Now that the purfling is installed, we proceed to finish the outside arching of the back. The arching shape has a profound impact on the final tone of the instrument. Over the years I have settled on a particular arching shape for the Strad model that I find reliably produces an instrument with exceptional tone. [...]
Now that the aqueous phase of varnishing is complete, it is time to prepare the ground. The purpose of the ground is to provide a smooth base for the colored varnish and to prevent the varnish from penetrating the wood. The first step is to mix some pumice powder into some clear varnish. This is [...]
Now that the outline is established and the purfling platform is made, it is time to purfle the back. Purfling is one of the more demanding tasks in violin making. The purfling channel is cut by hand and must fit the purfling exactly all around the instrument. The purfling strips must be bent and cut [...]
Now that we have the back joined, we need to draw and cut the outline and establish a platform for the purfling. We draw the outline by clamping the rib assembly on the back and tracing the rib outline about 3mm proud. The outline is then cut out. Now, obviously we have an excessive amount [...]