Part 4 (1/2)

CHAPTER VII

FINIshi+NG THE FINGERBOARD--FIXING THE NUT--SIZE AND POSITION OF GROOVES FOR THE STRINGS--FILING DOWN THE GRAFT--SMOOTHING, COLOURING, AND VARNIshi+NG SAME

We now turn our attention to the finish of the fingerboard, which ood tri a nicely worked surface each side, some preparations will have to bebeen cut to the width, or nearly so, of the narrowest end of the fingerboard and glued into position, it will have to be filed down to the height at which it is to reher in the centre than at each side, in order that when the strings are drawn over tightly, the thickest, or D string, shall havewill thus be unequal, the lowest part being at E, next a rise sufficiently for the A, then a further rise for the D, and afterwards a drop again to a little higher than the A; this will be enough for the swing of the G The grooves for each of these strings must follow in the same order They will not be equi-distant in one sense, as that would cause them to appear unequal when the strain is on the a uniforood result, is to cut a metal template with a spike at the central point oris to rest These points will be found unequal when pricked on to the surface of the nut A very small, round file should now be used carefully with the run of the fingerboard, or the strings ound up will look as if pulled aside out of the straight line The file must be placed exactly on the spot that has been pricked and worked backward and forward as indicated

The rutswhether they are sufficiently deep The height of each rut above the fingerboard cannot well be given in fractions of an inch, as they ulated to the convenience of the perfor, orchestral player, with a heavy, unsyher above the board than a soloist of refined taste The relative heights, one with another, must be the same in both cases When the ruts are finished, recourse ain to round the top surface of the nut with an inclination doards toward the peg-box

This is an arrangeerboard, there is danger of the strings jarring When finished sufficiently even the ruts may require a little further attention, as it is difficult to at once complete them The two parts are perhaps best worked one with another, neither being finished off in one working and left

We ress of the sides of the fingerboard; this, of course, can only be done when all is settled about the nut, this part requiring to be a continuation, notwithstanding the rise upward of the line fro the upper table of the violin fro the backward and forward ood way to prevent this is to make a millboard or thick brown paper shi+eld with a part cut away to allow the neck to have a hold By putting this over the upper table and underneath the fingerboard a part will project forward on each side of the neck; it must be held in position by one hand, while the other holds the paper file, which will be worked along the sides of the fingerboard, at the sa held nearly vertical After soraft will appear worked down quite srees of the paper will reduce the surface to al will now present an appearance--as regards forerboard stopping short at a straight line

This part now, if the fitting of the fingerboard to the graft has been neatly done, will show no line of glue or joint, but sies of the ebonyto the end, but less at the lowest

The whole affair, however, is not yet complete, as the surface to be varnished must be made ready for it If left in the present condition, players who are very fastidious would be co under use The cause of this deterioration will be that thethis part of the instrurain swell as if wetted; this would occur to some extent even if fully varnished Thisa soft, fully haired and wetted brush, or dae, over the whole of the neork When dry the whole surface will appear rough, or if of soft texture, soain be levelled doith so taken that all the parts, and angles especially, are worked over If the corners are not equally attended to with the rest--and to do this properly the angle of the steel scraper hness at the part over which the varnish will settle, becoive the appearance of untidy corners If the scraper with right angles is insufficient to clear the corner satisfactorily, one with a rather acute angle will be found to do the work; it e, or both, will beco across first one way then the other until the appearance is quite up to the exactions and desire of the eye

Another wetting will be of so surface When dry the roughness will not be so obtrusive as in the first instance, and the application of the finest grain of glasspaper, or a piece that has been under use for soive the desired surface The action of the glasspaper over the surface should be continued for so less and less powder routed up the surface, it assumes a polished appearance, and if the whole work is well done it will suggest a kind of finish that looks too good to spoil by covering up with varnish But the latter is a necessity; if not really varnish in the usual sense of the term, a substitute must be used, and here we touch a little upon the confines of fashi+on or individual fancy

It enerally known that the old Italian makers--I uides for al in connection with violin facture--varnished the whole of the neck--which under present circuraft--with the same varnish and thickness of it as the rest of the instru now, and if a maker were to send forth his new violins in this manner or trim, he would be looked upon as eccentric

Nevertheless at one time it was universal Probably the increased number of movements of the hand, and especially the thumb, to meet the requirerowth of the ability aher positions or shi+fts, showed very soon how the coloured varnish looked patchy under wear This fashi+on of covering over the most handled part of the instrument with the coloured varnish then became discarded

