CNC carving a violin out of olive wood with the Shapeoko XXL
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- Опубліковано 28 січ 2021
- Final versions for sale through my website:
topoarts.com/violins-out-of-o...
By Dennis Van Hoof, from Top o' Arts (topoarts.com).
This video shows the process of building a violin out of olive wood and spring green-colored epoxy resin using the Shapeoko XXL CNC router and other modern as well as traditional wood working techniques.
Software used:
- Meshmixer to create the 3D violin model
- Vectric VCarve to generate the tool paths
- UGS Platform to send the Gcode to the CNC
Materials used:
- Olive wood (Etsy store: "OliveWoodSupply" in Turkey)
- Ebony fingerboard, nut, and tail gut saddle blanks hardware blanks (StewMac)
- Strings and Supreme Tamarind Violin Fittings Set with Ebony Trim (Fiddlershop)
- 3/4 inch HDPE for the mold panels ("Small Parts" Amazon)
- Crystal Clear and Floral epoxy resin (from the Epoxy Resin Store)
- Pearl Ex Spring Green Mica powder
- 1 inch surfacing bit: Whiteside #6210
- 1/4 end mill: Amana Tool #46577-K
- 1/8 end mill: Amana Tool #46299
- 1/4 down-cut bit: Whiteside #RD2100
- Straight 1/4 ball nose bit: Amana Tool #46294
- Straight 1/8 ball nose bit: Amana Tool #46295
- Conical 1/16 ball nose bit: Amana Tool #46281
Referenced video of the Lock & Key technique for 4-sided CNC: "Lock & Key technique for 4-sided CNC - Carving a Greek column"
• Lock & Key technique f...
I think it important to keep in mind the original premise as stated by Dennis at the beginning of the video. He wants to break with traditional violin crafting methods and craft a violin with a CNC. He also acknowledges the traditional woods that the masters used in their violins but, again, breaking with tradition using olivewood. At the very least Dennis has crafted four beautiful pieces of art that would grace any home or office and what a conversation starter! Watching the care Dennis takes with the string components [fingerboard et al] I find it hard to believe the sound will be 'horrid', but certainly as good as, at the very least, as a mass produced student violin, hopefully better. Remember, Dennis never stated that his quest was to produce an instrument rivaling the sound of the masters. What I think would be interesting would be to compare the sound of the four. I say well done, Dennis! You are to be congratulated for your CNC and hand crafting skills.
Thank you for concisely reiterating what others may have missed or forgotten (or maybe some chose to ignore) by the time they got to the end of the video. You sum it up quite well, and I appreciate you pointing that out. :)
I think I'm just as curious to know what they sound like in the hands of a skilled violinist, and I'm working hard on that most frequently asked question answered. But the pandemic hasn't made it any easier to reach out to orchestras and professional violinists. A follow up video will be posted... some day...!
Well, in the meantime maybe you could create a family portrait of your "babies"! Stay safe and thanks again for your wonderful video.
'Magic Woods' are overrated. It's like winemakers talking about tasting 'the soil' in wines. Geometry of the parts is most important, which a CNC can excel at repeating. Blind professional player tests of Strad vs modern made violins reveal over and over they can't tell the difference, which is better/worse. People listen with their eyes and there is magic in marketing.
do you sell these violins, and how much would you charge for them>
@@johnpayne1523 please send a message to contact@topoarts.com
I would really like to hear this violin played by a professional violinist and hearing his opinion about the tone, feel, performance and the overall look of this violin.
It wouldn’t make a sound or be dull and scratchy
Imagine a violin being a finely tuned automatic wristwatch compared to the watch from the dollar store
Yeah, might make a sound.... but not one you’d want to listen to
Also.... I’d expect it to just rip apart
The strings of a tuned violin have a downwards pressure of around 27kg and the vibrations are extreme. It also looks like he didn’t install a sound post (a vertical piece of wood, roughly under the bridge that makes sure the instrument doesn’t collapse)
It’s nice to look at, but as someone who plays the violin.... that’s not gonna happen
@@arwo1143 You are making a lot of assumptions without even a test. Yes, all of what you said is true and the violin might explode when you look at it the wrong way, or it might also not. Hence why we are asking for a test with a professional. You on the other hand are trying to sell the fur before shooting the bear, or in this case you are judging the violin before it got a chance to explode and rip apart on us while playing.
@@arwo1143 He sure did install a soundpost starting at 26:55. All the same this violin will not make a great sound because the top is of hard olive wood which will not resonate in the sound range of a violin. The top is usually made of spruce, sometimes fir or similar. This is for resonance reasons. The rest of the instrument is usually made of maple. Dennis mentioned both in the video. I believe these violins were made for the fun of building some string instruments with modern tools and remarkable looks.
@@arwo1143 "finely tuned automatic wristwatch compared to the watch from the dollar store"
A dollar store watch is more accurate. Actually, a cheap watch is almost as consistent as an atomic clock the size of a bathtub (consistent and accurate is not the same). No comparison to a mechanical watch.
@@arwo1143 At 29:21 he plays open strings with full tension and the sound post was installed at 26:53. I'm no expert on violin tone, but I think the sound is tolerable at least.
Actually.... Those 4 notes at the end sound VERY PROMISING!!! ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT!
I made my living for the last 50 years making sawdust and woodchips and I couldn't be more impressed with what he has done in his little shed.
I couldn't help but comment on your humour here; nicely said! You have spent years of skillful work (I am sure) at creating "sawdust and woodchips"! With this amount of humour, I would be interested to see what kind of creations you came up with!
I don't have a cnc, and I don't make violins, yet I was spellbound the whole video. Top notch my man!
+1 here
Wow that's a beautiful violin! The olive wood is stunning, the craftsmanship looks excellent! Now the question on everyone's mind is: how does it sound? Please post a video of an experienced player demonstrating it, thanks!
1:48 1:02
Hello! so first off, as a violinist (non professional) and carpenter, I love that you are bringing a modern edge to this craft. A few things I noticed/information that may be helpful to you in future instruments.
The ribs being milled from a single piece instead of bent into shape may affect the tone. (won't know if its good or bad until we see an expert play it!)
you didn't clamp the neck. I understand the clamping issue, but without any clamping force, the glue may not have set properly, there could be small air pockets, or it could potentially just be a weak joint. on the next one, you could use some string or rope to bind it while the glue cures.
you used Deft brushing lacquer for your finish. It's a great product, but its technically a lacquer, not a varnish. It's solvent based, and is effectively cured in 2 hours.
I'm sure there are alternatives for animal hide glue, but every good violin will need to be taken apart at some point in its life for repairs.
Last, but likely not least, I noticed that you have no purfling. (those thin black lines on the edge of a wooden violin) while it is there for aesthetics, it's also there to prevent cracks traveling from the edge through the body.
Other than all of that, I think you made a beautiful instrument, and I'm excited to see a professional play it some day!
Thank you for your extensive and constructive feedback! Most "wrongdoings" were intentional (no purfling, the ribs out of one piece, the choice of lacquer, which is indeed not varnish, but you really don't want to hear me trying to pronounce that word with my Dutch accent, without the need for subtitles of closed captions); I consider them to fall within the artistic freedom that a non-luthier woodworker has. ;) I've used clamps for the handful of violins I made after this (final) prototype that I show in the video (including special fingerboard loop clamps from StewMac), but have moved on to completely different projects that are not even remotely related to musical instruments since then.
@@dennisvanhoof9958 Ah, the classic 'artistic' excuses.
Waht do you mean, may? thi is idiocy.
@@71volare Would you please elaborate on the "idiocy"?
I'm a classical musician (piano, harp, and flute), and I'm a firm believer that instruments are technology and should be tinkered with for the sheer fun of it from time to time. These are wonderful and fun, and I would seriously buy an acoustic one if you were to put them up for sale, just out of curiosity and to support people who explore new materials and methods of construction. The only thing that made me cringe was the permanent wood glue. Definitely consider hide glue in the future so that these instruments can be opened up in the future if need be.
Thank you for your kind and constructive feedback! :)
there is the rosa string works channel and that luthier says the old masters used hide glue because that was the best they had. now rsw says that the green tightbond 1 is far superior and will allow for disassembly again the same as hide glue. if the old masters had tightbond they would use hide glue selectively and use tightbond more often.
@@texas77563 If you need to open an instrument held together by wood glue -- you'll just end up destroying it. Yes, use alternate glues but use a water soluble one. No one with a valuable violin should get it fixed by Rosa String Works. I do like his channel though.
@John Johnson who are you talking to?
@@acerjuglans383 himself probably because he has no friends
I was COMPELLED to send Dennis a PM.
