Official Luthiers Forum!

Kind People!

I am getting more requests for violin tops and I have a nice small log that will work great for them. I already do quite a few Mandolin sets but I always "slab" process them (7/8 x 6 x 16.5 each half). Some of the Violin guys are asking for wedges (I always worry about uneven drying in that form but I guess there is tradition). Can anyone let me know some dimensions on violin wedges? And do they typically come as two halves or as a single piece that the luthier splits or saws?

Thanks in advance (pictures would be AWESOME and most welcome!)

Shane

_________________
Canada

I don't know any dimensions off hand for violin billets, so I can't help you out there. But I have seen some billets resawn partially with maybe just 1/2" of wood joining them together. This is done, I'm guessing, on a table saw. I'm assuming this would be for drying purposes. Hope that answers part of your question.

Thanks Mitch,

You bring another good point. I know that this is done as well but I understand that it is done so the violin maker can split the wedge the rest of the way to confirm the absence of runout. But I would like to get some more feedback on this as well.

Thanks

Shane

_________________
Canada

A good friend of mine in Calgary processes and sells a lot of violin wood Shane. He sells it both in single or two wedges. I'm sure he sells more of the two wedge variety. Here's a link to his sizes. http://www.grandpasworkshop.com/cdn_price_list.htm

Thanks Darrel,

It has been a couple or more years since I last talked to Don. Say hi for me if you see him soon. He gets a good portion of his maple from an old friend of mine. I will jump over there and see if I can see the dimensions.

Thanks

Shane

_________________
Canada

I'll definitely do that Shane. Don is a great guy. I spend a lot of time over at his place.

Here is an old German Spruce Violin top billet.
I buy these to cut up for bracing for my classical guitars.
This one is 16 1/8" long and 4 15/16" wide. The wide part of the wedge is 1 7/8" while the narrow is 7/8".
You can see the saw cut which separates the two halves and the web left to connect and keep them together.

THANKS DAVID!!!

Just what I was looking for.

Shane

_________________
Canada

Shane,
When you get some made up, I'd like to buy a couple.

Hutch

_________________
"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

You bet Chuck. Maybe I will just post a picture of some of the wedges when they are done. That will indicate that I have them processed and people can also let me know if the product is presented properly.

Thanks again

Shane

_________________
Canada

The semi-attached wedge serves several purposes. It allows the spruce to dry by having a gap for the air to move through because you can't sticker violin wedges like guitar tops.

The connected pieces prevents them from being lost or mixed up. It also allows the luthier to know which side has the best book match (the inner).

Ya Barry, I can address all of those issues and do by marking my sets with a cabinet makers triangle, ala Krenov, and as for stacking even wedges can be stacked as seen with the split billets in Europe. They are stacked like cord wood in alternating orientation. I still think that slab sawn allows for much more uniform drying but does require more stock removal and larger trees to get the sets. In the olden days that also required more wood to be removed with hand tools by the maker, but now with duplicarvers, bandsaws, grinders and cnc machines I don't see that as much of an issue anymore but in the violin business tradition seems very strong! So, I am going to produce some violin wedges and see how they do. I just looked at another smaller log that will make more awesome violin and mandolins so I will probably get it and have a barn full of these sets for those that want to give these smaller archtop instruments a try. I have to make one (or many!) for my 9 year old who is doing very well at the violin!

Thanks eh!

Shane

_________________
Canada

Shane, what kind of wood?

Some violin makers like split billets. Either way, sawn or split, they like to know how it was processed.

If you have enough for a viola then go ahead with that too.

Slab cut top wood is not too sought after. But slab backs are nice especially if they are on piece. Black willow or maple is nice for viola. Mostly maple for violin.

Double bass wood is always nice to see processed.

_________________
Ken