When I installed the back plate, the heel had been trimmed flush with the back of the garland, but the upper surface of the heel was still quite irregular, and the upper end of the button was ridiculously oversized. The excess wood made it easy for me to install a clamp, and get the back plate glued on securely. So…when I removed all the clamps, this is what it looked like:
Back plate installed; button and heel not yet trimmed.
Next, I will trim the button and heel, then add purfling, then scrape. These are the tools I will use.
This is roughly the shape the button will be, but a little more refined, I hope.
Side view of the heel and the button. The closeness of the camera warps the picture a little.
Installing the Purfling
The next thing was to scribe in the purfling slot. I used the purfling marker to scribe the double line exactly 4mm from the outer perimeter of the plate, except the corners, where I used a sharp pencil to sketch the “bee-stings” in by hand. Then I incised the lines all the way around, just barely deepening the lines, so that they are more visible, and a little easier to follow with the blade of my small knife.
Purfling slot lines lightly incised.
Then I slice in pass after pass, trying to get the lines deep enough for the purfling I will install. I usually find that, especially on the hard maple, I have to cut the slot in two layers: the first gets about half the depth I want, and the second finishes the slot. Here is the slot at half-depth:
It looks good, but it is not deep enough.
Purfling slot ready for purfling.
Back purfling installed…glue still wet. 🙂
And the Front!
Back to Work!
As most of you know, I had undergone hernia surgery, just after Christmas, and had a 6″ x 8″ polypropylene mesh patch installed in my abdomen. I have been convalescing, and just this week, have finally been feeling better. So…I just received word that I will return to my work at Gunderson, Inc., tomorrow at 6AM. I think I had better call it a day, and try to get some sleep. 3:30AM comes at the same time, every morning, whether I am ready or not. I will get home sometime after 4PM, I expect. Maybe I can jump back in where I left off. 🙂
Tomorrow evening, then, I hope to complete the purfling channel and the outer edgework of both the front and back plates, and begin the final scraping in preparation for varnishing. Any little glitch, regardless of how tiny, will be very visible under the varnish. So this part has to be done with great care.
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I had to make a new template for the f-holes of the Guarneri model. I thought that I had made one some time ago, but if I did, I guess I must have misplaced it. I measured the image on the poster, to make certain that it matched the dimensions of the technical data on the back, and it turned out to be quite accurate, so I procured a piece of thin, fairly stiff, clear plastic (also called “re-cycled blister pack” from some sort of hardware I had bought), and laid it flat on the poster, and traced the outline of the hole with a ball-point pen. Then I traced the lines with a small sharp knife, until I was able to pop the waste plastic out, leaving a very nice template.
New f-hole template.
I laid out the “mensur” (sometimes called “stop-length”) on the front plate, for the bridge location, then began to lay out the relative positions of the upper and lower eyes. I had the data sheet to tell me how far apart they were to be, how far off center, and how far from the outer edges of the plate. I simply pushed it this way and that, until everything was according to the data sheet, and then traced the f-hole onto the plate, using a very sharp pencil. Then I flipped the template over and repeated the process on the other side. I double-checked everything, to make sure the layout was correct, cleaned up a few details, and was ready to incise the outlines of the f-holes.
F-hole layout complete. Ready to incise the outlines.
Incising the F-hole Outlines
I am only incising the hole outlines at this point, not making any attempt to cut them out: I have found that there is always a small flaw in my archings, in that they are always a little too high at the lower end of the f-holes. The result is that, if I look at them from the edge of the plate, my f-hole outlines look like a letter “S”, laid on its side, whereas when I look at the side view of any of Stradivari’s or Guarneri’s instruments, the stem of the f-holes seem to be nearly parallel to the plane of the ribs. So, to correct this anomaly, I lay the holes out so that they are correct, looking from the front; then I incise my outlines deeply, and finally plane and scrape the “south” end of the holes until the stems look correct from the side. The front view remains unchanged, and now it looks good from the side as well. Here is a “before and after” comparison:
Side view of an F-hole before correction.
Side view of the same F-hole after correction.
Beginning the Purfling Slot
The tool used to mark the location and dimensions of the purfling slot is called a “purfling marker,” or, fairly commonly, a “purfling cutter.” I suppose that, because there are two sharp blades on the tool, which are carefully set to the correct distance apart for the width of the purfling slot, and the correct distance in from the edge of the plate, it probably seems logical to call it a “cutter.” But the fact is, the tool does not work well for that purpose, and it works very well for just creasing the surface of the plate, thus scribing a double line virtually all the way around the plate. Usually the corners themselves must be laid out separately, either by hand and eye, or, by using a special template. (I have done both.)
Here is the tool, viewed from the edge, so you can see the two blades. There is a pair of small set-screws that hold the position of the twin blades.
Purfling marker blades. The blades are set for the width of the actual purfling, and the desired distance (4 mm, in this case) from the edge of the plate.
Purfling marker in use. The rounded brass shaft is pressed tightly against the edge of the plate.
Once the slot is marked all the way around, and I am satisfied with the look of the corners, I begin incising the purfling slot. The first time around, I am barely deepening the lines left by the marker; essentially just “darkening” those lines. The second time around, I press a little harder, cutting a deeper path through the wood. After that, I can cut as aggressively as I need to, and not have to worry about the blade being “turned” by a hard winter-reed, and marring the plate. This practice is especially important on the front plate, which invariably of spruce: The summer grains in spruce are very soft and easy to slice. But the winter grains (or “reeds”, as they are called) are much harder, and it is very easy for a harder, winter reed to turn a blade that is trying to cut too deeply from the start. (Hard experience speaking, here.)