This makes flags, signs, cabinet and furniture parts seem like I've been whittling with a dull pocket knife.
This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen.
You sent him a PM willingly. No one forced you to....LOL
@@13daniel1974 indeed! compelled would have been a better choice of language here!
@@1061shrink1061 it did make much more sense!!
This may be the coolest video I've ever seen! Please make some and sell them. I'll buy one!
Although I am not a violin maker, my dad was, and I learned a lot from him, and even with the background of having observed a violin maker growing up, I am impressed by what CNC can do. I think the integrated bass bar is brilliant. Also, CNC-cutting the scroll is brilliant as well. The scroll is incredibly skill-intensive to carve properly. The idea that a CNC machine could give you a nice scroll without that kind of difficulty is fantastic. I am persuaded that there's no good reason a CNC'ed violin can't be just as good as an old fashioned hand-carved violin.
I also learned a tremendous amount from this video about CNC wood carving methods. Thanks for making this video.
Thank you for your kind words and sharing some of your historical association with violin making! :)
@@dennisvanhoof9958 would you like to do a violin enhancement experiment that doesn't strictly depend on CNC, but would be super interesting to do? I have an idea that I feel someone needs to do, since I'm not a violin maker, and am not equipped to do it.
@@Berkana Thanks for the offer, but I'm not a luthier either, and I do not plan on making more violins. I'm a wood artist, and have already moved on with many (totally) different projects after these violins here. Check out my UA-cam channel for more work to get an idea.
Contact youtubers from TwoSetViolin so they can give a try to all four violins (Maybe even Hillary Hahn or other top violinists might try it aftewards)! They would be delighted and it would be awesome! Just a thought (as a side effect your channel will grow like at least by ten fold in the process!) Really outstanding work!
they would troll the everlasting poop out of these violins
😆
I doubt the review from TwoSet would be good.
The use of olive wood is a bad decision for making a playable violin because it has high density and irregular grain, thus not being resonant enough. Gluing the violin together with permanent wood glue is also a bad call, because as he noted it can't be opened in the future for any repairs. The wood-glue mistake in particular makes me wonder if the creator did much research on how to build violins at all. After all, you need to know why things are done a certain way before you change them.
These creations are wonderful works of art, that's for sure, and I find them beautiful. But in all honesty they are VSOs - violin shaped objects - and not real violins.
@@NMS409 Totally right!
When i was very young i choosed to study music. But because i had serious problems with carpal tunnel syndrom i had to stop playing music instruments so i switched to study mechanical engineering and many decades i designed cnc machines (very big ones) and other machines which where mostly build with any kind of cnc machines, but never build any music instrument. Now i am old and i love to see how you created a beautiful cnc version of a kind of traditional instrument and i really love to see that. It really touches me, loved to watch your building process. Good work !
Thank you for sharing your story. It's really nice to hear from the pros.
So many haters in the comments, while the construction method used was not traditional or as beautiful an art form as hand carving, it is certainly evident that a LOT of care and thought was put into every single stage of this build. Well done. Im hoping there is a follow up video somewhere with someone playing these, I've no doubt they sound great.
They are beautiful. I'd love to see some professional violinists play them and compare with traditional woods and construction.
Me too!!
Yes a video of professionals playing your violins would be grand!
"I can hear the resin vibrate through my toes nails and into my stomach and it even made me vomit"
~ some elitist snob
No, you actually wouldn't.
@@the_algorithm Ist man denn nirgendwo sicher vor euch Antifazecken?
I am not into violins per se....but woods, as I always look up woodworking videos, thus, that is likely how your video hit me. The wood is striking. This is absolutely the most beautiful violin I have ever seen, I am not one for heavy stain and would much rather see the beauty of the wood and it's grain. Thank you for posting.
This is a perfect example of symbiosis between craftsmanship and technology. Well done.
And art these vionlins he made are beautiful works of art.
As a professional violinist, I've often wondered why we don't use more technology in producing violins and this is an existing example.
The final result sounds quite good. I was pleasantly surprised. Setup can make a big difference, so tweaking the sound post, bridge and strings...
What Dennis has made is a piece of art, and as I understand is not meant to be comparable to a real violin. The reason that violins aren’t normally made with machines is that they are pieces of art, not a product. Every handmade violin is unique, and the process for making a violin is a beautiful and precise process. If we use machines to make violin making easier and more efficient, we lose sight of what a violin really is. Dennis is not trying to make a real violin, what he’s made serves a completely different purpose.
