This video with music is just a condensed version of the scroll carving, you can listen to the real sounds without music in all these videos that illustrate the scroll carving in more detail: 1) ua-cam.com/video/PZYSq36XqXg/v-deo.html 2) ua-cam.com/video/-ujSJZ0E6bA/v-deo.html 3) ua-cam.com/video/L6-JQizJhTQ/v-deo.html 4) ua-cam.com/video/lVxiebIV2GE/v-deo.html 5) ua-cam.com/video/gvKyxfwDzEs/v-deo.html 6) ua-cam.com/video/ResRt9ieS90/v-deo.html 7) ua-cam.com/video/RXLWX9ThL24/v-deo.html 8) ua-cam.com/video/cPQ9797_E0E/v-deo.html 9) ua-cam.com/video/PlWZ7o84POw/v-deo.html 10) ua-cam.com/video/In8ZZwr7kLk/v-deo.html 11) ua-cam.com/video/1rS-SwJiGWw/v-deo.html 12) ua-cam.com/video/Jh3V8syuG3Y/v-deo.html 13) ua-cam.com/video/0rqjlGALwsk/v-deo.html 14) ua-cam.com/video/bjrC_U40hQ0/v-deo.html 15) ua-cam.com/video/HbeyAdJJV3k/v-deo.html 17) ua-cam.com/video/IfKnsgVfW3c/v-deo.html 18) ua-cam.com/video/LkVixRYCFPE/v-deo.html 19) ua-cam.com/video/etnloilLEXc/v-deo.html 20) ua-cam.com/video/mESGmAS8Aas/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry) 21) ua-cam.com/video/QsF4cfuX_R8/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry) 22) ua-cam.com/video/FeK9Uc3QPq4/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry) 23) ua-cam.com/video/trzevj1Yd44/v-deo.html
Thank you for your time and expertise in leaving your video for those wishing to absorb and create the past, for the future interests of the world that may be repeated for the next generations to follow the lost arts sadly disappearing, but kept alive by people like yourself showing others your skills.Cheers.
Maestro come Lei non c'è nessuno!!! I video da Lei fatti dimostrano una maestria senza eguali. Complimenti non mi stanco mai di guardarli e riguardarli. È come contemplare un Leonardo da Vinci all'opera. Grazie infinite.
A master Luthier is known by how well the scroll is carved in relationship to the golden ratio. You are a master carver!. I am a retired professional violist and loved watching this. If only I could fine a maker that would hollow out the neck and make the front and back plates thinner. This would result in a lighter instrument and a more responsive "boxy" sounding instrument. Both are hallmarks of the great instruments!
Thank you for your kind words. I share your idea on light instruments, even if making a hollow neck would be impossible with traditional materials (too much loss in stiffness for the weight that could be saved), to maintain the proper stiffness it would be necessary to resort to synthetic materials such as carbon fiber, which is outside my comfort zone😊
This is incredibly inspiring and infinitely helpful. This is a surgical ballet with wood, utterly beautiful. I am currently carving my first scroll, and, well, it looks like it’s being carved with a meat cleaver while blindfolded by comparison.
😅 it is quite normal for the first time at carving a scroll to get a slightly "chewed" effect, especially if the tools are not razor sharp. If you like, I have made a series of very detailed videos on scroll carving, this is just a condensed summary video. You can find them in this playlist, on the description page of each video you can find the English translation of the Italian texts: ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html&pp=gAQBiAQB
At 6.15 I used a mirror to watch the saw position at the far side. The eyes movement makes that risky operation much safer . It`s all like walking on a tightrope . Lovely video .
Yes, using a mirror can help, but for me it is not very comfortable because I have the impression that looking in the mirror distracts too much concentration from operating the saw. With practice you can live without the mirror, just occasionally glancing at the level of the cut on the side you don't see, first approaching the mark on the "dark" side and then refining the depth of the cut on the side where you have the mark on sight.
Thank you for making all of these wonderful videos! I enjoy watching them as I practice repeated violin fingerings and memorized passages. I find it inspiring, meditative and also wonderous to watch. GREAT work!
Beautiful video, and beautiful craftsmanship! This video was actually instrumental for me when I carved my first [successful] scroll! It shows the steps in such a concise way. Thank you for it!
