DIY Network

Handmade Violin, Part 10: Carving the Neck From "Handmade Music" episode DHMM-203

The precision and curves on scroll on the neck is indicative of the quality in the violin-maker's craft.

This third episode of DIY's five-part series on violin-making focuses on creating the violin's neck and scroll. The body of the violin has been assembled, and the glue has dried. Then next phase is the creation of the neck.

The neck is made from maple, and its crafting includes several points of emphasis -- but overall the violin maker's success is defined by the quality of the scroll. The simple and elegant shape of the spiral is one of the most beautiful parts of the instrument.

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"It's probably one of the more daunting parts of the violin for students who don't have a lot of woodworking experience," says expert violin-maker Fred Thompson, "Laying it out in a series of steps, going from step to step and knowing which cuts to make first kind of clarifies and simplifies the process. Really, I think for most students it becomes one of the most enjoyable parts of making the violin."

First, a block is cut from maple, and some preliminary shaping is done using a hand-plane (figures A and B).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

After marking the block of lumber with a template, a blank (figure C) is cut using a band saw.

From there, work begins on the scroll. According to expert violin-maker Becky Elliott, the creation of the scroll can be broken down into individual steps, but it's actually a continuing process, with refinements being made by going back through the series of steps again and again. Students should expect to spend at least two weeks on their first scroll.

Before breaking out the gouge for carving, a saw trims the majority of un-needed wood (figure D). The surplus is marked in pencil, and Becky gets started carving using a small hand saw (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

The sawing will eventually create facets. Those facets ware rounded with the gouge (figure F). Again, experienced violin makers view this as a continuous process, but for the purpose of teaching the students, the process is broken down into steps. It's done in a number of small stages, starting from the outside and working inward, with a series of gouges that gradually get narrower. At each level, more of the outside wood is removed. Violin-makers refer to the stages as first turn, second turn and so on.

	Figure G
	Figure H

Evidence of the staging, or the facets, eventually fades and continuity emerges. That's especially true when it's done by a master violin-maker like Tschu Ho Li, co-founder of the Chicago School of Violin Making. Mister Li now serves as an advisor at the school he founded. His skill is evident in all aspects of violin building, but it's a marvel to watch him create a scroll (figures G and H). Students at the Chicago School of Violin Making have been watching and learning from him since 1975 when he opened the school's doors. Before that, he played the violin as a youth in Korea. Eventually he made his way to the Mittenwald School in Germany -- the world's premier school of violin making. After graduating early, Li earned his Meister certificate, meaning he's a master violinmaker -- the highest honor bestowed on a violinmaker. Li's leadership and spirit continue to influence the Chicago School of Violin Making.

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