Linings

So once the rib structure is all glued up, you need to glue in the linings. The linings are a bit more complicated than the guitar, because of the multiple blocks and corners, there's a total of 6 pieces that have to be individually bent out of a 1.8mm thick piece of spruce.

There are 2 somewhat tricks to these. Instead of just gluing all of the linings up to a butt joint to each block, the C bout linings require you to notch out the blocks into a mortise for the lining to fit into. So in the last 1/2" or so of the C bout to block,you kind of break off of the bend of the C bout, so there is a gap between the c bout and lining in the corner of the block. (Notice picture)

The reason for notching a mortise into the block with a gap between the lining is pretty simple. If you notched it to stay tight against the c bout, you'd be cutting away glue surface of the block, which would make the rib a bit less secured.

Here's the over view of the C bout linings, notched into the blocks:



So the other little trick is tapering the ends of the upper and lower bout linings to a point, and cutting a slight pie like piece out of the corner of the blocks, so that it can tuck in tight to the corners of the block with out pulling out. This basically clamps it's self fairly tight to the ribs assuming the lengths are dead on.

Here's a picture of a corner:



So as an overview all of the linings are in, the C bouts are notched into a mortise and tenon type of joint to keep the linings held in, and the upper and lower bout linings are tapered into the corners to be held tight. Keep in mind, when you do the linings, you can't do both sides or your mold is going to be stuck inside your ribs. Unless of course, it's a break away mold in which that won't even matter.

Catching Up With Cello Progress

Since the processes are basically the same, but on a different scale, I've been a bit lazy with pictures for the cello.

With that said, here's several pictures of the cello so far. There's been plenty of set backs with the cello build, because of the size of the instrument it's quite a handful. Not to mention it's temporarily fallen down the priority list a bit, hopefully not for long.

Let there be pictures:

Caving blocks



Upper blocks carved, starting dry clamp:



Upper bout glued up



Upper bouts glued in

Gluing in the Upper and Lower Bouts

So now that the C bouts are glued in and all of the ribs are bent, the next thing to do is prep the blocks to take the ribs.

First off, you need to trim down the overhang of the c bouts to a few millimeters proud of the blocks. Then with the template on, and an incannel gouge handy, lightly cut the outline of the template into the block so you know where to gouge to. Also, picture the curve of the corners extending through the C Bout overhand, and cut that in as well. So what you're doing is mitering the C bout to about a 45 degree angle so that you'll have a nice lap-joint against the upper and lower bout ribs.

Here's a picture of the block carved with the miter cut into it:





Now that the blocks are ready, you need to have some clamping cauls handy to contour the blocks, and the ribs will have to be touched up so that they are a nice fit against the blocks, assuming that they moved and/or didn't get a perfect bend from the bending mold in the first place.

Just to note, it's better off to not have the clamping cauls any longer than the blocks of the violin it's self. If the clamping cauls overlap the violin blocks by too much, it's distributing clamping pressure in places that do not need it, and probably not going to clamp the blocks as well as you'd want.


Here's a picture with a bar clamp on each block, and the clamping cauls over each block. Notice, my clamping cauls are overlapping, which I learned the hard way makes things more difficult.



Since the process is the same for the upper bout as it is the lower bout, here's the pictures of that as well.

Photo of the upper bout mitered corners and carved block:



Here's a photo of all of the ribs now in place. Again a bar clamp for each block: