Old School Making Process

following the traditional construction system refined by Antonio Stradivari referred to as

"Sistema Cremonese"

Late 17th-   early 18th-Century

Created through carving and sculpting—all hand tools:   planes, chisels, gouges, files, knives, and scrapers. -RETURN TO STUDIO TOUR- (click on any photo to see an enlarged version)
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Proportional design system / a working drawing	Details of design/ and analysis	10 hole walnut form , with blocks shaped from willow	Inside form (forma Italiana), one piece back
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Counter forms holding C-bout ribs	Detail of clamping	All maple ribs heat bent, glued and clamped	Ribs trimmed on form
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Glueing in the Willow linings	A rubbed joint: Center seam shot and glued with cooked hide glue	Spruce for the top plate	Planing flat glueing surface
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C-bout linings mortised into corner blocks	Ribs planed to correct height	Rib garland free of the form	Inside linings visible, re-enforcing top and bottom edge
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Roughing in the back plate arching	Long arch- all wood working finished with scrapers, burnished w/ equisetum	Graduating to correct thickness with gouges, fingerplanes, and finally scrapers	Glueing the maple back to the rib structure
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Back glued onto ribs	Laying out ff holes from the inside	The ff holes layed in	Chalk fitting the bass bar
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Glueing in the bar	planing down the bar	Bass bar nearly trimmed	Getting ready to close up the sound box
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top plate gets glued on with half-strength glue; so it is removable for future potential repairs	Overhang established,   outline finalized	Cross arch of top plate	Making the purfling; traditionally poplar, and dyed pear wood
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Purfled corner detail, edgework in progress	Scroll carving-  two flutes, separated by central spine A maple neck block	Volutes of scroll	Carving out pegbox
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Edge work complete, ready to set the neck	Back button with inlayed purfling	Mortised and chalk fit, neck root	Chisel cut chamfers
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Compass point and locating pin, both artifacts of the making process	Carved and fitted, ebony nut and fingerboard	"In the white"	The varnish room
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	Ground and oil varnish experiments are ongoing	Back to work

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Last updated: 2/20/06

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