@@michaelfrank4922 With all my respect for your opinion, but I must disagree. The purpose of a musical instrument is to play with the best sound possible. The means you use to achieve this are mere means to achieve this goal. If plastic violins sounded better than wooden ones, they would all be plastic. I aknoledge the knowledge, craftsmanship and even poetry attached to making an instrument but eventually it all comes down to sound production. If technology helps to improve it it should be used.
@@jazzman_10 I suppose so, but technology did not make this violin sound better than a “traditionaly” made violin. And couldn’t you say that making an instrument sound it’s best is part of the art?
@@michaelfrank4922 I agree. The point I was trying to make is that it is quite futile to go against technology. The level of craftsmanship machines are obtaining is increasingly better because humans keep on improving it as we use them and also because they are efficient and reduce costs. If it weren't for them, only a few could afford to buy a hand made car or pretty much anything you may think of. Technology has bought consumer goods' prices down to affordable for everyone. Now, I am pretty sure that a good craftsman could make a difference, but is is smaller as time goes by and even themselves use certain specific tools designed for their task. We are just changing the tools...
@@jazzman_10 yes, technology is progress. But when you industrialize the production of many things, everything becomes the same, and part of what makes some violins and many other things so much more expensive or beautiful than others is their uniqueness, and the uniqueness of violins and other such things is so important because each player is different and needs different qualities in their instrument to be able to play the best they can. Some things should not be industrialized. That being said, factory made violins are much more accessible and cheaper, which is better for people who can’t afford a 20,000 dollar violin, but they simply just aren’t as good. Technology is useful, but it is dangerous and not always necessary. If you could industrialize human reproduction, would you? No, cuz that would make everyone the same, and that’s stupid.
Thank God for the internet for sourcing and getting material from all over the world quite easily. Excellent work. Thank you for the education on mold release products. Something tells me that you have learned a lot off past projects, as you have your coordinate references and the dust shields working for you. You are a true maestro. I have one special wish-to bring Antonius forward 400 years for 30 minutes to be able to see how you made this beautiful instrument. Not only are you a fine instrument craftsman, but your video work was very very good. Did you appreciate the smell of olives when you cut the olive wood? That’s one of the special treats when working in olive wood. I wish my friend Jack Benny were still alive to try out that instrument!
And the award for the most beautiful VSO goes to...!!
If they do awards for best youtube video this should work of yours should be a definite contender. What a great video and great workmanship. I also appreciate that you think of your viewers as adults who know their way around a wood shop. I was impressed with how humble your shop was, it proves the kind of craftsmanship that can be accomplished with modest tools. Bravo Dennis, great job. I can't imagine violin makers of hundreds of years ago saying "get that cnc out of my shop !!
Thank you for the awesome comments! It is exactly those appreciative and kind words like yours that make it worth the effort to keep posting videos. And I'm happy to share any new techniques and insights that may inspire and encourage fellow woodworkers to push their tools/machines, craftsmanship and engineering skills to the max, so that they can realize projects to be proud of. It shows that imagination is the only limitation to what humanity is capable of. Thank you, sir; you made my day! :)
It certainly is a very well done video.
This is probably the most impressive Cnc project I’ve ever seen!! And I watch a lot
I find myself drawn to CNN videos, amazing what they are capable of with the right programer. Great video, really good editing, a pleasure to watch.
I'm a professional luthier and I love this video. Now, I want a CNC.
Thank you for your encouraging words! :)
It doesn't matter what the violin will sound like. It is a piece of art created with passion and a lot of skill. Thank you for sharing your talent with us.
When I tell you I gasped when you said you didn't know how to play violin!!!! Amazing craftsmanship.
I am a indian classical musician coming from generations of musicians & film composers in my family, we have lots of traditions so before my uncle's nobody learnt western music and we learnt it too so breaking tradition is a good thing it helps to learn new things, this violin is a beautiful sounding instrument and would be excellent when a master plays it
Never played violin, never will. Never had a CNC, never will. But became totally fixed to the monitor for the whole time. Frkng great job, man. Love it!
Thank you for your kind words! :)
@@dennisvanhoof9958 You definitely deserve it, man! Awesome!
