Anybody else carving string instruments?

arbarnhart · #1 05-09-2006, 02:21 PM

I have a couple of medieval fiddles on my bench now and plans to do a citole and possibly a gittern in the not too distant future. These are all carved body (body and neck from a single piece of wood) instruments with wooden tuning pegs. It's a mix of more general woodworking and carving with a lot of roughing out of large blanks. Anyone else into this? Would love to swap tips and techniques.

Thor · #2 05-09-2006, 03:04 PM

I would love to see pictures of what you're doing, but have no concept of how or what it is.
Thor

arbarnhart · #3 05-09-2006, 03:33 PM

This is pretty early in construction. The fingerboard is just lying on one as a dry fit. That one is getting pretty close to done now. Here is what I aspire to be able to do someday:
http://www.trombamarina.com/gittern/Citole%20page.htm
though for now I am working my way through the projects that this fellow did:
http://crab.rutgers.edu/~pbutler/instrum.html
The maple piece on my bench is following the plan for the rebec and I plan to follow his plan for the citole (with substantially more decorative carving than the rebec) next.
The mahogany fiddle I am doing is a mix between the fully carved rebec and one I found at VintagePlans.com. I wanted to do it first to learn the ropes on attaching the induced arch top, doing pegs, etc. I have built some fretted instruments before that were more pure woodworking projects. I recently finished a mandolin that came out rather well. So I have a bit of that experience but my carving skills need refinement.

Greyhair · #4 05-09-2006, 07:41 PM

This is truly amazing!!!
I am difficult to impress but you have done so with emphasis on talent, patience and a reverence for the design. Thanks for sharing.

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #5 05-09-2006, 07:56 PM

it reminds me some of a dulcimer, I would think a dulcimer site could give you a lot of help on those, beautiful workmanship!

arbarnhart · #6 05-09-2006, 07:58 PM

Greyhair,

I suspect you are impressed with the other folks' work that I aspire to. Just what's in the attached picture (a couple of oblong bowls with big handles so far) are mine. I was just answering the question of what this is all about.

HiHo,

Dulcimers are constructed (thin bent sides glued to thin top and back pieces and a stright sawn fretboard down the middle) though many do have a carved pegbox and pegs. I am not try to belittle constructing instruments (I have done it and it's hard) but carving an instrument is different. As a point of referenc, attached is the most recent constructed instrument I made - a mandolin. I was hoping I might find other carvers doing this kind of work because I could use some tips on hogging, maintining symmetry on large pieces and some other issues I have encountered. I do have my pegbox mostly carved and a top on the mahogany fiddle now.

-Andy

Thor · #7 05-10-2006, 09:46 AM

That looks like fun. I may have to try something kind of crude in that direction. I will check out all of the links and see about that. Thanks so much for showing that to us.
I really would like to see your progress on the work you've started.
Thor

cut up · #8 05-10-2006, 12:09 PM

I haven't done any instrument carving. In fact, I just finished my 1st mountain dulcimer, and the most carving I did on it was on the tuning head, as you mentioned.
Just out of curiosity, what kind of method are you using now to hog out that wood?

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #9 05-10-2006, 12:28 PM

I don't make dulcimers, but if I were to make one, I would rout the majority of the wood and then use my chisels for the balance.....at least that is what I am thinking now, but again, have not made one

arbarnhart · #10 05-10-2006, 12:59 PM

Right now I am hogging with power. I do a bunch of circular saw plunge cuts with a depth stop moving over just a little more than a kerf width between cuts. This is not as crazy as it may sound; I have a PC Mag saw and plunging is a documented operation that it does well (bottom plate stays in contact with stock). Then I clean out the trough with a chisel. Then using my Weecher handpiece (power reciprocating carver that attaches to a rotary tool) I work my way out. On the mahogany one I switched to my hand tools pretty quickly and did most of it with a shallow sweep Pfiel gouge. Carving the mahogany is big fun, but it won't do details well. The hard maple is more like

work and I use the Weecher pretty much all the way to final dimensions. Hogging the underside was more of a pure carving exercise (depending on your point of view as to whether or not rasps, planes and spokeshaves are carving tools; I think they are). Oh yeah - and a 36 grit belt on the sander - another fine carving tool for bulk shaping...