World class service in a boutique setting.

jhlviolins

Todays overly artsy and nerdy shot: fused SLS scan

Todays overly artsy and nerdy shot: fused SLS scan of some mild top block tear out. #violin #structuredlightscanning #digitallutherie #violinrepair #loothing #tearout

Todays overly artsy pic: sausage fingers removing

Todays overly artsy pic: sausage fingers removing packing tape covering a split. #ribsplit #violinrepair #whatsonyourbench #violin #tape #luthier #lutherie

I feel very privileged to have been picked for the

I feel very privileged to have been picked for the @the_bvma member spotlight for issue #107 of the BVMA Quarterly. My copy just arrived in the mail today.
.
Being a garden variety American, who hasn’t set foot in the UK in 20 years, you may wonder why I’m a member. There are three reasons: 1)Ben Hebbert @mrstradman threatened there would be consequences if I didn’t join. 2)To support like minded individuals. The instrument trade in the States has always been linked with our British cousins. As long as we speak a mostly common language, that will most likely continue. 3) The Quarterly is my favorite publication in the trade. Totally worth the membership dues for that alone. #bvma #violin #viola #cello #violinbow #violinrestorer

A few months back I was asked by a rather good vio

A few months back I was asked by a rather good violinist to glue up his fathers cello that had been in a basement flood. The center seam was quite stubborn, however I remembered this trick involving reversing an Irwin quick grip clamp to become a “repulser.” It then could work with a C clamp and a bar clamp to push the seam back in place. I think I read about this on Frank Ford’s website (IHG friends, help me out?).
.
To make happen, file the nub on fixed end, remove the fixed jaw, slide the moveable jaw off and reverse. Doing it on the fixed end insures you won’t inadvertently loose the movable end. #clamps #quickgripclamps #violinrepair #cello #macgyvering #jhlviolins

This morning’s overly artistic shot: backlit st

This morning’s overly artistic shot: backlit straightedge. #jhlviolins #lutherie #straightedge #cello #violinrepair #violinrestoration #cellorepair #cellorestoration

For a friend who asked about this: This is my rec

For a friend who asked about this: This is my recently cobbled together jig for gluing a shoe onto a cello neck root. It consists of a horizontal toggle clamp (available from harbor freight, Grizzly, rockler, etc) on a piece of wood that gets clamped to the fingerboard surface. The only part of the shape that is critical is the notch that exists in the overhang. This allows for the shoe to stick up proud of the board surface for proper trimming later.
.
The advantage of this sort of jig becomes self explanatory to anyone who has messed awkward shaped cauls and standard clamps. The top of the shoe is normally the hardest portion to clamp, here it it’s the easiest, allowing for casual placements of the rest of the clamps. I’m sure I’m not the first to think of this, and someone will probably enthusiastically mention it in the comments. #violinrepair #cello #clamp #cellorepair #cellorestoration #jhlviolins #jigsandfixtures #sillyamericanwithhisjigs

“Well, I found your buzz.” . There’s a tradi

“Well, I found your buzz.”
.
There’s a tradition amongst fiddlers to place rattlesnake tails inside violins. The reasons vary from “keeping evil spirits away,” to “keeping mice from making a home inside the violin.”
.
#buzz #violin #rattlesnake #lutherie #whatsonyourbench #violinrepair #jhlviolins

A huge thank you (perhaps a bit late) to my luthie

A huge thank you (perhaps a bit late) to my luthier brother from another branch of the tree Doug Proper @guitarspecialistinc for providing me with Christmas in July. Today I needed a tool I didn’t have, and remembered Doug and Sharon’s wonderful gift. All of these things will be put to good use, my brain is still unpacking everything. Doug, you are a gentleman and a scholar. For all of my violin friends, @guitarspecialistinc is more than worth a follow. Many of the issues we discuss that relate to conservation, interventions, and originality, he’s talking about from a different perspective. #loothing #tools #christmasinjuly #violin #guitar #luthier

A little PSA to help out a friend: yesterday, I dr

A little PSA to help out a friend: yesterday, I drove through the beautiful Pennsylvania country side to visit @jpmcdevitt_ shop just out side of Reading, PA to go through a massive collection violins he inherited from the previous owner of the business.
.
Joe has decided that it’s time to disperse all of these. So ATTENTION LUTHIERS: there are deals to be had. There are a lot of “the usual” Markneukirchen/Schönbach instruments in various states of repair from clean and crack free to not so clean and crack free. There are some interesting older Mittenwald instruments, a few Mirecourt, a couple of American amateur instruments. Basically, a lot of stuff that could be turned around and sold, or be used as practice instruments for skills you aren’t comfortable with yet. Contact @jpmcdevitt_ for more details
.
.3rd pic is a 20’s Roth shop instrument on offer.
.
.4th picture is a very interesting instrument most likely some sort of flavor of early 19th century Bohemian.
.
As a personal note, it was fun using a set of skills I haven’t used in over 4 years. If you’re struggling with general (or maybe even specific) violin shop expertise, or a large collection, reach out and we’ll see what we can work out. #violinforsale #violin #luthier #viola #violinrepair #violinrestoration #violincollection

Posted for a friend, might not be here long…. .