I love this. I'm a baroque violinist playing on a fine instrument from the early 1700s, and my peers are such backwards purists that it is unbelievable. Now, I can understand them. Hell, I'm a tone purist when it comes to my own instrument, and I wouldn't even dream of putting on synthetic strings and completely ruin and kill my tone and therefore the joy of playing. I recognise how to achieve the sweetest tones possible, and what it takes, and that traditional purists aren't wrong. However, even though I'm really purist with my main instrument, I believe in general that violins should evolve and develop. This is a really cool step in developing it further, and I can already tell from the sound of it that it has potential to be a really nice sounding instrument for certain kinds of music. Also, it looks great! I wouljd have loved to have one of them to use for just having fun playing at home or if doing some other, more contemporary types of music. Hell, I'd even try removing all the modern hardware and put on some proper gut strings and see what it could be capable of as a pure, untouched violin. Maybe I would be surprised? My backwards peers wouldn't even consider that possibility though. I love when people do these kinds of things. We need old masterbuilt instruments to get some of the sweet and complex tones we need for early music etc, but we also need a luthier community that is alive, and not just filled with people copying the old styles perfectly for the entirety of their life. That would be dystopian in my view.
Although I cannot for the life of me understand why you didn't use hide glue. You WILL have to open that violin up in the years to come, that isn't even a question, so I think hide glue is a no-brainer :)
Thank you for your extensive feedback and sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate your constructive comments. :) I'm also happy that you understand I'm not trying to compete with or do better than any traditional luthiers. It's just a different approach, a fun project, thinking outside the box, and an entertaining video for an artistic result. Thank you for watching! :)
@@dennisvanhoof9958 Also curious about this-is there a specific reason you chose not to use hide glue? Totally mind-blowing work, by the way!
@@t3db0t97 Thank you! I doubt hide glue adheres to the epoxy good enough for strong bonds. Wood glue does an excellent job, so I played it safe.
@@matthewvwise Yes you can, actually. That test (and EVERY SINGLE OTHER TEST LIKE IT) is performed on rebuilt Strads with modern strings and modern setups, identical to pretty much every violin being built today. It is no secret that synthetic and steel strings take away quite a bit from the tone of the instruments. Modern strings are NOT made to sound "beautiful" or "rich" or "complex". They are made to be LOUD. That't it. To have a violin setup in a modern manner, you gain a lot of volume and projection, but lose maybe 20-30% of the complexity and richness of the instrument. For baroque violinist, volume - and to a certain degree depending on situation - is worthless to us. We only care about tone, which is why we use different setups and different strings, not necessarily just because it is traditional. And when you play with a neck with no steepness to it, a different bass bar, pure gut strings and no hardware like rests attached to the violin, it will sound completely different than it did before, and each violin will sound WILDLY different from eachother. But if you set up the same instruments in a modern fashion, they will sound pretty much the same with just small differences. The modern setup narrows the tone of the instrument to gain volume, and makes each violin sound similar. Which is why these tests mean nothing unless you play on a modern setup. If you have a modern setup and modern strings, a Strad will sound like any other modern built violin.
@@dennisvanhoof9958 Finally: the end of the mystery on choosing the monstrous glue so devilish for instrument makers! So safety versus longevity vs ability to repair and make it last even longer! But I am sure you now know why both musicians and luthiers have cringed so much upon your original choice, lolllll.
This was immensely enjoyable. The olive wood is amazingly beautiful, the violin is stunning. Thanks for sharing.
This is awesome. Excellent work.
Well, it may look good, or interesting, but the proof of the violin is its song. Let's hear someone who is a violin virtuoso like Hilary Hahn play it in a concerto by Mozart or Beethoven. With all that epoxy how resonant will the instrument be?
@@KOLODNY95 Well yes, epoxy scares the "..." from my violin playing technique and "resonance". But then again, olive wood lines, though gorgeous to look at and admire, is tortuous to say the least; I don't know how it can carry the sound at it's best capacity. But again, how beautiful to look at!
I hope that you know there are those of us who are absolutely taken by such skilled craftsmanship for a delicate sound of the mystical strings of a violin. Genius and beautiful work. I hope my budding violinist grandson has a moment to view how amazing the workmanship is taken into these lovely instruments. Thanks!
I have never seen anything quite like this, I wasn't too keen as you were using a CNC machine, but I was really surprised at the amount of work involved. You didn't use the CNC for roughing out a violin blank, you created a thing of beauty, I'm very impressed. Great job.
