Part 1 (2/2)

When these are, as far as possible, acted upon by a workress of the work ht and open course Not so with the restoration of it after fracture or loss of parts great or small, several different courses may be open as to treatment and this will be as the teencies of the moment may de go somehohen there is no fiddle physician within beck or call, is a proble the mother of invention, often of a most curious sort, as most professional repairers who have had the re-consideration of thethe most frequent of simple ailments the fiddle tribe is subject to, is that known as ”chattering” or jarring, caused h da nature, and which henceforth, unless remedies are at once applied,every note that happens to be in unison with the urgently their thirst and desire for a slue pot Not unfrequently the exact spot where the jarring or chattering takes place is not easy to find by mere examination of the exterior, especially if the separation is fresh and at a part where very little adhesion has taken place at any tiinally placed at the tiradually dried away

Should this have occurred at the junction of the upper or lower tables (most frequently the first), the sides, or ribs, the exact spotthe instrument meanwhile firmly at parts that are least likely to have become disconnected or that are known to be perfectly sound The tapping or sounding can be done in the way usual with dealers and repairers, that is, by the knuckle joints of the hand rapping round the instrument, but this is sometimes deceptive, the tendons over the bones of the hand interfering and occasionally causing a double sound, and so defeating the efforts at discovery Ais by the use of a felted harand pianoforte; this will be found very handy

Should the rapping or sounding all round the border not reveal any weak spot, we ht for elsewhere; possibly there is looseness in the interior and therefore so deeper consideration

We will for the present assu the weakness, and that it is at the part before referred to as the ns of disorder--the upper table losing its grip on the ribs This is one of theits troublous career; a slight accidental tap, or hastily putting the instru often sufficient Soe a one, getting well shaken while being taken hois turned in the entle persuasions of the bow there are but chatters and jarrings Under such circumstances the treatment administered by the hands of non-practical or inexperienced people is akin, more often than not, to that popularly supposed to be effectual in suppressing slight functional disorders of the human system; namely, a proood stuffing of thick dark glue for the other In both cases it may well be said that not unfrequently ”the re in its way and when properly applied, but not so if overdone, even if the kind is the best obtainable

A few remarks may here be offered as to the qualities that should be present in good glue, especially with regard to violin repairing Aest quantity of water ranks as the best It will, after proper application, resist best the action of er ti in contact

There is not lue very satisfactory in ot into the gluepots of the old masters--but it must be selected That kind used extensively in the Gerlue, reht in colour and almost opaque This is not to be recoether with such tenacity that fresh fractures are likely to be caused in undoing a portion, a process often very necessary; professional repairers will tell you ”it tears the wood tooupper class repairers are those known as Russian, Cologne and Isinglass, all good; they are light in colour, very firm, not too brittle, and transparent

There are other varieties to be had of excellent quality and which conform to the conditions required Thick cakes of a dark brown colour with an unpleasant odour should be avoided; they are too easily affected by the atluepot under very little provocation froood and refined worklue sold under various titles, so the very insignificant ti up the orthodox solution; but none appear satisfactory in general and many of them are even detestable There are some adhesive materials used in India where warmth and damp have their full play and make short work of an old master's joints, but these cements of the Eastern Hemisphere are likewise unsuitable for the kind of work under consideration, as when once dried, being unaffected by damp to any extreme, they are of course difficult to remove when further repairs have becolue to the repairer is its yielding to the direct application of s the old stuff can be washed colue used over clean work Let all a after a vain thing of the nature of glue impervious to moisture One word more, as preachers say, and that is as to the preparation or lue--silue put into a sallipot with two-thirds of clean water and left to soak during the night will only require warer one and surrounding it with hot water The quantity of glue being varied according to requirelue-pot which darkens the glue and is in other ways objectionable If the injury or want of adhesion extends only to a trifling distance round the edge and has happened at a tilue and proper appliances are not to hand, the routine pursueda orn table knife, the thinner the better (but if the household knives happen to be new and strong you may call on some artist friend, borrow his palette knife, clean it, have ready some clear water, a cushi+on or a substitute, and sos should be taken off the violin, and then placing it face doards on the cushi+on, the knife having been dipped in the water, can be inserted gently at the part requiring attention (Diagram 1)

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 1]

You will soon tell by the sound inthe knife about whether the separation has been recent or of long standing, if the latter, the slipping of the knife will cause a slight grating sound and when drawn out will show signs of dirt The knife must be rinsed and re-inserted a sufficient number of times until all the evidence of dirt has disappeared, the knife coritty Care should be taken meanwhile to keep the violin on the tilt so that the water introduced on the surface of the knife does not run inside but outward to the edge; the parts should also each time be wiped by a clean absorbent piece of cotton or linen The knife can then be charged with gu finished by the wiping

But now the question will arise how about the closing up and pressing together of the parts For this, assureat extent, the chin-rest--almost every player now uses one--can be applied to the part and fixed in the usual way If there is not one to be had, some pieces of ordinary deal, the softer the better--fire ill do--cut into shape as depicted (Diagraes being used to tighten the grip (Diagraently pushed in, or the border of the violin will be dae and the border will help in preserving the latter froestions are only intended to be applicable when the violinist may be out of reach of any professional or competent repairer Gulue for repairs, although with care and attention to the details enu haste, and even for a permanency

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 2]

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 3]

CHAPTER III

MINOR REPAIRS--CRAMPS AND JOINTS--VIOLIN CASES--RATTLES AND JARS--LOOSE FINGERBOARDS--ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE--OLD-FAshi+ONED METHODS OF REPAIRING--MODERN WAYS--A LOOSE NUT

The professional repairer is of course always provided with the well knoooden screw cramps as used in all countries for centuries, but if ”up to date”of cork or leather at the parts coe has been done at all tiems from the old ured by an array of semi-circular dents or bruises near the border This is particularly noticeable when the arching springs rather abruptly fro, or the rise co

Here is shown the wisdo the channelled e by the impetuous repairer Many otherwise excellent workers are heavy handed, pressing all parts together very tightly but not more securely Good joints, cleanly and accurately cut, the surfaces kept clean and not overloaded with good glue, are the best for lasting, and of course for appearance

Before leaving that part of our subject which is connected with dahtlessness, it may be as well to refer to a frequent cause of disaster, often well nigh ruin, by the use of badly fitting and badly constructed cases

Innuement of violin cases, there is still an opportunity for a new, good and useful one that shall coards utility, portability, preservativeness and nice appearance Those in use for travelling with during the last century and the early part of this, had the disadvantage of heaviness, besides their rounded for placed with a flat side doards on a shelf or convenient horizontal surface without so often studded with brass nails like a coffin, a very grave objection (diagram 4) The leather cases which require the instruood protection against rain, but there is insufficient defence against accidental violence; they are, further, n boxes th when carefullyabout the ancient cases, however, the violin being inserted at the large end, the performer knew at once whether the case was sufficiently capacious for the instrument

Not so with those in co as a box

To thesean immense amount of irreparable injury to numbers of violins of any standard of excellence or costliness This in the way mostly of depressions--”wells” as they are tere rest These are caused by the lid of the case co its feet like dies, into the coure --badly inthe surface level This kind of daed pressure on the upper table by the strings being stretched up to s at all playable would press sufficiently hard and directly doards to produce this result The double-cases in use are worse than the single, as they are necessarily stronger and heavier Both present the sa whether the violin with its bridge is too high for the roof inside when the lid is closed A good way of testing it is by rubbing a little soft white chalk over the top of the bridge and then gently shutting the lid dohich also should show no indisposition to do so; if on lifting the lid any of the white chalk is seen to have changed places and got on to the lining of the lid, put aside at once and for ever the conde an unfit receptacle for your cherished Creht, do not use pressure but get another case, your violin would be a very bad one indeed for your syestion oncecase for his friend's instru or two off the violin, it would then go in nicely As some excuse for this maker he was not an amateur in this line, but a professional undertaker

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 4]

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 5]

We round and notice another source of the corunts, which ever may appear the most appropriate title for another variety of annoyance to the perfor found out with our felt-headed hammer, or if that is not easily obtainable, a slender stick may be covered at the end with almost any soft material enclosed within a piece of chamois or soft leather, and tied so as to form a knob like a small drumstick