Part 2 (1/2)
When sufficiently done, solue may be worked in, in like ht neatly in contact
When the glue is thoroughly hard and dry, on the inside of the peg box extending each side of the crack and beyond the peg hole, a space ht sharp sides to the depth of about 1/16 of an inch, perhaps a trifle less Itto requirelass So box, it will be necessary to make the cut away space extend further upward, and into the solid part In all instances it will test thein confined spaces
When this has been accomplished to satisfaction, a piece of maple without curl or knot must be cut a little thicker than what has been re to a hair's breadth if skill will allow
So the old Italians, are h woods; in these instances theto thethe small veneer of wood to be placed in position, care should be taken that when fitted in, the grain should run as nearly as possible at right angles with that of the part to be repaired If this is attended to, with all other necessary precautions, there will be little cause for fear of the part going bad again, in fact it should be actually stronger than before
It -box have been strained and split, with acco and dirt The saest itself for the ”double event” as sportsmen say But the two fractures are really as easily repaired--that is, with proper care and skill--as the single one This is because the sa the two fractures simultaneously For this operation the cut out space referred to close by, if not covering the peg-hole, will have to be repeated on the opposite side with great exactness, so as to allow of a single fitting up and filling the inter as described before, and which will therefore be--when placed in position--with the end of the grain towards the spectator--looking towards the front of the peg-box It should be neatly and very closely fitted (diagra the blocks that are to be used outside the peg-box for evenly distributing the pressure, precautions must be taken not to cut them of equal thickness, or when the pressure is applied, they are likely to slip, particularly when the peg-box diminishes rapidly in width under the volute Theyto theor proportion of the parts, so that when placed on, the screwing of the cramp will be direct When this is done to satisfaction, the usual process advised for the glueingcarefully seen to be in proper order, the cra-box htly When quite dry, the cra unscrewed, the side block of ill be found firlue squeezed up from between the surfaces by the pressure
[Illustration: DIAGRAM 21]
The next proceeding will be to level down the projecting parts of the block in front, to the line of the throat This being accoreat neatness--the line of old work and neood being exactly level, a line may be draith a pencil or cut with the point of a knife over the block as a continuation of the inner surfaces of the peg-box If carefully ed the knife point is preferable, a piece of stiff card or very thin veneer may be cut to the width, bent over and the point run down each side The advantage of the knife line is that you have already a cut to work up to After this the chiseling out orcan be proceeded with The tool reat part to be done against the grain, no violence ularity in taking off thin shavings When all the surfaces have been carefully pared down until, as regards thickness and evenness of line and surface, the peg-box is just as it left the hands of the originalof the wood at each of the peg-holes which will have been covered by the block perhaps wholly or more than half way In the case of the double fracture this will be found to be in the sa through the fresh wood, in fact re-boring so far as this is concerned
It will be athe wood, especially if fro levels, it is not very stout
To guard against catastrophy, a small hole should be bored exactly in the centre Particular attention must be paid to this, or the whole workof the hole be found necessary, and ain The small hole may be drilled if you have the necessary means at hand, if not a small brad-awl may be used, not of the usual round kind, but square Such brad-awls are, I believe, known as chairmender's brad-awls If one cannot be obtained, an ordinary round one can, with a little trouble, be filed square The advantage of this form of awl is that it does not split the wood and can be used with safety and certainty where one of the ordinary pattern would be certain to split and spoil the work
Several sizesaway the sides without causing an extended crack in the direction of the grain When sufficiently enlarged, recourse ain ed somewhat in the fashi+on of a screw, and if the tool is used one way it soon buries itself, beco wood
It must therefore be turned in a direction that may be called backward, the revolutions to the left instead of to the right It will take a little ht be expected, but the result will beand the interior surface of the hole be ree or two finer in tooth will give enough finish A constant look outproperly in the centre; should it be found working a little too ently cut away by a slender sharp knife so that the equality may be restored
Caution must be exercised that the action of the tool is arrested at the rightmade in the fresh wood is worked closely up to that of the old; the tool should not be allowed to work against the walls of the old aperture, as there is e, which is to be avoided, if the set of pegs have been doing their duty well and are free frohtness into the neill be found advantageous; the surface being fresh and softer than that of the old, soon acco, whereas the process will have been going on a long time with the old walls which have beco, the fitting of it will have been tested, and if satisfactory, it may be taken out; a piece of soft chalk stroked down and followed by a piece of very dry old soap in the sa into contact with the interior walls of the aperture and will stop any squeaking or catching The proportion of soap to chalkto the catching or jerking and lessened if there is too rip Itshould be quite circular, or it will revolve by fits and starts notwithstanding soap and chalk, or any other mixture
CHAPTER V
FRACTURE OF PEG-BOX AND Shell--CHIPS FROM THIS PART--FILLING UP OF SAME--RESTORATION TO ORIGINAL FORM, AFTER PARTS HAVE BEEN LOST--WORN PEG-HOLES, RE-FILLING OR BORING SAME