”Appearances must be preserved” was found to be an axiom almost forced upon the makers and repairers, and, as tily curled wood for necks or grafts, in place of the plainer radually settled down into the present fashi+on Now-a-days the skill of the repairer is exercised in the various treatment of this part Players vary in their tastes or whi a perfectly s than what they understand as an unvarnished neck, others like it the other way as not so likely to slip, there being a little more hold or resistance Anyhow, the raood cannot be left silass-papered, this would be speedily followed in use by an accurease unpleasant to the eye, and to the touch, clammy and unwholesome It will therefore be as well to consider the two raft near the insertion in the socket and at the other end where the peg-box is fitted will require varnishi+ng down

Before active operations commence a fair examination should be made of the colour or complexion of the body of the violin Very often this has no attention paid to it, with the result of a hideous contrast between the neck and the ribs adjoining, a sign of bad work a good ht over, the most appropriate selected and the number of coats, if possible, detereneral sense, as an exact number will not be possible; appearances are in this process deceptive and encies of the moment, but what can be calculated is the question of one or two applications only (which would result in a cheap and common appearance) or a number with the same materials carefully laid to the satisfaction of the repairer

Without plunging into the whirlpool of the best or particular gums, resins and their individual mode of application, a matter that will take up hereafter our more undivided attention, itmaterials used for the parts under consideration must be of an alcoholic solution, no other would ”set,”

evaporate or dry with sufficient rapidity to allow of handling: or, as we may put it in another way, that would lose tackiness within a convenient time

Most people are aware of the nature of an oil varnish during the drying process, there is firstly the ”setting,” that is, all the volatile particles dispersing; secondly, the real drying or hardening which ensues with sufficient tiree of contraction, and until the process is co or friction of any kind has to be carefully avoided This will at once show its unsuitableness for repairs and restorations, especially of the kind now under consideration The sa of a spiritous or alcoholic varnish, but it is soonly the alcohol to disperse, leaving the resin in a co will be the chief consideration after the resin has been selected, and on this the judg the effect desired or that is fashi+onable at the present day, one or two coats or paintings will be coraft is inserted in the upper ribs and gradually being thinned off as the curved part rounding upwards from the button dies away So very white--it is not always possible to obtain aged wood--so s will subdue the staring aspect, this ure or curl raft repairers force very strong stain, this being so ink; when varnished over the effect is violent and common even when nicely done The best that can be recommended is some sufficiently dark wood stain--sold atit to dry and then finishi+ng off as before described

If the neck is to be left unvarnished, as it is ter off can be folloith a rubbing of good oil, linseed, raw or boiled, it orously frictioned up and doith a dry cloth--or after an application of the same kind with so the whole, and as it will dry inside after a tie

So the sides of the fingerboard to the extremity There is no objection to this, and if very neatly done, the general effect is enhanced The varnishi+ng of the whole of the fingerboard is perhaps not so good in general, tooup the pores with the varnish and then working it down to a dull surface has a good effect and helps in the resistance to wear The polishi+ng of the neck, or fingerboard with it,a small ball or dabber of about half an inch in diarained flannel; this should be covered with another surface of closer h to enclose the little bunch and to be tied up with a piece of string A portion of varnish being placed ready in a smaller saucer or any convenient porcelain article with a shallow even bottom, the ball or dabber will be moistened with some linseed oil and then its rounded face dipped in the varnish and rubbed briskly, but lightly, over the surfaces to be polished These surfaces rapidly absorb the polish, while the oil in the dabber allows it to pass over without clinging The rubbing should be continued until a slassy appearance coh of the polish; this treatment may be continued over all the parts at which itsurface The workand hardening may take place When this has been ascertained to be satisfactory, the surfaces ently with some soft, absorbent material which will take away any superfluous particles of oil that

If there should be soh parts observable, a s, but used with spirit and oil instead of varnish, ork these down to a proper condition For the dead surfacing, carea small piece of flannel of fine texture doubled up and with its face well oiled, having some rotten-stone powder at hand, dip in the latter and rub as before lightly round and round over the parts to be dead polished; this will give a nice refined, even appearance, with colare A final wipe off with a soft cloth as before, will bring matters to a conclusion

CHAPTER VIII

INJURIES THAT CAN BE REPAIRED FROM THE OUTSIDE--INSERTION OF FRESH WOOD IN FRACTURE OF THE RIBS--THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON THE GLUE IN VIOLINS