There's Always Room for Cello!!!
My Very First Cello
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Return to AMATEUR LUTHIER HOME PAGE
THE IDEA AND PREPARING SOME TOOLS AND JIGS:
The Idea, Researching Types of Molds, Beginning the Template
Researching and Purchasing Tools and Materials, Cutting Out the Templates, Starting to Draw the Body Shape on the Mold, Cutting Out the Mold Shape, Starting to Smooth and Square-Up the Mold Edges
A Hodge-Podge of Tasks before Continuing, Finishing Squaring-Up the Mold Edges, Cutting Pine Battens, Screwing It All Together, Unscrewing It To Trim the Battens and Cut Out the Mold Center, Screwing It Back Together, Putting a Finish on It, Strobel's Cello-Making DVD, A Totally-Unexpected Gift, Spool Clamps, Sharpening Time
Making a Carving Cradle, An Unboxing!!!, Making More Spool Clamps
THE NECK:
Squaring-Up the Neck Blank, Making the Neck Template
The Template is Finished, Gluing Scrap Spruce to Neck Wedge, Sharpening Plane Blades, Cute Little Plane Shavings!!!, The Neck Wedge is Ready for Drawing the Outline Now, New Old Bandsaw Table
THE FINGERBOARD:
Preparing the Fingerboard
Still Preparing the Fingerboard, The Fingerboard is Complete!!!
THE SCROLL:
Drilling Out the Tuner Holes, Sawing Out the Neck Profile, Truing-Up the Heel Face -- It All Checks Out!!!, Planning Next Tasks and Making a Scroll Template
Smoothing the Neck Scroll Surfaces, Marking the Neck Blank, Trimming the Fingerboard Edge and Pegbox Sides, Beginning to Carve the Scroll, The Beginnings of the Volute!!!, Rough-Carving the Chin, Bevel to the Line, Shaping the First Volute
Apology & Smoothing Pegbox Sides and First Ramp, The Second Volute and Ramp, Making Some New Jaws for my Parrot Vise, Working on the Other Side of the Scroll
A Travesty....SANDING the Scroll!!!, The Pegbox
Finishing the Pegbox, The Fluting
Finishing Up the Fluting, A Little Detour -- Installing a Vise, Bench Dogs!!!,
THE GARLAND (BLOCKS, RIBS, LININGS):
Starting on the Blocks, Gluing the Blocks,
Sanding the Blocks, Shaping the Blocks, C-Bout Clamping Cauls, THE WOOD HAS ARRIVED!!!, Making Rib Clamps
Making a New Tail Block, Bending Practice, Sharpening Fingerplane Blades, Christmas in February (An Unboxing), Beautiful Flame and Grain, Thickness-Sanding the Ribs
Short Ribs. A Little Visualization, Ribs Cut to Size, More Practice Bending, Bending the C-Bouts For Real, Gluing the C-Bouts
More Gluing of the C-Bouts, Preparing Linings, Shaping the Corner Blocks for the Upper and Lower Bout Ribs, An Unfortunate Encounter with a Gouge, Finishing Shaping and Sanding the Corner Blocks, Bending the Upper and Lower Ribs, Ready for An Exciting Day!!!
Gluing the Upper and Lower Bout Ribs (of one side), No Clamps!, Trimming the Corner Block Points, Oops, Bending and Gluing the Other Upper and Lower Bout Ribs, Trimming the Other Corner Block Points, Sanding the Top and Back, Beginning the Linings
The Linings Are Completely Glued, Some Tools I Love, Planing and Sanding the Linings Level with the Blocks, Shaping the Linings and Smoothing the Ribs, Pulling Out the Top and Back Plates, A Little Visualization,
THE TOP AND BACK PLATES:
Jointing the Maple Back, Fish Glue, The Plates are Glued!!!
A Little Setback, Pop-Up Bench Dogs, Redoing the Spruce Top Joint, Flattening and Trimming the Back Plate
Bandsawing the Back Plate, Filing the Edges, Drilling for Locating Pins, Do I Have a Clamping Solution, A Modified Pipe Clamp Rack, Planing the Spruce Top, It's Flat!!!, Tracing the Outline Onto the Plate, Cutting Off Excess Wood, Sanding the Peak into a Flat, Cutting It Out on the Bandsaw, YIKES -- A Knotty Problem, Locating Pins/Edge Marking/Tool Wall/Idea for Carving Cradle
The Cello Carving Cradle Clamps, A Light Change, The Rough Gouging of the Top
Preliminary Smoothing with Fingerplanes, Routing the Edge Platform for the Purfling, Blending Purfling Platform Edge into Arching, Drilling Arching Holes into Maple Back Plate. Starting the Rough Arching of the Maple Back, Doin' Some Sharpening
Practicing Routing for Purfling, Bee Stings!!, Routing the Purfling Channels, Fitting and Gluing In the Purfling, New Idea for Carving Cradle, Swiveling Cradle, A Sharpening Station, Sharpening Adventures
A Cello Graduation Punch!!!, I Am I Love (with a toothed blade), The Graduation Punch is Shellacked, Doing the Arching of the Top
The Rough Arching is Done --- Checking for Symmetry. A Contour Marking Caliper, Feeling for Highs and Lows to Refine the Arch, Scraping and Sanding is Complete, Drilling Depth Holes in the Spruce Top
The Depth Holes Are Drilled!!!!, Hollowing Out the Plate
Still Hollowing Out the Plate, Making a Soundhole Template
Drawing the Soundhole Patterns, Drilling Out the Soundhole Eyes, Cutting Out the Sound Holes, Cutting and Gluing the Bass Bar
Shaping the Bass Bar, Fluting the Lower Sound Hole Wings, A Nice Surprise!!!, Quite a Transformation, A Little Visualization, Starting to Carve Maple Back Arching
More Carving of the Maple Back, Routing the Purfling Platform, Routing the Purfling Slot