Thank you for your kind words! :)
I question your aversion to the use of the CNC. It is capable of more consistent and reproduceable work than a human can do over a run of production numbers. The key is the way that the CNC system is used, the ingenuity of the programming and attention to detail along with the understanding of how to best use the materials. This can drastically reduce the cost to consumers for fine instruments. It is the future...
I have the same machine, maybe if you did too you would realise its not much of a shortcut. This piece of art, produced with the help of the CNC is outstanding.
While I don't have his CNC router, I have CNC metal lathes and mills. I understand that the learning curve is initially steep. The point that I was making is that once the processes are established, the CNC systems are more than equal to any other processes, repeatable and consistent.
@@rickkernell2486 I'm not doubting your skills or knowledge mate, I guess I'm trying to draw attention to the fact that this is no milling machine. Flimsy in comparison and no where near as repeatable without loads of tweaking constantly. That violin is the best product i've seen the shapeoko produce, hands down.
Fascinating. Absolutely amazing what you can do with that CNC. I love the combination of old fashioned craftmanship and modern technology.
I watched your video on my television via UA-cam and was going to quit the video early but couldn't because I was captured. I was so impressed with the beauty of your Olive wood violins that I was compelled to run to my laptop and comment. Your skills are incredible and the tools you have are awesome! I have never seen a more unique and beautiful violin! I'm just a beginner at 62 and have a cheap, Chinese made, Yamaha V3 violin to learn from. I could only dream of owning one of your violins...it is an absolutely remarkable piece of ART!!! Thank you for sharing your video with us on UA-cam!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your extensive and kind comments! I'm glad to hear that you decided to hang on until the end of the video. Hope to inspire! :)
@@dennisvanhoof9958 what country are you in?
@@DickGJ61 USA (CA).
(Live)
I know NOTHING about CNC work, but you did an awesome job of explaining each step. That’s a beautiful instrument. Great video, great work.
Thank you for your kind words! I'm happy to hear that my videos are both entertaining and educational. :)
A wonderful project, done with skill (DEEP skill) sensitivity and great organisational planning. And beautifully presented too. A true work of art. Bravo!
Absolutely STUNNING pieces of art! 🤩👍🏻
I LOVE them! 😍
Olive wood certainly is one of the most BEAUTIFUL woods in the World.
4 notes is just the begining...keep playing and building in Olive wood , it is beautiful!
Thank you for your encouraging words! :)
OMG I play violin when I was a teenager, never see violin made in this way!
He's an artist aided by technology. Well done !!!
In my humble opinion, there is nothing wrong with making good use of technology in a technological era.
@@peterreece2340 Nothing wrong at all.
My God, brilliant! I want to make guitars with CNC as I've been building them for nearly 40 year and have 25 years in 3D animation so it would be really nice to combine the two. I love that you have really thought out every stage. And, those violin notes wheren't bad - keep at it! I used to play violin and I learnt a massive amount about guitar and music from it.
Thank you for your kind words, and happy to inspire! :)
Yes, a flat top Acoustic Gibson Gospel style with sides and bottom shaped and made like a viola or cello, bolt on neck. Black Walnut for back and sides like the Lowden in the video below. Sinker redwood for top. here is the very video. ua-cam.com/video/sK6hPyOmPY4/v-deo.html. Well, I can dream can't I LOL... Beautiful workmanship and woods.
While I'm not likely to ever try making a violin, this video has lots of good tips for CNC users.
Herr t'Hoof what a glory you have made. I congratulate you. The olive is wonderful, so much character; I hope this becomes a fad!
No clue if these would be considered “good” violins or not but that fire one is dope.
No clue if olive is a good wood for musical instruments...
Since most violinists are very picky and strict it would not be considered a "good" violin by them. Let alone the epoxy. Not saying it's bad. You would simply never see it in an orchestra.
probably pretty good except for needing a soft flexible wood for the top. I'd love to see another one made with a spruce top!
@@drheud1512 not necessarily. Materials other than spruce and maple have been used successfully. Carbon fiber violins, violas, and celli by Luis and Clark are considered excellent instruments by world renowned artists.
Fascinating. Love the LEDs. And the olive wood looks incredible.
BRAVO DENNIS . You are a CNC virtuoso .......a real Artist in your own way .
Thank you for your kind words! :)
Finally some violin building UA-camr who is actually thinking on the sound post! Bravo! :D
I also was searching for the bass bar and saw, that it was already on the top as part of the carving. That's cool :O
But that finger board is thicc!
BRAVO !!! I have never seen something made from olive wood, and your violin is stunning.
Wordlessly, incredibly beautiful.
Hard to say which was more perfectly made: the video or the violin. Thank you
Thank you for your kind words! :)
I never realized how beautiful olive wood is!! Your choice of using just a clear coat was spot on.
The projects are complex and the end result is always stunning.
Kudos to you Dennis on a wonderful job, I would love to hear it being played by a competent musician.
I love watching well planned projects like this. Thank you.
I would expect making a musical instrument would be hard to make. Now, I know it very well. Congrats!
Dennis,
While watching this video, I was repeatedly impressed with everything you did here and your talent for all of this. Not just the woodworking, the epoxy pouring, and your knowledge of instruments, but also your ability to create an interesting video, while showing interesting content and being clear in your ability to describe what you are doing and why.
TL:DR, Amazing video, Amazing skill keep it up and thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it. :)
This is great! What smart man that takes time to explain this amazing process!
I'd proudly play that fiddle at my local session....well, I'd take the green light out, though. Haha! Great work, Dennis.
Thank you for your encouraging words! Yeah, I was just experimenting with the light. It's easy to remove, as the electronics are not an integral part of the violin itself.
I play flute and have a olive wood headjoint and it sounds beautiful. Its cool to see someone make a violin out of olive wood. Bravo! 👏 👏 Thank you for your post. 🙏
Some serious skills involved there. Very nice!
This is actually really impressive
The violins look great, and the sound seems good to
Great job :)
Dennis is so competent at all this technology and also the violin fitting that I was amazed ,at the end,that he could not play his work of art . Admirable work but also slightly disgraceful if you follow me .I deeply resent a violin glued permanently though . But I glued on the neck on my first violin with Araldite . I just made sure never to drop it .
THAT was fascinating.
So well presented too!
Such method.
Thank you very much Mr. van Hoof!
Dennis is a brilliant machinist and engineer of wooden materials He has taken up the principals of wood structure and grain that were adopted by John Harrison 1693-1776. Harrison was the inventor of the modern day Chronometer. His first clocks were of wooden construction one of which is still in existance today in Lincolnshire. The cogs s and gears for his first Sea Clock were constucted of oak, with the cogs being made of Oak radially cut . The bearings made of Lignum Vitea. Dennis has taken these principals and applied modern technology a very clever combination
Thank you! He must have unconsciously inspired me, as I've never heard of John Harrison. But it's great to hear of a clever mind who has done brilliant things. :)
@@dennisvanhoof9958 For John Harrison 1693-1776 "Longitude" by Dava Sobel and illustrations of the Sea Clocks 1,2,3,4. Royal Observatory Greenwich UK Brilliant machining
The designs are beautiful. I subscribed, and I'm excited to see a professional play them!
Thanks for posting highly specialized things like this. Very enjoyable to watch.
Nice!! I was told by a musician that it's about 20 years to play the violin, but it's worth it.
I think it’s great that he is pursuing non-standard construction techniques and using nonstandard materials. I like to see old assumptions respected, but challenged anyway. And of course, most of the time, the tried and true solution was chosen for a good reason, and so you fail. That’s okay. Because sometimes you don’t fail, and that’s how you improve the state of the art.
I love that wood and the finish it's incredible looking.
That specific piece of ebony is gorgeous. It looks like a perfect piece of fresh, unmarked charcoal. Beauty.
I say well done, Dennis! You are to be congratulated for your CNC and hand crafting skills.
Beautiful! Open strings sound pretty good. I want to play it!
Beautiful. With that sort of technology, consistency can be maintained when creating multiple parts. And, if it sounds good as a final instrument, it is as it should be. It might be interesting to have a professional violinist compare playability, and sound to a handmade instrument. The results could be surprising. :)
What beautiful instruments you created. Your generosity in sharing your knowledge is inspirational. Thank you.
Congratulations ! Wonderful Job ! You are a special profissional of making special violins ! Amazing !💝🙏👏
WOW!! That is so cool! I would love to play a few tunes in this gorgeous violin.
leuke video Dennis. I love that your presentation in English is clearer and easier to listen to than many videos by native speakers (of which I am one!) Thanks
its nice to see someone think outside the box those are beautiful and sound pretty good with just a single pull of the bow thanks again
Thank you for your kind and encouraging words! :)
Awesome. I used to play a violin. Now I want to make my own instrument with CNC.
Sounds great.
Fine violins, guitars and pianos all use spruce as the tone wood for the sound boards. On violins and guitars that is the tops. The sides, ribs, the back and the neck, you can use the pretty woods. But pretty woods don't vibrate like spruce (light with a strong. tight, straight grain to carry the vibrations). Your violins are beautiful!!!
At some point, if it is financially profitable, someone will invent a polymer that mimics all the characteristics of spruce.
Wow that was a spectacular use of a cnc router.. L.A Rob
Stunning work. Thanks for the video.
Wow what skills you have Dennis and the end result looks beautiful and sounds authentic too. Not only the amount of preparation and work on the violin, but also the making of the video in parallel also deserves admiration. Enjoyed every minute watching this video. Congratulations and well done and thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you for your kind words! It is indeed a lot of work to make a nice video, and it slows down the woodworking process too. But positive comments like yours remind me how rewarding it is to share what I love to do with the supportive UA-cam community. :)
That olive grain, damn that’s gorgeous
Amazing! The joy of creation was palpable!
Bravo. As others have stated, would love to hear it in the hands of an accomplished player - the hands are more important than some would acknowledge.
Yes, it's like Christmas when you open a delivery of special wood. And I'll bet Stradivari would LOVE to use CNC machinery to shape his wood.
It was so cool seeing the violin being shaped as a piece of art work, though the sound may not be as resonant as the traditional ones since the olive wood probably won't vibrate as well as the maple wood. Great job!!!
Original soundboards aren’t maple, they’re spruce, either Sitka or red spruce, sometimes englemann spruce. The back is maple to keep the violin strong.
The olivewood may actually be better than maple in some ways (new growth maple is softer than traditional old growth) however using olivewood instead of spruce will ruin the sound
Amazing everything except LEDs without current limiting resistors makes me cry. Truly epic work.
Gorgeous! Words can't describe!
Very interesting project! It seems kind of heretical in a way because luthiers have for centuries used only purely natural materials and hand work; but it is an impressive demonstration of Mr. van Hoof's understanding of the mechanics of the instrument. As some others have commented I would also like to see a master violinist play and evaluate the instrument.
Thank you very much Dennis. I appreciate your work very much.
I like the non-traditional methods, but I still think using the traditional glue would have been beneficial! (For repairs and whatnot)
I couldn't possibly imagine any professional violin shop taking in these pieces for repairs, so the point of using hide glue absolutely beats me
I came to the comments to say this. The guy did an awesome job with the rest of the piece, the only thing that looked off to me was the thickness of the fingerboard and the use of regular wood glue. If some part of the instrument breaks, it's impossible to repair. Use of melting glue allows the pieces to be disassembled, repaired and replaced as needed. It sounded pretty good at the end.
This may actually be the best way to make the arching!
Wow it's amazing! Pls have a violinist play your work of art. I really enjoyed your video.
Het besnaren van de viool gaat je verrekte goed af voor iemand die geen viool speelt ;) Mooi werk!
Dennis this Violin produces an amazing sound! It has great reverb the strings are balanced. If you do not know how to play it and got that sound already. This is a professional instrument. If you will, make a tryout video with some professional players. I’m a luthier, and this us impressive.
Hey, that is really exciting to know! Tank you for sharing this insight. I very much appreciate and highly value the constructive feedback from professional luthiers like yourself. I'm also very much looking forward to having a skilled violinist play this instrument. Once the whole COVID-19 pandemic is better under control, it should be easy to find one who can test it out. Stay tuned...! :)
@@hugofejgielman3132 Thank you for your encouraging words! :)
@@dennisvanhoof9958 I haven't studied at a famous place and don't make violins, but I can play them, and I also was pleasantly surprised by those open strings. This violin does seem to have a nice sound. I also would like to see what someone who does know how to play can do with it. It doesn't even need to be a professional to provide significant insight into the tonal character of the instrument. I'd be happy to play it for you, on camera for your audience to see, if you happen to be somewhere near Michigan.
@@edifyguy Thank you! I'll keep that in mind. :)
Wow. Just wow.
Now I don't even feel skilled enough to operate a wood chipper.
Absolute beauty!
Excellent job I never enjoyed any video like I enjoyed this one . GOD BLESS YOU .
Thank you for your kind words! In that case, I just launched a new video, which you may also like: ua-cam.com/video/-vkJOAVAYck/v-deo.html