We ree lower down and study the treatment best for a fracture similar to that last described, but which, if at one of the lower peg-holes, e, if not more so, as at the upper part, in consequence of the curved forrooved back of the scroll Firstly, the cleansing , as previously with the upper fracture, bringing or pressing the parts together for testing their accuracy of fit The cra to the wider and deeper hollowing of the back at this part and the longer and often very unequal continuation of the line of contour, the shell or tail end so up more abruptly than usual, an increase in the substance of the padding against the cramp will be found necessary A piece of cork cut or filed to the shape will prove handy and effective The superficial area of the interior walls of this part of the peg-box being reater, the thickness ditto, there is seldo a block of wood in the manner before mentioned, unless as sometimes it is found, the part has been so wors and sustaining the strain of the strings In that case, excision of the ”honey-coatory and a slice of woodwith a minimum of force will be required Should the wor-box, it would be well to insert here also another slice of fresh wood as before, the length according to requirement, but in these instances, the portion of the head piece under consideration being lower down and broader, the grain of the inside slice inal wood It will also be inserted first, and not until the glue is quite hard will the arrangements for the outer one be coement of the cra is placed between the iron and the wood, the latter, being in a state equivalent to rottenness, will be crushed together and the shape will be ruined As a preservative against accident a piece of soft wood, perhaps a quarter of an inch in thickness, and cut in width and shape equal to that of the ”cheek”
of the peg-box, and placed over the part with a piece of paper against the varnished surface, will enable the rotten portion to keep its for distributed; carethe block of wood that it reaches over and quite on to the sound parts
When the glue has hardened perfectly and the cra down and finishi+ng of both the inner and outer blocks or slices s and tortuous course of the obnoxious depredator give indication of its having been of huge proportions for its species, for these creatures vary in size frohth of an inch in diaether, then pieces of fresh wood matched carefully and fitted in the lued in This will, if the wood isin of the pieces running here and there over the surface The contour, however, is preserved by this treat difficult, unless the repairer has considerable artistic knowledge, to keep or reproduce the exact for-box and adjacent portions are cut clean away as is often done
Scrolls of n and execution are frequently -box, selected or carved, without the least reference to the style of the original, iar aspect Save then, every inal work that you possibly can, especially if it be the work of old Italian makers, as it will be sure to have about it some points of interest, or that will call for your admiration of its artistic merits Bear in mind that at the present day utility and low price are ”to the front”
Unfortunately for art, a very large section of the public called nore the artistic aspect of the violin, apart from its individual authorshi+p and monetary equivalent, and think al or sounding capacity To theood as another, if strong enough, the whole of this part of theup of unwilling ”catgut” The old ht otherwise and treated this portion of the structure as that in which they could concentrate much of their best artistic talent To the head piece of the work, and requiring for effect the closest attention in detail Every part of it has received, by each n, that the modern repairer should earnestly ”read, est,” so that if a small portion is by carelessness, or unavoidable accident, chipped off, the contour may not by restoration (?) be spoilt, or the flow of line ruinously disturbed Soh finish in its si of soularities should be studiously followed up by the repairer, as it should unquestionably be ork of high refinement and minute finish The answer is at once simple and conclusive, every part that can be preserved should be so, and well studied, that the neork may be a continuation of the old to theleft by the h as solance, it has been, by ht out beforehand Rapidity of execution, coupled with fine artistic style, is not to be acquired within a short space of tih hewn scrolls of the Italian masters there is to be seen the result of experience in cutting, perhaps, hundreds of them previously If we exaard to that seerooves called the shell; the different ways, breadths, depths and direction of the gouging will be found to give, not only an accurate indication of the country, or city, in which it was carved, but with it the school, or style to which the ed, besides his own individuality As a land particulars, every part of the scroll of an old s, no less than any other part of the instrument, should be treated by the repairer with e and respect for the talent expended on it in course of its construction That this is not always acted up to I ae many years since
A repairer anda violin by one of the old Italian makers, that had, underneath the shell a rather sudden deraft had been fitted in He reht the violin, that if it were his own, or had been requested to put it in good order, he would file or glasspaper down the edge round the lower part of the shell, so as to make it conform with the modern work The violin was not entrusted to his care, nor do I thinkby after events
Trust not any violin of value or interest to this class of repairer, or grief will count you for its own and mortification that of the fiddle
Occasionally set chipped off the lower rim of the shell; the latter under these circumstances, as before observed, should never be rubbed slasspaper or cut down It is not a difficult position to get at and small pieces can easily be inserted This part also is so fashi+oned that a coe, especially at the sides, will alter the whole character and reduce a ant and masterly form to that associated with mere rubbish
Three or four scrolls of Stradivari's are inbeen under such treat destroyed there was little about the general shape to ren as it left the maker's hands But, it em, my Amati has lost all this part, cut away perhaps because of its being quite past recovery, and the question arises what had better be done under these circumstances? The answer, seek some party who has an Amati with this part perfect or in excellent preservation Take some moderately firm veneer and after careful measurement cut pieces to fit as exactly as possible the parts answering to those of your own instrue of the shell and reaching right over the top of the scroll will require earnest attention and accurate fitting
For the next stage the pegs must be taken out as a matter of course
Number each one with a pencil for identification when reinserting; lay a piece of veneer flat on the outside of the peg-box reaching up a little past the top of the scroll; to do this nicely a segment should be cut ahere the volute intervenes, and with the pencil, ainst the back and front With a sharp, narrow knife cut away the veneer up to the outside of the line, leaving, if cleanly done, an exact pattern of the throat or exterior of the peg-box (diagram 22) Next, as the veneer will not bend sufficiently, cut a piece of rather stout paper, and after laying it against the back of the scroll, a rough tracing can be ainst theuntil satisfactory