Rib making from start to finish (condensed)
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- Опубликовано: 28 дек 2016
- This video show (very condensed) my way of making the ribs following the ancient cremonese method based on the inside form.
To go more deeply into the details of the process, see the dedicated videos tutorial on my youtube channel.
Those interested may refer to the index with direct links to all 16 videos of the series on rib making wich can be found on :
davidesora.altervista.org/vide...
.Index of all my videos on violin making:
English: davidesora.altervista.org/vid...
Italiano: davidesora.altervista.org/video/
Davide Sora® is a registered trademark
Davide Sora® è un marchio registrato
Thanks, Mr. Sora! I am a brazilian lawyer and entousiast of violin making and I love watching you working. You are just great! And very generous too!
I have been playing violin for over 20 yrs. @ had no idea of the craftmanship to a well handmade violin.No wonder they sound so incredible!!!
Totally professional. Loved every moment. Sincerely Thanks.
Beautiful hand work and fitting, nice to see there's still some around.
You videos have inspired me to look into becoming a Luthier. Keep up the great videos.
Absolutely the best Artisan clip I have been lucky to see. Thanks.
Hi Davide. Welcome to my list of Master Craftsmen of this age.
I could watch you work for hours (and I have). This video was especially great because I am at almost this exact stage in building my first violin and it answered a bunch of questions. Thanks!
Goeie nag Lutier ek volg altyd jou woorde en hoe dit altyd gedoen moet word. Maar iets of spesifieke woorde maar ek leer bietjie vir bietjie, en jou werke is pragtig.
Bravo Davide! I like Your perfectionism!
otimo video para aprendizagem.
Parabéns!
Quanta cura , e quanta pazienza per creare poi un bellissimo violino !! Grazie Davide per condividere il tuo lavoro!! Sempre bravissimo liutaio !! 👏🏻👏🏻❤️🥇❤️
It is good to see you using the same methods I was taught and used for over thirty years at the bench!! Well done. Carry on!
😉probably 300 years Old method...
Amazing! This is exactly what I needed to see. Im an amateur woodworker and violinist (well, I play the violin anyway but I’m not that good, haha) and I want to try my hand at making one. This process was the one I still had questions on. Now I think I have my game plan. Thanks for this.
Yes, for block carving the inside bevel gouge is not essential but certainly useful, the width is 18,5 mm and 13,5 radius of the curve. But as you see I use also a "normal" gouge for finishing
Beautiful workmanship!
Pero que placer ver este vídeo!! Muy bueno. Los enfoques, zoom... 👏👏
Thank you so much for sharing! I´m just getting into building, and this cleared up so many questions for me :)
I'm so impressed by your beautiful workmanship, truly works of art. Thank you for all the effort to share these videos with excellent resolution. I'm on my 1st violin and so admire your skills. Thank you again.
Thanks for your kind words and good luck with your first violin😊
Absolutely beautiful craftmanship.
This is a very good video indeed. Thanks for sharing, Mr. Sora.
Magnificent craftmanship!
Thank you for sharing this, it is exactly the same way we make violins at the CMB of Puurs in Belgium.
Thanks! Congrat for your center for the construction of musical instruments, even if I don't understand nothing of the wording on your site....😊
Waiting for the English translation.
Beautiful flamed mould!
So pedantic and accurate, wow I will learn from you.
Excellent video, very clean work!
Thanks David, I think the clamps will work better than clothes pegs... I am working on my first acoustic violin at the moment. Kind Regards, Robert
beautiful work.
Thank you very much for videos.
Spectacular vidoes, thank you so much!!
muito lindo mesmo este trabalho sobre instrumento violinos
o seu dão é maravilhoso tenho vc como um professor adimiro muito o seu trabalho almejo q um dia DEUS prepare de poder te conhecer pessoalmente .DEUS me deu o dão de fazer violino mas não estudei em nenhuma escola e seus vídeos tem me ajudado muito obrigado a muita riqueza de detalhes neles parabéns pelo seu trabalho DEUS o abençoe um forte abraço
Bravo esse Luthier, seu dom também bravo, aprender sozinho a fazer violino muito legal, tenho muita vontade de aprender, só que não tenho coragem de arrisca na construção só sem instrução de um profissional. Parabéns
so much care and consideration...thank you!
I think you could split the atom with that gouge! Beautiful work
Bravo Maestro!!!
grazie per video Maestro. A presto
When I first saw the link to this video I thought it was a video on how to cook meat haha. Then I saw it was a video by you and I thought it strange that you would make a video on such a thing. And then I realized what ribs really meant.
I've never tried ancient Cremonese ribs XD
EpBman, I swear that was a butter knife that he used to split those blocks at the end.
Thank you!✝️
Exelente nos mínimos detalhes.
1
Amazing!
מקצוען ופרפקציוניסט, כיף ללמוד ממך!
תודה
Davide Sora tell me if you open course, I'll come!! אתה ענק!
Parabéns ,quem e capaz de fazer esse trabalho com madeira ,está apto a ser um Cirurgião plástico ,Tai gastei.
Amazing wonderful work and video. What is the purpose of applying (sealant/glue?) to the faces of the blocks at 17:20 ? Thanks.
Sealing the end grains of the blocks is necessary to prevent the glue from being absorbed when gluing the back and top to the ribs, causing a starved joint
Absolut perfect working. Nevertheless I have the impression there is no room for sculpturing with the eyes and imagination in spite of mesuring every detail. Perfect workmanship is not automatically followed by a very good violin. But excuse me for this point of view: credo que il vostri violini sono benissimo, maestro.
The eye is still the most important tool for the luthier and the most used during the work where all the evaluations and final decisions are evaluated by eye, not with the caliper. Measures are used to quantify what the eye sees, but what can not be shown in a video is precisely the variability of all those measures that in the end are determined by the eye and personal taste. However it would not be very kind to not indicate any measure by simply saying "do it by eye", but it is important to understand that the measures indicated are only an indication, they are not put there just to be copied.
It's up to you to decide what will be the measures that correspond to your aesthetic sense, the videos just shows examples of mine.😉
chapeau l'artiste!
☺️merci!
Wonderful!
Superb!!!
Have you tried using a “shooting board” to plane the ends or even the sides of the ribs? I made one for my shop so I plan to use it for some parts of the violin making process.
It could be useful, but in fact you don't need to plane the sides and the heads of the ribs before bending them with extreme precision because in the end all these surfaces will be removed, freehand plane and eye can be enough. I use a shooting board when the side to be planed square must be finished straight off the plane, such as fingerboard sides as example
Why am I even looking at this? Very nice though!
Is there practically any difference in making the linings 1.5 vs 2mm? Or width 6mm vs 8mm? When I knock a violin plate from outside, if the linings are thinner I feel they ring more like a dull thud, like a violin that sounds better... is 2mm linings overkill? Thanks
The linings are an important factor that determines the stiffness/flexibility of the ribs, which in turn are the most determining element of the rigidity of the soundbox. So varying their size is actually crucial. In my opinion, making them too thin and above all too low in height would make the ribs too flexible by removing the necessary support for the free vibration of the plates. But on the other hand, even making them too thick and high would probably make the ribs too stiff, limiting the breathing factor of the soundbox. For me the ideal measurements for violin linings are 1.8 / 2.0 mm thick and 7.0 / 7.5 mm high, but understanding what changes by changing these measurements would be quite difficult, as it would involve the complete disassembly of the violin, thus making the final judgment unreliable. As usual it is a very complex matter, so the best solution is to rely on your personal experience, and on the observation of these elements in ancient violins that have a high acoustic performance (not all of them, therefore🙂). If you want to get an idea of how complicated it is to draw conclusions reliably, you can listen to this lecture by Mr Gough and perhaps research and read all his papers that he has published, highly recommended: ruclips.net/video/1W5EJF1slr4/видео.html
Or those of many other scholars, which you find on this youtube channel: ruclips.net/channel/UCb8nC_6JQtlqal0-bVQZMegvideos
I am just a simple luthier, I do not like it and I would not be able to venture into scientific explanations, which, moreover, do not actually exist due to the complexity of the vibratory behavior of the violin structure.
What kind of person would thumbs down the art of luthiers.
I didn't but tbh his method is not amazing, lot of unnecessary and time consuming steps. Wish I had as much time on my hands as 'maestro' Davide :)
Thank you Davide, I got a lot out of watching your techniques. This is going to solve many of the problems I have been experiencing. I really appreciate you making these videos public. I wonder your source for the very large sheet of abrasive paper? Aso I like your lining clamps. Are those available for purchase?
The large sheets of abrasive paper (grit 80) here in Cremona are found in normal hardware stores or paint shops. With regard to the lining clamp,mine were made by hand in times when there were not so many specialized tools shops, starting from a robust U-shaped aluminum profile and 3.5 mm diameter Allen screws.
Now I think the best you can find are these : www.cremonatools.com/clamps-for-linings-and-edges.html
Of very refined aluminum construction, they have the only disadvantage of being rather costly! 🙂
That’s the nicest mold I’ve ever seen 😂
I wish I had half your skills,,,!!!!!!!
THANK YOU for all that detail. All the other videos are very sparse in the ribs. I never could visualize how the points came together. Why the scraping of the ribs after assembled? To bring down the thickness even more, or to bring out the grain? or some other reason?
You can find the complete index of videos on my blog, simply click on the topic that interests you and you will see the list of videos with links in the right making process order : davidesora.altervista.org/videos/
The final scraping is to make a surface finish, wetting the ribs (and letting them dry well before final scraping) to raise the grain and prevent it from rising too much during varnishing.
I am so impressed with the steps needed in making a violin. It ain't no "willy nilly" thing.
Nobody waits for parts delivered by UPS from "express violins", or anything.
"Violins in about an hour." NO WAY!
Yeah, the precise control with his chisel work, by hand. WOW!
Oh, this ain't some guy sitting by his CNC machine with his girly magazines.
At 15:03 you use sandpaper to make the top flat against the table, then you use a plane and make the top and no longer flat. Is that to take into account the tension of the bass bar?
It has nothing to do with the bassbar, but it is the taper found in all ancient Cremonese instruments (Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari). It's not clear why they did this, but for me it serves to counterbalance the deformation of the soundbox induced by the tension of the strings, to prevent the top from sinking into a concave profile. Furthermore, it creates a slight pre-tensioning of the top, allows an increase in the neck angle, and also has a positive aesthetic effect on the profile of the soundbox. When fitting the bassbar, you need to take into account this profile on two staggered planes, so I use a frame that reproduces this profile of the ribs to which I fix the top, so as to be able to effectively and correctly control the tension of the bassbar. See this video: ruclips.net/video/HOwSW1wU0rI/видео.htmlsi=LujkkU35a1qYNYeW&t=176
I am preparing to start my first violin. I was confused about the bevel on the upper block of the C bout at the 6:50 mark in the video. I haven’t seen this before, and the bevel seems to be outside of your layout line. What was the measurement you were taking? And is this just a method that you are using to get to your required measurement?
All my videos show my working method, of course it works really well for me, but not necessarily for everyone. You don't have to follow it to the letter if you don't want to, you can do whatever you like if you can get satisfactory results. Anyway, the bevel is used to accurately define the effective size of the blocks and to effectively control the length of the corners from one violin to another. If you like them shorter, decrease this size, or increase it if you want them longer. The outline layout is for reference only, and should not necessarily be followed. This is one of the strengths of the Cremonese system of the inside form, which allows you to modify the corners and the outline freely, allowing for a more "artistic" approach.
Violinmaking is not always repeating the same thing trying to get violins that are all the same, there are factories and CNCs for this. Just look at the violins of Stradivari (or Amati, Guarneri, and all other ancient Cremonese makers) to realize that each violin is always different from the other, even if the same form has been used.
The gouge that you use at 11.09 sharpened as a sharp edge or as a scraper?
It's a normal gouge, scary sharp.😊
where can I buy little clamps for doing the linings with on my violin I am making
The ones you see in the video are self-made by me, but you can find similar ones on the market.
For example these, which are even better than mine, but be prepared to spend a good amount of money:
www.cremonatools.it/clamps-for-linings-and-edges.html
The cheapest solution is to modify clothes pegs by squaring their heads and increasing their gripping force, i.e. adding rubber bands, additional springs, etc. They are not as effective and reliable as the mini clamps but many use them.
Hi David. Are you wetting the corner blocks and ribs with water toward the end? or sizing them with thin glue? Cheers. Nice work!
Thanks!😊
At time 18:20 I'm wetting the wood with water only, to swell it before the last finishing with scraper (after letting it to dry thoroughly). At time 17:19 I'm saturating the endgrain of blocks with glue, to prevent them from absorbing too much during the gluing of the back and top plates.
For better understanding see the most detailed videos of the complete series on rib making, you will find the translation of the captions by opening the window below the video : ruclips.net/video/7Vh22WRH078/видео.html ruclips.net/video/WWTDMi9_IJw/видео.html
Hello Mr. Sora! Apologies for my endless questions 🙈. But I have seen both hide glue and synthetic glue recommended for fixing the blocks to the mould. What makes you choose the synthetic glue for this? My thought process is that since hide glue is more reversible it may be easier to remove from the mould later, but please correct me if I’m wrong. Many thanks 🙏 ❤️
I prefer synthetic glue (Titebond aliphatic glue) simply because it is more practical because ready to use and this glue will not remain in the finished violin. To clean the form I scrape it off with a chisel used as if it were a scraper, fast enough anyway. But you can safely use the hide glue, with the foresight to adjust the dilution well otherwise if it is too diluted there will be the annoying problem of the blocks that come unstuck, perhaps with the ribs already glued.😊
Do the ribs have to be bent on one specific side or they usually have the same quality on both sides.
In principle, both sides are fine, provided that the cut is correct (radial) and that there are no particular aesthetic defects or residual toolmarks that if it were the case it would be better to keep inside, obviously.
My great granddad use to make violins and I want to try my hand at it... Is there an good way to find someone who would let me do sort of an apprenticeship? Great video and beautiful work!
Here in Cremona (and generally in Italy) it is difficult to find luthiers who take you as an apprentice because of very restrictive regulations, they should hire you as an employee but costs and bureaucracy are high. I do not take apprentices for this and also for lack of space (small workshop). Yes, then also for a personal choice that my violins have to be built only by myself, without the work of other hands, and that it is better to work alone to concentrate better on the job, but this is another story......
But asking does not cost anything🙂, so you just have to ask around, maybe some maker available could be there.
In the worst case you always have my videos to have fun😁
Thank you for sharing your exceptional craftsmanship with us. Very impressive attention to detail! Just one question: for the first set in this process, is there any reason you didn't use a shooting board rather than doing so much of the work free-hand?
I use the shooting board, you see it at the minutes 2:56 and 17:53 (if that's what you mean). But violin ribs are very thin and fragile (1.1 mm thickness only) and there is the risk of breaking them, so I prefer to do the job more gently with the plane, there is more control and better visibility of what you are doing. If you like you can see the work much more in detail in the complete series of videos on rib making : ruclips.net/video/F3y0-PSoL74/видео.html
@@DavideSora a shooting board is a flat board with a stop at perfect 90 degrees. A plane is then put on its side to trim the end grain of wood that is put against the stop.
@@mrgolftennisviolin You are right, thank you for the clarification. In my previous answer two years ago, I didn't get it right, and I confused it with the sanding board I use for flattening. However, I don't think a shooting board for squaring blocks can save significant time if you're skilled in using the plane freehand, but it may work. Consider that you should make a dedicated one for corner blocks, which have an angle greater than 90° in the recesses of my forms.
Lovely work , also like the fiddleback on your mold and your mini clamps... did you make them yourself?
I didn't make them personally, but I had taken them in the eighties from a colleague who had them custom made by a craftsman. At that time there was no such type of clamps on the market, today you can find for sale even better made : www.cremonatools.com/clamps-for-linings-and-edges.html?SID=6c25580be2543931be25e91f8f778fc6&___store=en&___from_store=it
Very nice clamps but quite expensive, given the number you need, and basically mine do their job just fine.
I waited forever for that.
If you are interested in more details you can find them in this playlist with 16 specific videos : ruclips.net/video/F3y0-PSoL74/видео.html
at 5.45 on this video, you are using a chisel that I am not familiar with and cannot find on the internet, I wonder if you could share what type of chisel that is .thanks kevin
I bought It from Dictum many years ago, it's a japanese inside bevel gouge, but now seems discontinued. Now Dictum sells this one which is conceptually similar although slightly different in size from mine www.dictum.com/en/scroll-gouges-jbc/herdim-cornerblock-gouge-sweep-6-16-mm-715551 and you can find something similar from other sellers as well, like for example Karlsonn which is an excellent manufacturer, who can also make them tailor-made on specific request: klensmide.se/en/violin-making-gouges/cornerblock-gouges/ Anyway this gouge is certainly useful but not essential, the width is 18,5 mm and 13,5 mm radius of the curve. Before using this inside bevel gouge I was using a "normal" gouge, that I still use for finishing the curves (see other videos of the series in this playlist: ruclips.net/video/bF3cmIIipyQ/видео.html ).
Great!!!
then how you would remove the finished rib from the mould?
You can see how to do in this video, it's the very first one I've ever done, because many people asked me this question : ruclips.net/video/C8L9Lcun9b0/видео.html
Really simple and straightforward.
Davide, tell me about your corner templates--for example at 4:00. Did you make these yourself, or are they available somewhere on the market? I have looked far and wide for templates such as these to make sure that my corners are absolutely perfect; until I find something along these lines, I must continue to painstakingly scrape down to finish height. Cheers.
Yes, I make all the templates I use myself. However, all templates are only an indication for roughing, to quickly and safely get close to the final lines. To get to the final shape there is nothing that can replace your eyes, because it is not a matter of replicating a shape every time, but of learning to harmonize the lines so that each violin is never exactly the same as another but retain its unique character.
beautiful work! I am left with one question. Having glued in the internal rib supports how do you get the form out?
Thanks!
You can see the form extraction system in this video: ruclips.net/video/C8L9Lcun9b0/видео.html
Very easy!
@@MateWiggy Don't forget to add a few drops of water, otherwise hide glue does not melt but burns. However to glue blocks to the form I use a small drop of Titebond, so if you want to unglue them you have to use a dash of alcohol instead of water, but a firm blow with a hammer shortens the operation a lot😊
@@DavideSora Is the internal rib support only on one side presumably the top side?
@@gary24752 I don't get what you mean with "internal support". If you mean the linings, they are glued on both side, top and back.
What wood are you using for the blocks? I know you can do it with spruce, but for me the wood you use does not look like spruce. Is it lindenwood?
The wood I use is Willow, the one that Stradivari used, but you can also use Spruce (used by Guarneri del Gesù) and lime (Lindenwood) or poplar have also been used traditionally. Willow is the most common in the ancient Cremonese school, but any light, low-density wood can work, taking care to use more compact and strong blocks for the upper and lower blocks which are stressed by the tension of the strings.
@@DavideSora Thanks a lot for your reply :)
Hi Davide, i see you are using willow, are their some quality difference in willow for the corner blocks? i have willow, but the year rings seems really hard to see, cause now while cutting the corner blocks, it splits wrong and it is hard to bring it in shape.
There is willow and willow, it depends on how it is cut, where it comes from, the position in the trunk where it is taken, etc., etc., and this applies to any other wood. The orientation of the grain is not very critical in willow because it is a homogeneous wood (for spruce instead it would be so because of its inhomogeneity between earlywood and latewood). On the other hand, the fundamental thing for every wood is the direction of the split (direction of the fibers), which must necessarily be straight to facilitate cutting and optimize the resistance of the blocks.
If the direction of the fibers is twisted (such as if the wood comes from the lower part of the trunk near the roots, or from trees grown in a very twisted way) cutting the blocks can become a real nightmare, that's why it is important to use only those with a regular and correctly oriented split.
Another important thing is the weight, if your willow has a density greater than 0.38g/cm3 it would be too heavy to be ideal for corner blocks, the lighter the better. Thus, one can also overlook the grain direction with willow (for example there are antique violins with tangentially oriented or completely random grain orientation), but if your wood does not meet the other split and weight requirements I mentioned it means that it's not a good choice for blocks.
@@DavideSora thank you for your in depth answer, do you have some wood suplliers you prefer? i just ordered wood by cremonatools by the way
@@mkdijkstra4855 The willow I use I got from Rivolta ( riwoods.com/it/ ), but I don't buy wood through the internet, I've always chosen it personally, so I don't know who else to recommend.
I'm a big fan of yours. When marking the block with a pencil, I wonder if both front and back are marked. Thank you for the good video.
Yes, the pencil marks are made on both the top and the back side, you can see more in detail how I do in this video: ruclips.net/video/K8L4duhr2IY/видео.html
English translation in the description under the video
@@DavideSora It's a quick and kind reply.
I watched the video, but I missed that part.
Thank you always for sharing great violin making videos.
During the portions using the bending iron, instead of a steel bending strap I see sold online, are you using a strip of leather and a thin sheet of copper? I’m just starting out and trying to save money where I can.
Yes, it is a 0.5 mm thick copper strip. I'm better off than with steel because copper is plastic and holds the bend while steel is too elastic for me, but it's a matter of habit and a slightly different bending technique. The leather strip is approximately 2 mm thick, its purpose is to be able to maintain constant pressure without burning your fingers
@@DavideSora Grazie, Maestro!
question, again from me :), what kind of bending iron are you using? and is it still for sale? i am a really beginner, and would like to have the same shape, as i have already one, but it is hard for me to bend it to the c's of my own mould
The Cs are the tricky ones to bend well...you have to make sure to always keep them perfectly in contact with the iron in order to keep the heat uniform inside the wood, applying the pressure to bend very slowly and progressively and with a very even distribution.
My bending iron is very old and self-made, you will not find it for sale. But it is possible to change the shape of yours with files and sandpaper files and a lot of patience, I did it with mine which at the beginning did not have an ideal shape. In fact, if you notice in the video you can see that I have inserted a thickness of brass in the center of the iron to increase the thickness and be able to make more open and progressive curves. Consider that using a different metal as I did is not the best for the different expansion coefficient when it heats up, I was forced to grind it when hot to avoid edges😅
If you like, you can send me an email so I can send you a photo of my iron taken from above with a measure of the width from which you can get the exact profile to compare to yours.
@@DavideSora i have send you the mail, and thanks again for the explanation
He must be really good at sharpening chisels,sharp as a razor! Incredible skill with wood. How long did it take to do the work on this video? One day....several? 🤔🤔🤔
Several days, also because I prefer to let the glue dry for at least 8 hours after each gluing.
Tool sharpening is of paramount importance, everything get easier and more accurate with tools that cut really well.
Nice
I've seen the reinforcement bits done with a taper at the bottom to cut down on weight. I wonder if it makes much difference. Thoughts?
If by reinforcement bits you mean the linings, these are always finished by cutting them in a wedge shape to save weight. You can see it in this video: ruclips.net/video/dFVzi65U3ks/видео.html
This has an effect on the weight but above all on the flexibility of the ribs structure and therefore of the soundbox, with positive acoustic influences especially on the emission power at low frequencies.
The videos titled "... from start to finish" are just a condensed version to show the work in a generic way, to see all the details of the work you have to look at the more detailed ones. You can find a full index with direct links to these detailed videos, listed in working progress order here: davidesora.altervista.org/videos
@@DavideSora Thanks for your reply. I only found your channel last night so I'll be sure to check out the other videos. I'm very grateful for stuff like this as a complete beginner.
@@cameronburnett9679
Enjoy😊.
If you need to ask questions or receive clarifications, do not hesitate to ask, maybe I don't answer immediately (I get many questions) but I try to answer everyone as quickly as possible
skill and patience
And we came upon this, 2 years later..
Awesome videos! Question: at 8:14 with the piece on the glass, you rock it back and forth - I suppose it's not supposed to be planar in the top-bottom direction. (it should be in the left to right directions). Why is this? Does it make it difficult to mate with the top and bottom (which I assume are planar)? Is this done to purposely induce stress in the top and bottom (once attached). Or is it for aesthetics? Thanks for the great videos!
I suppose you refer at 18:14 and not 8:14 .
Yes, the rib surface is angled on the top side, starting from the upper corners to the neck block, This is a tipical features of ancient cremonese makers (Amati, Stradivari ecc.) and an integral part of the ancient cremonese working method. This angle put the top in tension counteracting the bridge pressure and lower the top at the neck for better clearence of the fingerboard. It works even aestethically making the sounbox profile fuller in the center, while if the line of top and back are straight they optically seem to approach in the center giving an impression of weakness of the soundbox seen on the ribs side......aesthetic subtleties......... :-)
See this video for more detail on the making of this slant : ruclips.net/video/it_65hzYxrg/видео.html
@@DavideSora Thanks! It's great that you take the time to reply to so many comments!
@@DavideSora So how does the top fit the ribs? Is the bottom of the top shaped to compensate for the slight angle?
@@gary24752 No, the plate is flat, when it is glued it bends slightly to adapt to the ribs.
I rally enjoyed your video and also went through your other demonstration videos. I went through every comment (first time ever) and was amazed to see that you answered anyone who had a question thoroughly and with patience You mentioned that you don’t have an apprentice, is this your way of encouraging budding luthiers?
I notice you have a window in the workshop which you keep closed. Do you normally work by natural light?
I receive many requests for apprenticeships and I am sorry to always disappoint the expectation, but this would be too detrimental to the concentration needed to work well and would waste a lot of time. So I thought about these videos, it's not the same thing as being an apprentice but I tried to make them as if one were standing at my side while I work. Then, of course, it is also an effective way to let people who are interested in my violins know the way they are made.
Natural light is not good when there is a need to cast shadows to see the relief and lines of your work, It has only some usefulness when it comes to varnishing to evaluate colors (that's fundamental), but even here it is more effective to have a light that can be positioned in the desired directions to be able to read in the reflections.
Thanks for your appreciation😊
@@DavideSora thanks for prompt and thorough reply. Do you ever sleep?
@@keithyoung7Sometimes ☺️
Thanks ❤
Hi Davide, Thanks for your all videos, I learned too much from you, I will visit Cremona in the end of October, I hope to can visit you and your workshop if it’s possible, I’m thankful if you accept my visiting, thanks.
I would gladly welcome you for a visit, but send me an email a few days before because with the COVID situation things could change rapidly, who knows. Mask still mandatory, unfortunately☹️
Davide Sora
Thanks Davide, I will be in Cremona between 26-28, and the first day will visit Giovanni in academia cremonensis in the morning. After this I will be free, witch day is best for you 27 or 28 October? I like to look around in Cremona, that’s my first time. I know about the mask, it’s OK for me.See you in Cremona
Have a nice weekend.
@@arashamed In those days I should be in my workshop, the best times to visit me are after 11 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
@@DavideSora Ok thanks , see you,.
@@DavideSora Hi Davide, i like to let you know that my flight is canceled and i dont know when i will visit Cremona, i will inform you before, thanks you very much
may i have a pdf of the violin schematic
Sorry, I don't have one, plus it's a personal thing that I prefer not to share. You'll have to settle for what you see in the video😇
meraviglioso maestro, perché il scalpello retondo?
Non è indispensabile, ma è molto comodo ed efficiente per le sgrossature dei tasselli in quanto tende a tagliare molto più dritto che una sgorbia normale, che tenderà a fare tagli più incavati e irregolari se non si presta attenzione.
Do you have to make a new form for every violin or do they get reused?
The form is reused and lasts a lifetime, but different forms are made for different violin models. I use four different forms for violin, and I do not exclude making others. Then there are those for violas and cellos.
@@DavideSora Thank you! It was something I never found clear :) Congratulations on your videos, they are excellent!
Thank you!
What bending metal is this. I‘m using stainless steel but it get marks on my wood.
The bending sheet is made of copper, the bending iron is made of aluminum. They do not leave any marks, except if they are dirty or oxidized. But stainless steel should also leave no marks if you keep it clean, are you sure it is stainless steel and not ordinary steel?
Davide Sora yes in the description of the product is desclaired as stainless steel . I guess someone ground my steel sheet with sand paper I guess. And now the wood gets regulary marks
I want to buy a handmade violin, what it may cost
What do you mean by handmade violin?
How thick is the rib? Thanks wonderful work!🙏🏻
1.1/1.2 mm
Wow that’s a lot thinner than I thought! Thanks again!🙏🏻
@@1cleandude Thin ribs are very important for the sound, they allow the soundbox to breathe. Of course, there are also the linings that reinforce the structure and increase the gluing surface with the plates. The linings are about 2 mm thick and 7 mm high. You can see the finishing of the inside of the ribs after the removal of the form in this video:
ruclips.net/video/12jxxrw8pXE/видео.html
What kind of wood do you use to make your blocks?
Willow.
Sometimes I use spruce if I make a Del Gesù model, but I prefer willow, which is the wood that Stradivari also used
@@DavideSora Thanks for your quick response David. Is willow used because it is a fairly soft wood, harder than spruce, but softer than maple to aid in connecting the sides and top?
@@wilhelmmatthies5921 The ideal wood for blocks should be light but compact, especially for top and bottom ones that are structurally stressed. Traditional woods are willow, spruce, linden, and poplar. In my opinion, willow offers the best strength/weight compromise, and above all its beautiful color is way better! 😅 But other woods can also work equally well, the important thing is to choose them with the right density and grain, and this also applies to willow.
@@DavideSora thanks again for your quick response and advice.
Your videos are a big inspiration to me! I know that they took and take a lot of effort and expertise to make them, so I am very grateful to you.
Why does is tilt at 15:20? Like this it can not fit to the top. I don't unterstand this. Can you please explain this?
Yes, the rib surface is angled on the top side, starting from the upper corners to the neck block. This is a tipical feature of ancient Cremonese makers (Amati, Stradivari etc.) and an integral part of the ancient Cremonese working method. This angle put the top in tension counteracting the bridge pressure and lowering the top at the neck for better clearance of the fingerboard. It works even aesthetically making the soundbox profile fuller in the center, while if the line of top and back are straight they optically seem to approach in the center giving an impression of weakness of the soundbox seen on the ribs side......aesthetic subtleties......... :-)
See this video for more detail on the making of this slant: ruclips.net/video/it_65hzYxrg/видео.html
@@DavideSora Thank you very much for your answer. I didn't know that. Now it seems to be a little bit more impossible to built one by myself.
@@wlentsch8222 Don't worry, it's not too difficult to make this slant if you look at the directions in my videos😊. In any case, this system is not followed by all luthiers, many tilt the whole top plate from the lower block to the upper one, without making the slant only from the upper corner blocks. In fact, it is simpler and faster, and for many it is just fine like that. But not for Stradivari, Amati and Guarneri, and I think it is worth following and preserving the method of the ancient Cremonese school. But I was born and raised in Cremona, perhaps others do not feel the responsibility given by this origin as I do...😅
I'd find me one of those old Foley-Belsaw planer-molder machines, and make custom cutter knives for it that would create dozens of 8 foot long boards with the profile of each of those corner, and end blocks. Then you just chop them to length with a power miter saw.
One of the major advantages of using the Cremonese form is precisely that of allowing modifications to the blocks to introduce elements of personalization, intentional or derived from manual labor, which will make each violin a little different and therefore unique. What you suggest is serial work, perhaps good for cheap violin factories but completely out of place for a true luthier who wants to make high-quality violins. Then it would, however, be impossible to obtain such long boards with the necessary straight fiber, to be able to split the blocks correctly when you will have to separate the form from the ribs
@@DavideSora With all due respect, I'm a craftsman who produces custom products, each one requires several weeks of effort to produce. The elements that must be unique are given the time they need because there is no way to speed things up. But for every element that I can standardize, I do. My clients appreciate that I don't waste their money by spending undo labor on elements that make insignificant differences. Your point about being unable to find straight grained wood in great lengths is well taken. But it does not invalidate the main suggestion. It is still very possible to mill shorter lengths that are straight grained, and get a huge savings in time.
I appreciate that there are key components that need to be made by hand, such as the belly, and back. It is possible for them to be carved by a CNC machine, but their contribution to the sound quality is too significant to leave to automation. Corner, and end blocks, however, are not that critical since their inner faces are determined by the form. The impact they have on the geometry of the sound box doesn't vary from instrument to instrument because they are cut to fit the indentations in your form. And even the variation they have on the outside of the violin is negligible since you use standard templates to mark them.
@@deezynar Thanks for the detailed explanation. Your arguments are appropriate and understandable, but although corner blocks (as many other details in violin making) are actually insignificant as far as acoustics are concerned, they are decisive as far as style is concerned. I know it may sound silly, but the style of the luthier is an integral part of the work and an indisputable added value, at least as I see it. Of course, the sound is the most important thing, but there are no great violins, old and moderns, that are not strongly characterized by the style of the maker. Some may consider it negligible but fortunately many appreciate it and indeed look for it and are willing to pay for it, precisely because they recognize the added value that it represents.
The use of templates in violin making, although if in a short video can give the impression of repetitiveness, it's just a way to speed up roughing, not a line to be followed blindly. The choices that will lead to the final result must always be dictated by the eye, which guides the hand today as it did 300 years ago. I am also convinced that carrying out the work with ancient hand techniques is a way to preserve them from the inevitable oblivion that they would face in a short time if everyone gave up using them to switch to cheaper "modern" systems, and this concerns all techniques of the making method, not just those with relevance for sound. In fact, the main purpose of my videos is to show in detail how my violins are made so that whoever wants to own them is fully aware of what he will have in his hands, the tutorial aspect of the videos is just a "side effect".
However, I perfectly understand who does not agree with me and who considers many of the things I do anachronistic or simply a waste of time, I think it's purely a matter of choices, many luthiers have made very different choices from mine and I respect them (almost😊) all.
But I don't regret doing mine, they really work for me and are very rewarding.
All the best
Davide
@@DavideSora I wish I could like this reply 500 times. I really appreciate all the work you do, both in raw violinmaking and the videos to bring the process to the rest of us.
5:56 I like that chisel, such a beauty! Did you buy it or make it?
I bought It from Dictum many Years ago, it's a japanese inside bevel gouge
The one at the time I've given, the one youre using for cornerblocks at 6th minute
Yep, I realized later that you had indicated the timing .....see my previous reply.
I see thank you, seems like super useful for cornerblocks
Respect for using a butter knife and a mallet
All handmade tools, modified kitchen knife and wood cutout from a cello scroll, very cheap. 😊😊
Bit slapdash and rough and ready! .......... Ok i lie, Utterly beautiful and that's just the craftsmanship.
😊
Salve sign. Davide, non sarebbe possibile vedere i suoi lavori video, con la necessaria spiegazione in lingua italiana, purtroppo non conosco troppo bene l'inglese, se non pochi vocaboli. Sarei molto grato. Complimenti per la sua capacità di divulgazione. Le auguro buone cose e buona vita.
Salve Virgilio,
la maggioranza dei miei video sono tutti in lingua italiana, solamente le versioni condensate indicate nel titolo con "from start to finish" sono in lingua inglese, ma non contengono molte spiegazioni dettagliate. Ad esempio questo sulle fasce è il condensato di una ventina di video tutti in italiano che affrontano le varie fasi singolarmente e nel dettaglio. Li trovi riuniti in questa Playlist: ruclips.net/video/F3y0-PSoL74/видео.html
Puoi trovare un'indice di tutti i video ordinati per argomenti e fasi costruttive sul mio sito web : davidesora.altervista.org/video/
Basta che clicchi sulle scritte in rosso e t si apre la pagina con i video relativi all'argomento, cliccando sul titolo di ogni video ti si aprirà direttamente su RUclips. Ho fatto questo indice perchè sul canale RUclips i video sono messi in ordine di data di caricamento e non è possibile modificare questo ordine, inoltre c'è un limite alla quantità di video che vengono mostrati sul canale e quelli più vecchi non compaiono più, anche se sono sempre presenti e visibili utilizzando i link dell'indice sul mio sito web.
@@DavideSora ringrazio per la sollecitudine nella risposta, e sto cercando di apprendere le conoscenze necessarie per poter svolgere il lavoro di creazione di un violino. Ringrazio inoltre per il bel servizio sulle vernici. Buone cose e buona vita...
@@virgiliovassalli9404 Buona vita anche a te😊
Why is the back not made from one solid piece of wood please ?
If you mean the lower rib (the back is the back plate in violin maker terms) it can be made either in two pieces or in one piece, but frequently the wood strip is not long enough for a one piece rib. Some make it in two pieces if the back is in two pieces and in one piece for one piece backs for aesthetic reasons (orientation of the flames) but the ancient Cremonese luthiers did not pay much attention to these things and made it almost always in a unique piece to avoid added work. They also made the upper rib always in one piece to better withstand the three or four nails that were used to hold the neck in the baroque violin construction system, today a dovetail joint is made and the nails are no longer used so there are no problem from a structural point of view. Today there is a tendency to use the same wood for the back and for the ribs and scroll, anciently it was almost always different, they didn't care about these "insignificant" aesthetic details, unless the commission didn't come from Noble or Royal families....😁
@@DavideSora so making the back plate from two pieces of wood is a compromise brought about by lack of more suitable materials ?
@@santallum Not exactly a compromise for lack of suitable material but rather a fixation of modern luthiers for aesthetic symmetry😊
In any case, almost all the Stradivarius today have the lower rib in two pieces, as it has been cut by restorers who have had to compensate for plates shrinking over time. The upper one was cut in two when necks was replaced and fitted into the block with a mortise in the modern manner (a stronger joint with no more nails needed).
Ciao che colla usi per legno
Colla animale di pelle, la mia è una colla giapponese molto vecchia che oggi non è più prodotta, ma è dello stesso tipo di queste :
www.cremonatools.it/colla-di-pelle-bovina-100-gr.html
www.cremonatools.it/nikawa-colla-giapponese-100g.html
@@DavideSora ciao ma è tenace come la vinilica o alifatica? va bene per il balsa duro?
@@avionette Se l'incollaggio è fatto bene è più tenace del legno, quindi direi che è più che sufficiente. Le colle sintetiche di solito non si usano in liuteria perchè sono irreversibili, mentre la colla a caldo è reversibile, essenziale per riparazioni e restauri. Poi è più rigida delle colle alifatiche (titebond) e sicuramente di quelle viniliche (vinavil) e trasmette molto meglio le vibrazioni, che negli strumenti musicali è una cosa positiva. Poi dà più garanzie di tenuta nel tempo e sotto carico, la Titebond ad esempio è sconsigliata dalla ditta produttrice stessa per i lavori sotto carico (sembra che non molti leggano le avvertenze sulle confezioni...)
Non ho mai provato a incollare il balsa duro, ma qualsiasi legno si può incollare se si evitano eventuali problemi di assorbimento della colla con i dovuti accorgimenti (eventuale saturazione preventiva con la stessa colla delle superfici di incollaggio) quindi non vedo problemi.
thanks again, and prospero ano
👌👍👏🙏🎶😊