipe. To sharpen them I have stones that are specially shaped to match those curves, called slip-stones. I use water stones, so before I can get to sharpening I have to soak them for a bit to get them ready for action. That’s what’s happening here in this very exciting #ToolTuesday photo. Not pictured: the cup of coffee I made and drank while I was waiting for them to soak. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    It all starts with getting your tools sharp. All sharpening is, is removing, via abrasion, a bit of metal from your tool so that both sides of the cutting edge meet in a perfectly defined—and thus sharp—vertex. With straight edged tools, like chisels, that’s fairly (forgive the pun) straight forward. Both sides of the edge are flat planes so a flat sharpening stone does the job perfectly. Violins, however, have curves. And that means I also need some curved edge tools like gouges. The inside edge of those aren’t flat but curved, like a half-pipe. To sharpen them I have stones that are specially shaped to match those curves, called slip-stones. I use water stones, so before I can get to sharpening I have to soak them for a bit to get them ready for action. That’s what’s happening here in this very exciting #ToolTuesday photo. Not pictured: the cup of coffee I made and drank while I was waiting for them to soak. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • My fancy-shmancy camera decided to stop working over the weekend so I am stuck to using my phone camera until I figure out what’s going on. My phone camera is not really up to the task of capturing the way light reflects of maple, especially as I start to varnish this instrument. Even with a nicer camera it’s difficult to convey what you see in person and the way the colors and luminosity change and dance. I’ll try to get it fixed soon but in the mean time this will have to do. Welcome to Monday I guess. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    My fancy-shmancy camera decided to stop working over the weekend so I am stuck to using my phone camera until I figure out what’s going on. My phone camera is not really up to the task of capturing the way light reflects of maple, especially as I start to varnish this instrument. Even with a nicer camera it’s difficult to convey what you see in person and the way the colors and luminosity change and dance. I’ll try to get it fixed soon but in the mean time this will have to do. Welcome to Monday I guess. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • This lovely piece of maple sold for $100 back in 1988. Violin makers tend to collect wood. Sometimes you pick up a piece because it moves you in the moment but you never find the right time to use it, or your tastes chage, or you just end up with too much. That’s what happened to this piece which is how it got passed on to me. It’s always special to have a bit of a conection to the past. I wonder if it has a bit of magic in it from that year’s #4 hit single 🎶 Never Gonna Give You Up / Never gonna let you down 🎶 #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    This lovely piece of maple sold for $100 back in 1988. Violin makers tend to collect wood. Sometimes you pick up a piece because it moves you in the moment but you never find the right time to use it, or your tastes chage, or you just end up with too much. That’s what happened to this piece which is how it got passed on to me. It’s always special to have a bit of a conection to the past. I wonder if it has a bit of magic in it from that year’s #4 hit single 🎶 Never Gonna Give You Up / Never gonna let you down 🎶 #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Look at all those wires and shiny stuff! It’s almost more Sputnik than Strad. This is my lightbox. The oil-resin varnish I use requires UV light to “dry.” (That’s dry in scare quotes because it’s actually polymerization, not drying, but we can leave the chemistry lesson for another day.) The classic Italian makers did not have fancy reflective fabric or special UV bulbs. They used the sun. In fact we have a 17th century letter written to Galileo explaining that a violin he desired for his nephew is delayed because: “Concerning the violin, Signor Monteverdi has recently shown me a letter in which his nephew writes him that the new one is in progress, but as he wishes to send an instrument of exquisite work, it cannot be brought to perfection without the strong heat of the sun.” As much as I love tradition, finding a good place to let instruments hang to dry outside, and hoping and waiting for bright cloudless days, is just terribly inconvenient. So I cheat. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    Look at all those wires and shiny stuff! It’s almost more Sputnik than Strad. This is my lightbox. The oil-resin varnish I use requires UV light to “dry.” (That’s dry in scare quotes because it’s actually polymerization, not drying, but we can leave the chemistry lesson for another day.) The classic Italian makers did not have fancy reflective fabric or special UV bulbs. They used the sun. In fact we have a 17th century letter written to Galileo explaining that a violin he desired for his nephew is delayed because: “Concerning the violin, Signor Monteverdi has recently shown me a letter in which his nephew writes him that the new one is in progress, but as he wishes to send an instrument of exquisite work, it cannot be brought to perfection without the strong heat of the sun.” As much as I love tradition, finding a good place to let instruments hang to dry outside, and hoping and waiting for bright cloudless days, is just terribly inconvenient. So I cheat. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • I did not make this violin. It was made by a Rarámuri craftsman in the 1800s. The Rarámuri, to this day, practice a branch of violin making tradition that dates back from well before when Stradivari was alive, to the very beginnings of the instrument. When the conquistadors invaded what is now the state of Chihuahua in Mexico in the 1500s two things happened. First, the people living there, the Rarámuri, fought back. They successfully resisted colonization for centuries. Second, they took the baroque violin the invaders had brought with them and developed it in a new direction of their own, distinct and parallel to the evolution of the violin in Western art music. These Rarámuri violins are refined and beautiful works of craft, designed and executed to meet the musical needs of their community. I would really love the opportunity some day to meet a Rarámuri maker and exchange insights into the craft. I guess that will have to wait till after we deal with this pandemic. In the mean time, stay safe, take care of each other, and happy Indigenous Peoples Day! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #Raramuri
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    I did not make this violin. It was made by a Rarámuri craftsman in the 1800s. The Rarámuri, to this day, practice a branch of violin making tradition that dates back from well before when Stradivari was alive, to the very beginnings of the instrument. When the conquistadors invaded what is now the state of Chihuahua in Mexico in the 1500s two things happened. First, the people living there, the Rarámuri, fought back. They successfully resisted colonization for centuries. Second, they took the baroque violin the invaders had brought with them and developed it in a new direction of their own, distinct and parallel to the evolution of the violin in Western art music. These Rarámuri violins are refined and beautiful works of craft, designed and executed to meet the musical needs of their community. I would really love the opportunity some day to meet a Rarámuri maker and exchange insights into the craft. I guess that will have to wait till after we deal with this pandemic. In the mean time, stay safe, take care of each other, and happy Indigenous Peoples Day! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #Raramuri
  • I always take a look at nuts from the side like this. It’s very important that the strings, especially the G string, come up and over the nut smoothly without any sharp kinks. It won’t affect the sound or the playability. But, any snag will cause the string to wear, unravel, and eventually break prematurely…costing the musician $¥€£₹ ! Quick service announcement here for musicians: when you change your strings always run a pencil through the grooves in both the nut and the bridge. The graphite in the pencil lead will help lubricate the string moving through those grooves as you tune, prolonging the life of your strings. I also just love the aesthetics of how the bevel on the edge of the fingerboard runs into nut and curves down in a tidy quarter-circle, while also blending into the curve of the back of the nut going across the other way. And finally I should add that nothing of what you are seeing is ebony. Because of conservation concerns I have switched entirely to synthetic materials that mimic the desirable properties of ebony, without having to cut down endangered trees. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    I always take a look at nuts from the side like this. It’s very important that the strings, especially the G string, come up and over the nut smoothly without any sharp kinks. It won’t affect the sound or the playability. But, any snag will cause the string to wear, unravel, and eventually break prematurely…costing the musician $¥€£₹ ! Quick service announcement here for musicians: when you change your strings always run a pencil through the grooves in both the nut and the bridge. The graphite in the pencil lead will help lubricate the string moving through those grooves as you tune, prolonging the life of your strings. I also just love the aesthetics of how the bevel on the edge of the fingerboard runs into nut and curves down in a tidy quarter-circle, while also blending into the curve of the back of the nut going across the other way. And finally I should add that nothing of what you are seeing is ebony. Because of conservation concerns I have switched entirely to synthetic materials that mimic the desirable properties of ebony, without having to cut down endangered trees. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • For #ThrowbackThursday, here is how I kept my bridge blanks organized at my old work space back in Los Angeles. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    For #ThrowbackThursday, here is how I kept my bridge blanks organized at my old work space back in Los Angeles. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • This week I am participating in an (online) conference all about acoustics called “Sharpening the scientific tools for violin making,” which makes it perfect for #ToolTuesday. These graphs may not be tools in the traditional sense but they are very valuable as a complement to the traditional craft knowledge we have built up over the centuries. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #science
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    This week I am participating in an (online) conference all about acoustics called “Sharpening the scientific tools for violin making,” which makes it perfect for #ToolTuesday. These graphs may not be tools in the traditional sense but they are very valuable as a complement to the traditional craft knowledge we have built up over the centuries. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #science
