Getting a good look at this arching in this morning light. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
You saw how the back arching was coming along so it’s only fair that you get to see the back too. The general shape is there but there is still a lot of cleaning up and detail work to do. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
The curves here form a pretty ogee (that’s the name for a pointy arch like that). That’s all. That’s the post today. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Just the outline. Sometimes it helps to strip away all the distractions and focus on the basic shapes. My window makes a nice lightbox to help do just that. It's a nice way both to see if any wonkiness sticks out a needs correcting, and also to check the general aesthetic of the outline. All violins are kind of similar, of course, but the proportions and curves give each one its own vibe. Some are boxy, some delicate, some are aggressive, some are elegant, some are friendly, etc. How would you describe this Guadagnini inspired outline? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Summer comes at you fast! We're already sliding into cold brew weather here in Barcelona (with beans from @syracoffee this time). Luckily with the windows open my workshop gets a decent breeze because there’s still some serious physical labor ahead for these instruments. How do y’all like to stay cool in the summer heat? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Just a quick work in progress snap to start the week. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #wip 
I just love this little ripple in the grain on the back of this violin. It’s a little ripple in time from when- and whatever first caused the tree to grow this way. And here I am seeing it and carrying that ripple forward into the shaping of this instrument. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #wood 
Maybe I should just change the name of this place from “de Vries Violins” to “de Vries squints closely at wood”. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
How many dividers are too many dividers? …asking for a friend. I love dividers. They are, in many ways, the epitome of the craft mode of production. And I’m not the only one who says so. The folks at @lostartpress agree with me, and who am I to gainsay them? I’m still sad that I didn’t snag one of their “Divided we stand” t-shirts or hats with the divider logos on them back in the day. Dividers are ratios, dividers are direct, dividers are haptic, dividers are creative, dividers are logical, dividers are just the best. Do you have a tool or item (not necessarily wood working related, of course) that embodies your work or hobby or interest? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Sometimes you need some caffeine to fuel the carving, especially when tackling a thick piece like this one. Thank you @slow.mov (my local roaster) for the beans! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #coffee 
Both the Guadagnini violin and Guadagnini viola are coming along apace. Working on two instruments at once is starting to feel a little overwhelming but hopefully I can end the week in a good place, enjoy a bit of the summer weather we are having this weekend (my partner mentioned they found a new ice cream place nearby so I'm excited to try that) and come back on Monday ready to refine and finalize these outlines. I'll have some more to say next week about their aesthetic and what I’m learning from making two very different instruments both inspired by the work of the same maker… but for now I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
With the rough sawing of the outline done it's time to refine the shape. I'm using a small finger plane here to hog off some material on the back. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
This one is kind of for all the other violin makers out there. When cutting the initial outline of the back it is VERY VERY IMPORTANT that you don't cut off the button, the bit of wood on the back at the very top where the neck is going to be attached. Everyone has their little tricks for making sure that a momentary lapse of attention doesn't lead to hours of cursing and frustration. My method is to first of all saw relief cuts on either side of the button. That way I have very direct haptic feedback when I've reached that point and tells me to stop. It helps that I cut my outlines with a handsaw so I don't have a big power tool that can let me accidentally power through and make big mistakes quickly. Sometimes being forced to work slowly is an advantage. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
A key element of craft is that, unlike in the interchangeable parts model of mass production, each element is made to fit the work up to that point. So here I have traced the outline for the top and back, not for a template but from the rib-structure that I have made that will go with this specific top and back. That means any errors or weirdness gets carried over, but it also means that everything will be a cohesive whole. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #craft 
Caption contest! Caption this photo and I'll pick a winner on Monday. Winner gets a shoutout, my love, and my respect… and maybe something else. I have no idea. I'll scrounge about in the workshop. Good luck! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
I showed you that close up of the corner block earlier this week, but then I figured maybe my long pedantic explanation would make more sense if I shared what the whole rib structure looks like at this point. The mold—the bit on the inside that the ribs are shaped around—isn’t much to look at so please just imagine that bit away in your mind. Thank you. #violin #viola #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Varnish isn't just color. Color is what folks comment on first, but luminosity, sheen, and texture are all just as important to the overall impression the varnish gives. Unfortunately, they are very difficult to photograph—even though they are very immediate to the senses as soon as you hold an instrument in your hand. This past year we have all gotten used to living more and more of our lives at a distance, intermediated by cameras and screens. And that has been absolutely necessary for our collective health and safety. From my perspective working in craft, I find it interesting to reflect (no pun intended) on what is left out, not just in terms of human-to-human interaction but also human-to-object. Philosophical tangent aside. I tried to take photos that show what the texture of this varnish looks like. This instrument isn't done and both the final color and texture will be slightly different than this, but hopefully this gives an idea of the kind of thing that I am talking about. #violin #varnish #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
This is a top down view of the rib structure. You can see the way the c-bout and lower bout flow together to form the corner. The ribs (which have been bent with heat, remember?) are glued to blocks, one at the top where the neck goes, one at the bottom where the end-button goes, and one each at the four “corners.” Most of that corner block will be cut away, so only the triangle right in point will remain. The rest is there just to have something to temporarily attach to the mold. The ribs are only about 1 mm thick; but you can see inside of the ribs another 2 mm or so of material. Those are the linings. They don't run the whole height of the rib, and are there mostly to provide extra gluing surface for the top and the back. Phew. That’s a lot of explanation for one photo. Oh, and you can see that the c-bout linings are actually inset into the the block a bit. That’s to add a bit structural integrity which is especially useful when removing the rib structure from the mold. In this viola I am using spruce for the blocks (same as what the top is made of) but folks also sometimes use willow. Anything I forgot to describe or explain? Feel free to leave questions in the comments! #violin #viola #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
I did a little more varnish work over the weekend so here is the quick update. This is pretty close to done. I think I usually say that about 17 times per instrument, so, you know, this one will get there eventually. I’m going to give this last coat plenty of time to dry before doing anything else. There is no virtue in rushing, a lesson I have learned the hard way in the past. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
I am lucky to have such good workshop helpers, like Spinoza & Tubman here, doing quality control on my work. Their critique is often harsh, but always fair. Do you have similar good helpers with your work? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier #catsofinstagram 
#ThrowBackThursday to me masterfully played a tiny tiny violin back when I worked at the @thomasmetzlerviolinshop in L.A. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Varnish… loading… ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 72% I post these photos mostly to help me keep track of how the instrument changes with each new coat. Each thin coat that gets added affects how the instrument looks, both subtly and profoundly. I often find it difficult to remember what it looked like even just before. It’s easy to slip into the complacency of accepting the current color as the new normal, and losing oversight of where the goal is. Or, to be more blunt: color is hard. The photos help me keep my eyes fresh and honest. I wonder what Strad did though? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Varnish update!! Ok, maybe that doesn’t deserve an exclamation mark but I’m excited to be making progress. The color still has a little bit to go, but I am liking the luminosity and texture that’s happening here. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
There are really fancy clamps out there for gluing the linings to the inside of the of the rib structure. From time to time I think about getting them, and then I just end up using these modified wooden clothes pins again. They work. They’re cheap. And they look cool. #violinmaking #violinmaker #violin #lutier 
Putting this here to remember what this fiddle looked like before varnishing. Actually, not entirely before varnish because it has the ground coat already; but, I’m not going to go down that varnish rabbit hole right now. Just admire the pretty shinny wood, thank you. And thank you to @joethevarnishguy for the ground! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
This is the single best piece of woodworking I have ever done, or at least the one that consistently brings me the most joy. The cats have a litter box in the enclosed balcony/gallery. It’s a good spot for a litter box. The problem is that it’s also one of the sunniest spots in the apartment. Both Spinoza and Tubman solved this by climbing on top of the litter box to sun themselves and take a nap. But the top of the litter box is not only uncomfortable, but also small…specifically too small for both of them to fit at the same time. They usually get along very well but this was a fight neither was willing to back down from. So I got a piece of plywood, cut it down to size, screwed on four legs, and voilà: the perfect cat bed. You can find Spinoza & Tubman napping there together most afternoons and it makes my heart sing to see it every time I pass by. Violins are great and all, but this is clearly the best bit of woodworking I have ever done for the world. #violin #violinmaker #violinmaking #lutier #catsofinstagram 
Taking a break from the viola to work on the violin. Y’all know I am a bit of a luddite in love with the old ways. And that’s true. But, I doubt Strad had a template and a mold like mine. I designed this instrument by first studying the violins made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini and then developing my own geometric construction—so using just a ruler and compass, based on ratios and geometry—that I felt best captured his intentions, aesthetic, and logic. And then… I programed the computer to draw it and had it laser cut in acrylic and MDF. To be honest, for me, this was less about making use of fancy new technology and more about outsourcing production so I don’t have to buy any powertools. The shapes are still all mine and are still faithful to the classic spirit and mindset. And of course, this is just the mold and template; the actual instrument will still be shaped by my hand. So really this is less innovation and more variation on a theme. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
The c-bouts are glued. Before The rest of the ribs can be shaped and glued into place I’m leveling the ribs. You have to imagine the flat plane of the bottom of the top and back plate that will be glued to the rib structure. If I am being honest this is perhaps my least favorite task when it comes to building an instrument. It's not the most difficult or the most strenuous or the most tedious, or the most stressful. I just have never found joy in it. Are there any parts of your job that you don’t find joy in? How do you get through them? #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
After waxing poetic about using string as a clamp I figured I owed you all a follow up that showed a bit better how it worked. The string runs back and forth between the dowel and the caul, alternating between each side to keep the pressure even, and pulled taut as I go. The rib is pre-bent to the correct shape, so this just has to hold in place with sufficient pressure to make sure there is good contact for the hide glue to do its thing. #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier 
Mega #tooltuesday with a whole bunch of tools all in a row. Chissels, and gouges, and dividers, and spatulas, and squares, oh boy! #violin #violinmaking #violinmaker #lutier