Lightly tracing the outlines of the purfling slot with a thin, sharp blade.
Initial outline lightly incised. Ready for final cuts, and removal of waste wood.
Picking out Waste Wood from the Purfling Slot
After cutting to the approximate depth I want the purfling slot, I use one of several tools to pick the waste wood out of the slot between the incisions: any of them could be called a purfling pick. One of them is actually a 1/16″ gouge, made by the now-defunct Millers Falls tool people (at least, if they are still in business, I have lost track of them.) One is a tool I made for myself, attempting to achieve an easier, higher-quality cut. (It’s not that great, but it works…I can’t find it, now anyway….) The third is an actual “purfling pick” made by a commercial tool-maker. (I have had other such tools, which were functional to varying degrees. Some I eventually set aside because of poor-quality steel. They wouldn’t hold an edge.) So here are photos of the two I regularly use:
Top tool is a purfling pick from Howard Core Co., and the bottom one is a 1/16″ gouge made by Millers Falls Co.
The idea, ultimately, is to end up with a slot into which my purfling will easily fit, but with very little extra room. I want the glue to swell the wood a tiny bit, and make it fit tightly, when I glue it in place. I also want my corners to look good. There is a reason they are frequently called “bee-stings.” I want them to be sharp and clear, and pointed in the right direction.
Using the purfling groove cleaner, (AKA “purfling pick.”)
Purfling slot completed. The dark dot at the top is hide glue, where I repaired a “slip.”
Installing Purfling
I make certain the slot is the right width and depth, checking it with a piece of scrap purfling, then I cut and bend the purfling to fit, giving special attention to the mitered corners. Finally, I remove one section at a time, slip hot hide-glue into the slot, using a thin palette-knife, and quickly re-insert the section of purfling, using a special roller to press it to the bottom of the slot. Once I have all six (four on the back plate) sections installed, I clean up any excess glue, and set the plate aside to dry.
Checking the depth and width of the purfling slot. I want the purfling to end up just below the surface of the plate.
Purfling cut, mitered, bent and inserted into the dry slot. the top center will be removed when the neck mortise is cut.
Purfling glued in place, pressed to the bottom of the slot, using the rollers in the picture.
The back plate is prepared in exactly the same way, except that I like to make the upper and lower purfling sections in one piece on the back. On the front, the top and bottom will eventually be removed when I cut the neck and saddle mortices, so I stop the purfling near the center at the top and bottom of the front plate. In some ways, the back is easier, in that the blade does not tend to wander as easily; but the maple is just a great deal tougher, too, so it is more physically demanding.
Next time, we will (maybe) talk about the final edgework, marking the crest of the edges, and fairing the curve from the bottom of the purfling channel up onto the curvature of the arching. But perhaps carving out the interior would be more appropriate. 🙂
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Today I completed the back plate purfling. Though this is a cello, I purfled it with violin-style purfling, as it was pointed out to me by Jacobus van Soelen that the original instrument (1712 Davidov Stradivarius) had narrow purfling, like a violin, not the wide purfling I used on my first cello (and which I actually like to use on violins and violas, as well.) I just like the eye-catching appeal of the larger purfling as a rule. In this particular case, I must concede that the wood is so beautiful that it really does not need additional “eye-candy”.
The job starts with layout and measuring
Last night I laid out the corners, and marked the whole purfling channel using a purfling marker (sometimes called a purfling cutter— but I only use it for marking– I use a knife to actually cut out the slot for the purfling).
Then cutting and fitting
This morning I incised the whole purfling slot, using a small, home-made knife, and then cleaned the waste wood out of it with a purfling pick.
While I fitted purfling into the slot, and carefully fitted the corner miters, the glue-pot was heating up.
Gluing the purfling
When all the purfling seemed to fit correctly, I tipped each center-bout purfling strip up out of its respective slot, so that it pivoted up and out on the two corner miters, but left the ends in the slots, unmoved. I slipped hot hide-glue (quite thin) into the slot, using a palette knife, brushed hot water to flow the glue, and pressed the purfling strip back into the slot, forcing it deep into the groove with a special tool. (Sometimes I use my purfling pick for that job. Today I remembered that I have a plastic wheel on a sturdy handle,  actually designed for forcing the rubber trim into screen window frames. It worked perfectly. :-)) Then I repeated the above process for the upper and lower bouts.
If I start toward the middle of a section of purfling, and work toward the ends, the glue is forced along under the purfling, and squirts out along the edges and, finally, out the ends, and the miters. The result is that all of the piece has adequate glue, even if some spots had been a little skimpy. Then I brushed more hot water to re-flow the glue, and wiped off the excess with a rag.
So– here is the completed back, ready for final arching, and for having the edge channel cut, etc. It will look pretty rough until the gouge slices along the channel, and trims that excess glue and damaged fibers off the top of the purfling strip. Then it will look very nice. (Purfling isn’t only for looks, by the way, on violins– it also helps stop a split from the edge from moving up into the plate…supposedly.) Anyway, this is how it looks for now:
The channel still needs to be cut, but the purfling is complete.Lower treble corner, freshly purfled
The next step will be to mark an edge margin all the way around, locating the crest of the finished edges, after which I can use a gouge to carve the channel, and begin the final arching.
But, for today, I have a bow to re-hair, so this is as far as I am going with the cello.
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