  • 🎵 How much is that scroll in the window? The one with the curly tail. How much is that scroll in the window? I do hope that scroll is for sale. 🎵 #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    🎵 How much is that scroll in the window? The one with the curly tail. How much is that scroll in the window? I do hope that scroll is for sale. 🎵 #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Woodwork … ✅ Next up is varnish, but first a bit of ☀️ on the back balcony. I hope the neighbors appreciate the view 😎! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    Woodwork … ✅ Next up is varnish, but first a bit of ☀️ on the back balcony. I hope the neighbors appreciate the view 😎! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Yes, most of my time is spent at the bench carving wood. But, I just got this book so I am making some time to read it…and I figure I may as well enjoy a bit of coffee while I do. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #coffee
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    Yes, most of my time is spent at the bench carving wood. But, I just got this book so I am making some time to read it…and I figure I may as well enjoy a bit of coffee while I do. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #coffee
  • I can’t remember if I have already shared this for a #tooltuesday, so please forgive me if this is a repeat. This is my dummy bridge that I made. It helps me make sure the alignment of the neck is correct while it’s being attached. I have markings to make sure all the various measurements come out correctly. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    I can’t remember if I have already shared this for a #tooltuesday, so please forgive me if this is a repeat. This is my dummy bridge that I made. It helps me make sure the alignment of the neck is correct while it’s being attached. I have markings to make sure all the various measurements come out correctly. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Welcome to another week! Fall is definitely knocking on the door but I am going to stubbornly work with the windows open for as along as I still can. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    Welcome to another week! Fall is definitely knocking on the door but I am going to stubbornly work with the windows open for as along as I still can. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • If you look very closely you’ll notice that the purfling on this corner isn’t “perfect”; (the lower inside black stops just a bit short of the miter joint). But, that’s ok! ‘del Gesù’ Guarneri, after whose work this instrument is modelled, didn’t make “perfect” purfling corners either, so this is actually how it “should” be. The role of mimesis in the production of the aura of authenticity is—if we’re being honest about it—weird. On the one hand, sometimes it feels like nothing more than an aspiration towards the mechanical (re)production of a product, where using the symbology the Brand is what ultimately assures its value as a commodity. On the other hand, sometimes it feels like magic, like incorporating a lock of stolen hair into the witch’s poppet to forge a bond through space and time and thus bring it to life. For me, there remains an unresolvable tensions between these two feelings as I make. Or maybe it’s just a ̶c̶i̶g̶a̶r̶ corner. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #magic
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    If you look very closely you’ll notice that the purfling on this corner isn’t “perfect”; (the lower inside black stops just a bit short of the miter joint). But, that’s ok! ‘del Gesù’ Guarneri, after whose work this instrument is modelled, didn’t make “perfect” purfling corners either, so this is actually how it “should” be. The role of mimesis in the production of the aura of authenticity is—if we’re being honest about it—weird. On the one hand, sometimes it feels like nothing more than an aspiration towards the mechanical (re)production of a product, where using the symbology the Brand is what ultimately assures its value as a commodity. On the other hand, sometimes it feels like magic, like incorporating a lock of stolen hair into the witch’s poppet to forge a bond through space and time and thus bring it to life. For me, there remains an unresolvable tensions between these two feelings as I make. Or maybe it’s just a ̶c̶i̶g̶a̶r̶ corner. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #magic
  • I feel a bit conceited admiting this, but I greatly enjoy seeing my label peeking through the ff-hole. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    I feel a bit conceited admiting this, but I greatly enjoy seeing my label peeking through the ff-hole. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Just a corner. A pointy pointy corner. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    Just a corner. A pointy pointy corner. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • For #ToolTuesday I give you an action shot of a chisel carefully cutting the mortise where the neck will go. This mortise is important not just because the neck has to fit securely but also because it has to be pointing in the correct direction, tilted at the correct angle, seated back at the correct height, etc. The chisel helps accomplish this first by being very sharp and so cutting cleanly, and second by having a flat back that acts as a sort of self-guide when making the cut. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    For #ToolTuesday I give you an action shot of a chisel carefully cutting the mortise where the neck will go. This mortise is important not just because the neck has to fit securely but also because it has to be pointing in the correct direction, tilted at the correct angle, seated back at the correct height, etc. The chisel helps accomplish this first by being very sharp and so cutting cleanly, and second by having a flat back that acts as a sort of self-guide when making the cut. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • This might be one of those photos / views that is more interesting to makers than to the rest of you. I think looking down the side of the instrument like this is just cool. I don’t know why. I can offer nothing to justify it. But I’m sharing it anyway. You’re welcome? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    This might be one of those photos / views that is more interesting to makers than to the rest of you. I think looking down the side of the instrument like this is just cool. I don’t know why. I can offer nothing to justify it. But I’m sharing it anyway. You’re welcome? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • This back still looks cool in the sun. Also, on a related note, I am super stoked that my new workspace gets such great sunlight! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    This back still looks cool in the sun. Also, on a related note, I am super stoked that my new workspace gets such great sunlight! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • So because of the whole moving to Barcelona thing I had to pack up my whole workshop and take a break from working on this instrument for a few months. Usually when working on an instrument I spend so much time with it that it’s difficult to approach it with fresh eyes. Everyday I still have in my mind what happened the day before and the small niggling details just pile up on top of each other. I’m not sure I appreciated just how much that affects my view of my own work until now. I honestly expected to cringe in mild horror when I pulled this violin out and really looked at it again. I vividly remember the sensation of being frustrated and not satisfied while working on it last; but I don’t remember, at least not as clearly, everything that fed into that sensation. Looking at it now, though, I actually feel pretty ok about it. I expect as I spend more time with it again I’ll renotice my annoying mistakes and everything I had wanted to do just a little bit differently. That’s ok, and is part of the practice of craft. But for now—for at least a little bit—I get to be pleasantly surprised by my fresh take on this instrument. And hopefully I can remember, in the future, to step outside my experience of making once in a while when I look at my own work. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    So because of the whole moving to Barcelona thing I had to pack up my whole workshop and take a break from working on this instrument for a few months. Usually when working on an instrument I spend so much time with it that it’s difficult to approach it with fresh eyes. Everyday I still have in my mind what happened the day before and the small niggling details just pile up on top of each other. I’m not sure I appreciated just how much that affects my view of my own work until now. I honestly expected to cringe in mild horror when I pulled this violin out and really looked at it again. I vividly remember the sensation of being frustrated and not satisfied while working on it last; but I don’t remember, at least not as clearly, everything that fed into that sensation. Looking at it now, though, I actually feel pretty ok about it. I expect as I spend more time with it again I’ll renotice my annoying mistakes and everything I had wanted to do just a little bit differently. That’s ok, and is part of the practice of craft. But for now—for at least a little bit—I get to be pleasantly surprised by my fresh take on this instrument. And hopefully I can remember, in the future, to step outside my experience of making once in a while when I look at my own work. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Fingerboards are my Achilles’ heel. Or maybe it’s an ancient, and weirdly specific, curse I picked up somewhere. In the end everything always turns out just fine. And it’s not even that there is anything particularly difficult about them. But, I always seem to encounter some kind of hiccup when it comes to the fingerboard. Over time I have refined my process to make life as easy as possible for myself. This time everything more or less cooperated. I did, however, have to pause and make a run to the hardware store because—of course—this would be the step that reveals what was still missing in my new workspace. And—of course—the hardware store was closed the first time I went because I forgot that here in Barcelona shops close for an extended lunch break in the middle of the day. But now I’m just about ready to move on and attach the neck to the body. Phew. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    Fingerboards are my Achilles’ heel. Or maybe it’s an ancient, and weirdly specific, curse I picked up somewhere. In the end everything always turns out just fine. And it’s not even that there is anything particularly difficult about them. But, I always seem to encounter some kind of hiccup when it comes to the fingerboard. Over time I have refined my process to make life as easy as possible for myself. This time everything more or less cooperated. I did, however, have to pause and make a run to the hardware store because—of course—this would be the step that reveals what was still missing in my new workspace. And—of course—the hardware store was closed the first time I went because I forgot that here in Barcelona shops close for an extended lunch break in the middle of the day. But now I’m just about ready to move on and attach the neck to the body. Phew. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • For #ToolTuesday here is my littlest plane. That's a 1 cent euro coin in the foreground for size comparison. Folks often associate these kind of thumb planes with violin making but the truth is I don't use it that often. But it does work well for shaping the neck. Lengthwise the meck needs to be perfectly straight so that musician can move up and down the fingerboard with ease and free of distractions or hiccups. A plane is the perfect took for the job and this one is just about the right size for it. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    For #ToolTuesday here is my littlest plane. That's a 1 cent euro coin in the foreground for size comparison. Folks often associate these kind of thumb planes with violin making but the truth is I don't use it that often. But it does work well for shaping the neck. Lengthwise the meck needs to be perfectly straight so that musician can move up and down the fingerboard with ease and free of distractions or hiccups. A plane is the perfect took for the job and this one is just about the right size for it. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Just starting to shape the neck. The final touches won't happen till it's attached to the body but I like to get as close as I can now already. It's a lot easier to wrangle into shape without the rest of the instrument connected to it! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    Just starting to shape the neck. The final touches won't happen till it's attached to the body but I like to get as close as I can now already. It's a lot easier to wrangle into shape without the rest of the instrument connected to it! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • And, for the sake of completeness, here is the back. I hope you all are able to enjoy a wonderful weekend! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    And, for the sake of completeness, here is the back. I hope you all are able to enjoy a wonderful weekend! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Here is the scroll from my last violin. This Strad model feels so polite after spending all that time carving the Guarneri model. Which one do y’all like better? #violin #violinmaker #violinmaking #lutier
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    Here is the scroll from my last violin. This Strad model feels so polite after spending all that time carving the Guarneri model. Which one do y’all like better? #violin #violinmaker #violinmaking #lutier
  • I just realized I never shared a photo of my last violin all set up…so here it is! I’ll share some more photos of this instrument over the course of the week as I experiment with the best photography and lighting set up in the new space. The open window backdrop is nice, but I would really like to figure out how to make the most of that natural lighting. Thank you for joining me on this journey! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    I just realized I never shared a photo of my last violin all set up…so here it is! I’ll share some more photos of this instrument over the course of the week as I experiment with the best photography and lighting set up in the new space. The open window backdrop is nice, but I would really like to figure out how to make the most of that natural lighting. Thank you for joining me on this journey! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • For #ToolTuesday let me tell you about the best saw in the world: the Olfa Craft Saw 125B. Sometimes it’s about the best, high end, expensive, specialty tool…and sometimes it’s about the cheap, plastic handled, disposable blade saw that just works super well. The 125B is a japanese style dozuki with a very thin blade and kerf. It might not be meant for “serious” woodworking—hence the “craft” in the name—but for the kind of small precision jobs that crop up in violin making, it’s absolutely perfect. I even bought a whole bunch of replacement blades for it, just in case they stop making them. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    For #ToolTuesday let me tell you about the best saw in the world: the Olfa Craft Saw 125B. Sometimes it’s about the best, high end, expensive, specialty tool…and sometimes it’s about the cheap, plastic handled, disposable blade saw that just works super well. The 125B is a japanese style dozuki with a very thin blade and kerf. It might not be meant for “serious” woodworking—hence the “craft” in the name—but for the kind of small precision jobs that crop up in violin making, it’s absolutely perfect. I even bought a whole bunch of replacement blades for it, just in case they stop making them. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • Just a quick scroll update. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    Just a quick scroll update. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
  • The fluting on the scroll is one of those things that most musicians have probably never really payed attention to or maybe even noticed before. It’s one of those small decorative details that transform a violin from “merely” functional to subtly elegant. The finished scroll, of course, will have two channels running around it, not four like in the picture. But it’s a lot easier to carefully carve each side and then blend them together than to just go for it all at once. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier
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    The fluting on the scroll is one of those things that most musicians have probably never really payed attention to or maybe even noticed before. It’s one of those small decorative details that transform a violin from “merely” functional to subtly elegant. The finished scroll, of course, will have two channels running around it, not four like in the picture. But it’s a lot easier to carefully carve each side and then blend them together than to just go for it all at once. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier