Beginning the Fiddle

Okay, so I'm building a fiddle right now and I thought I should document the process for posterity. As far as that's concerned, I'm a little behind, but I'll put up a few posts and try to catch up.

Here's the mold with the blocks already glued in and shaped. We're ready to bend some sides!




I've thicknessed the ribs all the way down to 1mm, but there is always a danger of cracking them. I like to use a bending blanket and a mold. It gives a clean, consistent bend, and seems to minimize that danger. Here the rib for one of the C-bouts is being bent in by jig.










Once the ribs are bent, they're clamped into the mold to set until they're completely dry. Then they're glued onto the blocks. Here's a picture of the clamps on the instrument, gluing on the last rib, a one-piece lower bout.




The ribs are shortened to fit the outline and the corners are planed to a specific angle (this angle varies from maker to maker, but when in doubt, do what Strad did). Next we're ready to install the linings. I bend them four at a time the way I bend the ribs, then do any necessary touchup with a hand bending iron. Then I have to notch the blocks to mate with them. This keeps them from spontaneously releasing from the ribs as a result of expansion and contraction of the wood.





There's my lining all fitted in and snug. I do this to the rest of the inside corners, then I glue them in using high-tech luthier's lining clamps (clothes pins)




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The other linings are notched somewhat differently, but the concept is the same.

So here's my semi-finished rib structure with the linings on it. I have actually started arching the back and top some time ago, but as I said, I'm still catching up. So I'll post some photos of that process later.