Part 8 (1/2)
Being left to dry, and this being coes, as may have seemed appropriate, are relue washed off
The paring down of the fresh wood to the level of the surrounding parts has now to be very carefully done The adjacent curves must be studied and the surfaces of the fresh parts worked until by testing, not only by the sight, but passing the finger across, the surface feels as one piece
For the slasspaper attached to a stick of pine shaped according to requirement will be found useful
The fresh ill of course be projecting soes or course of the line of the sound holes, the exact outline of which it is most desirous to continue
This is about to be attended to by James, who thinks it a small matter to continue the line with his sharp knife, but his ht of his first strokes and sees his intention in time ”Stop!”
he calls out, ”not another stroke; just take a tracing of the opposite or corresponding part of the other sound hole and trace it down, don't trust to your eye unless you consider yourself an artist of experience and able to actually draith your knife
”Youof the contour
When you cut up to the line that you take as a guide, youat the sale doards, and your fresh wood in every respect of form an exact continuation of the old work”
The repair so far as the ork is concerned is finished It has now to receive the varnishi+ng and touching up in detail forso as to arrest as little attention as possible as a repair
”There are two fiddles, sir, that a party brought here yesterday They seeone; one of them has lost quite a quarter of the upper table, it has had a bad smash and the pieces have not been saved”
”Well, James,” is the reply, ”there is only one course to pursue, that is, to put a fresh piece of wood, join it as neatly as possible and match the varnish I think we have a piece of old stuff sent us by an Italian dealer that will suit that exactly” The store of odds and ends of pine is rued over and the piece, with soht out and compared with the fractured fiddle
”Could not be better, James,” says the chief ”Now take off that table, or what rees at the part near the sound hole
”At that part you had better shave it at an angle fro start on the fresh wood; they must both fit to a nicety, and when so the old ill overlap the fresh stuff
You will take care to have the upper surface of the fresh wood a little above the level of the old, to allow of finishi+ng down to a good level when the time comes for the final touches”
This is all seen to, the large slice of wood is for the present left square at the top, it is thick enough to represent the appearance of the slab of wood used by the original ing to be done and shaping of the parts adjoining the old wood
It has, of course, been necessary to provide a sort of e of the old material on to the new Precaution, however, is taken to firstly glue the parts that are to be brought together at the joint This will prevent the shaved surfaces fro when pressure is applied
These parts of the process having been done and the glue dried sufficiently, the under surface is levelled all round as a continuation of the under part of the old border
The table, therefore, can now be laid flat, and should fit well on to the ribs and linings as it did before the fracture James now has recourse to the advice of his chief as to the best course to pursue
”Shall I trace the other side, sir, and mark it down on the fresh wood so as to make it balance?”
”Certainly not,” answers his chief, ”this is what you lue it down, you can let it be held in position by a couple of screw-crauide the ribs, holding it so that athe projection of the new edging A short piece of a pencil laid flat against the ribs and moved round, would perhaps be the most convenient”
Ja, and then, after rehly heay the wood to near the line
Much care and more delicate manipulation has to be exercised now, or the precaution of the pencil line will prove to be next to useless