Posted for a friend, might not be here long….
.
Okay, I was persuaded to keep it. Was used for an online zoom discussion, Instagram posts are convenient for the format.
1)my main retouching resins I use, from left to right: Manila Copal, “light” shellac, seedlac, Myrrh, sandarac. Copal only gets used in fill varnish. Myrrh is a matting agent.
.
2)My more regular used dyes and pigments. I always use a combination, I find that dyes on their own look like koolaid, pigment looks like paint. So, I use both. Others do fine with just one or the other. Most used for general work are the Old Wood 1700 black and orange, and various dry yellow pigments.
.
3)Most common additives I use - from left to right, stand oil, matting agent, aluminum hydroxide, blanc fixe, spike lavender oil. Stand oil gets used very sparingly, it doesn’t incorporate into retouch varnish, but it will allow a great deal of matting agent to be incorporated with out “chalking” when incorporating into filler varnish. Wipes off the top when the varnish kicks. Matting agent is self explanatory. Aluminum hydroxide is a bulking agent. Blanc Fixe will kill reflection. Spike lavender oil doubles the effect of myrrh, and helps to hide brush strokes (used very sparingly.)
.
4)My weapons of choice - Reserva Escoda round brushes, a Windsor Newton flat brush, Richpen Phoenix 213 with a .2mm nozzle. #retouching #paintbrush #airbrush #violin #violinrepair #jhlviolins #violinrestoration

These flew by in my stories, I got a great deal of

These flew by in my stories, I got a great deal of requests to explain some stuff. Hope it’s helpful!
1). KNO3, 10% solution exposed to a UVB reptisun 13watt bulb for an hour. Just enough to knock the white off.
.
2) Black tea steeped in alcohol to form a tincture used as a stain. You can form a lot of weak stains by steeping things in alcohol.
.
3)bleeding blacks with staedler pigment liner. .05mm is the most useful size.
.
4)disguising joints with Windsor Newton Naples yellow. Tube color, not the dry worthless things we used as kids. Needs to have gum Arabic. Also shown is drawing grain lines with a derwent inktense pencil. Madder brown is the only one you really need to buy.
.
5)sealing with a dilute solution of retouch varnish with a small amount of blanc fixe (barium sulfate), this helps to kill reflection of poor wood choice :-). A little more water color on top, W-N Davy Grey.
.
6 retouch varnish (usual blend is Light shellac, sandarac and essence of myrrh) and color coats (old wood black and orange, Kremer Indian yellow dry pigment)
.
7)fully varnished corner. I added more clear After this so I could screw with it some more.
.
8)removing a lot of varnish so I could beat it up to look like the rest of this unfortunate cello. Swann-Morton #10 scalpel, I usually use this for removing retouch. Works well for this too.
.
9) dusting on dry pigment to act as a haze on the top layer and to add opacity. This is Cyprus burnt umber. Most gets blown away by the airbrush.
.
10) the airbrush in action, sealing in the dust. Yes, I should have worn a mask. After this, a very light wipe of a polish cloth with a low drag oil and retouch varnish with a small drop of lavender spike. Not actually “polishing” #cello #violinrepair #loothing #toomuchinformation #retouching

This is part of a larger job that’s been kicking

This is part of a larger job that’s been kicking around here for way too long. You might recognize the one pic from earlier in my feed. I was never supposed to replace this corner, but old cellos being like old houses, means that disappointment is around every corner. Pun intended. I needed to replace it for structural stability.
.
The existing corner was a replacement on top of a replacement, with some bizarre half edging. I used the same instrument in my 2020 VSA lecture, I referred to this corner as a “fresh bit of hell.”.
.
I decided less material would be removed if I kept part of the replacement. I made the new corner into a sort of through patch. I did this by carving into a bondo cast, creating an impression, and scanning the impression. I find this easier than trying to add onto a scanned mesh.
.
This cello looks like it has fought in both world wars. making things look like they match fights the normal tendencies to make things “nice.” I embraced the motto “shitty is pretty,” and went with it. Kinked purfling, dings, dirt, etc. Baked wood would have been better, but since this is structural, I didn’t. #shittyispretty #cello #violinrepair #corner #digitallutherie #jhlviolins #cellorepair #cellorestoration #violinrestoration

Random photos for May, 2022: It’s been a struggl

Random photos for May, 2022: It’s been a struggle trying to get everything done that need to happen. I’ve been doing some cool things, just haven’t had time to document them. So photo dump:
1) I cut a new bridge for my longest running fussy client. He made me a better luthier many years ago. It’s for a 1950 Becker. He bought it in 55. This might be the last spruce up for his instrument with him as the owner.
.
2. Fancy wood fill, I’ll post more about this later. Basically easing the gaps at very old splits. More conservative than doing a button replacement.
.
3. I’ve been working on a method to prebend shavings for gaping cracks. Not quite ready for prime time. Essentially, they are pressed between forms drawn from pics imported to fusion.
.
3. Spent a lot of time in may digging out nasty fill and making inserts for missing wood.
.
4. Cello bridge I cut this past month.
.
5 & 6. Kerfed magnet clamping cauls. Made from PLA, the bottom layer is .5mm thick. Works well for getting things in place fast. I decided to tape the magnets in place so I can pull them out easy and use them for something else.
.
7. I came across this picture recently. It’s from 1999… the PSU chamber orchestra’s trip to Europe. The photo was taken in the Ferris wheel in the Prater (Vienna). I’m all the way on the left. It’s when I had hair, and was more aerodynamic. #jhlviolins #violin #violinbridge #cellobridge #3dprinting #bridgesoflycomingcounty #violinrepair

A friend has been asking about clamping strategies

A friend has been asking about clamping strategies for the dreaded A/D peg split. After trying all kinds of counter forms, I lopped off part of a brass model makers clamp. It works well for most common splits of this type. You can thin them out quite a lot before they loose the ability to close a crack. They can also be further augmented with polymorph or 3D printed structures for added stability. #clamping #brass #violinrepair #pegbox #lutherie #loothing

Today’s overly artsy shot. #digitallutherie #cn

Today’s overly artsy shot. #digitallutherie #cnc #cello #cellorestoration #3dscanning #violinrestoration

Scenes from this mornings bondo “pour.” I’ve

Scenes from this mornings bondo “pour.” I’ve shown this before on IG, but it’s still fun to see again.
.
I make a lot of bondo partials, particularly for cello… my shop is too small to support many full size cello casts, so I make do. Bondo (or other forms of polyester resin - tough carve, etc) has the advantage of being ready relatively quickly. It takes about a day to off gas, while plaster either needs a week or a trip though an oven.
.
I’ve learned to always mask off more than I need to, and to mix more bondo than I think I’ll need. This is a whole quart can. I just build it into the cost. I always use enough to float the backer so that it is level with the high part of the arch. It’s a cool 60 degrees F in this part of the shop. I had a good bit of time before it went exothermic and needed to be pulled. Lining a table with craft paper makes clean up easy.
.
This is aluminum being used here as a barrier and for dams. It’s largely held in place with photo safe low-tack tape and saliva. The area I’m concerned about accuracy is right at the button. A few crinkles away from that area is good enough for government work.
.
Tidying up is done with a knife, it carves like hot stale marshmallow. #bondo #cello #violinrestoration #violinrepair #lutherie #whatsonyourbench #casting #cellorestoration

Scenes from last weeks neck reset that flew by in

Scenes from last weeks neck reset that flew by in my stories. This instrument definitely has some of the juju that was talked about on the last @omopodcast . I’m almost tempted to burn some sage around it… Anyhow, pics show my ghetto-fabulous usage of winding sticks and painters tape (on the bridge foot) to figure out body twist/distortion. Wasn’t too bad.
.
The ground is Sodium Nitrite with instant coffee on top. Naples yellow Windsor Newton tube water color to disguise the joints with a healthy bit of deception provided by derwent inktense pencils (thank you @alfaro_violins !!). The rest is so opaque that burnt umber sends everything home. #necking #retouching #neckreset #violin #violinrepairs #violinrestoration #lutherie

This might help someone, or I could be the village

This might help someone, or I could be the village idiot late to the party: It’s always been difficult for me to position bench lighting to see light gaps under straight edges inside mortises. It recently occurred to me that the same LED inspection lights for brightening up the inside of instruments could be used inside the tight spaces of a mortise. #jhlviolins #violin #necksetting #lutherie #violinrepair #violinrestoration

Woodfill. The can read “natural wood” 🤣. #

Woodfill. The can read “natural wood” 🤣. #jhlviolins #woodfill #cnc #digitallutherie #notthejointyousmoke

I had an absolutely fabulous time talking with @ia

I had an absolutely fabulous time talking with @ianhatesguitars and the amazing community of luthiers he’s cultivated. I’ve never been shy about “stealing” ideas from guitar luthiers. Joe Grubaugh years ago told me that’s where he got some of his best stuff… who am I to argue with Joe.
They are the other half of the coin, brothers (or sisters) from another mother if you will. His feed, and those of his colleagues are a gold mine of little nuggets ripe for borrowing. They are also great people, and experience a lot of the issues that those of us who deal with fewer strings also have. So, support your local guitar looth, and give Ian and his colleagues a follow while you are at it. Link in bio. .
.
No, I’m not looking for more worm jobs.
.
#violin #luthier #loothing #violinrestoration #violinrepair #digitalluthiery

Load More... Follow on Instagram