I don't know when I've been so impressed with the skills as shown here. To make a violin, you truly need to be part MichaelAngelo. If it was me, I wouldn't have the patience. I'd just stick the bock of wood on the end and say "here ya go", will this be cash or charge?
The scroll has always been something of a mystery to me, not that I've ever made one. I'll leave this to the artisans. I'm happy to watch excellence...
Grazie Maestro, é stato meraviglioso vedere la sua arte, trasmette molte antiche emozioni e mille grazier per aver condiviso la sua arte personale. senza parole….
Very interesting video! Straight to the point and instructional, and that's without mentioning the impressive end result. I'm currently making my first violin. The scroll carving is going better than expected, but your video makes me think I could find more precise and useful chisels. I only have small ones and it's difficult to avoid doing some irregularities...
L`importanza di questo lavoro,quello di mostrarci la eleganza del taglio , il metodo sicuro di lavorare , la possiamo aprezzare solo seguendo questa base solida per trovare il nostro stile personale. Grazie Maestro !
rimango ogni volta stupito,la padronanza degli attrezzi, le sue mani che "obbediscono" a quello che la testa pensa,nulla viene per caso o per tentativo.maestro con la M maiuscola!
Keep calm, the only thing to be really careful about is the pegbox as it carries out the functional part, the rest is just "artistic expression"..... :-)
When I was considering making my first ever violin, as distinct from quite extensive experience in repairs and restoration, the best advice I had was to carve the scroll first, along with the pegbox. The reasoning being that if you have completed the body and then find your ability doesn't extend to the most difficult part, you can save a lot of effort and heartache!
Dear Davide, thank you for these incredible videos. I noticed you use the divider and circles at many points in the process, but I am most curious what ratios you use for the second turn of the scroll (the video just showed a second of this). Right now I am struggling to mark the second turn of my scroll neatly, and I’d like to find a more organized method. Thank you!
Thank you for appreciating my videos!🙂 This is just a condensed summary video, you can find all the more detailed videos (about 20 videos!) for each stage of the process in this playlist: ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html&pp=gAQBiAQB As usual, you will find the English translation of the Italian texts on the description page (with timestamps). You can also find a complete index of my videos, in the right order of making phases, on my website here: davidesora.altervista.org/videos/
I can't help but notice how incredibly sharp and 'flat ' your chisels are.... any pointers on getting a mirror edge onto a gouge? Readings? Video? I've gotta get myself a strop...
I use Japanese waterstones (King) 1200 grit for initial sharpening and 4000 grit for final sharpening (the real sharpening of cutting edge), followed by leather strap with aluminium oxid paste (the one for used for razor blades). The 4000 grit leaves the shining surface that you see on my tools, further improoved by the paste on leather strap. You can find many good videos on internet on this topic, I have not yet done so because it's not really specific to violinmaking, every serious woodcarver need sharp tools!!
Thanks! The wood used for the violin scroll is maple, as well as the back and the ribs, while the top plate (the one with the F-holes) is always in alpine spruce
Well, I think the point is how long it takes to become aware of what you want to do about the style of your work, when you have reached this you are already at a very advanced stage that required me less than ten years I think. Technically speaking it is not necessary so long, assuming that you are already able to sharpen the tools well, without this you can not get to an appropriate degree of cleanliness of the work. Thanks for your comment.
I see... im working on two violins right now, my first two (im learning in a violin workshop and while i learn i advance in the other one in my house) and I've done a lot of tiny mistakes! but Im very motivated on this and will have those mistakes to consider the next time :)!
Thank you for these amazing videos. Please tell me what sizes and sweeps of gouges you use for carving the scroll. I would like to buy a set and I need a good starting point. For far, I like the short handled ones. Thank you, Maestro.
You can find all these measures in the specific videos for each operation, you can find the complete list in the pinned answer I put in evidence. I can also give you the complete list below, it's a bit long, but since you ask...😊 These are the gouges that I use, you can see them in action in my youtube videos I mentioned above, also find the complete index with links to videos on www.davidesora.altervista.org/videos Brand names : Wolf, Dastra, Henry Taylor, Stubai N° : the sweep number engraved on the gouge, an indicator of the curve but applies only to gouges of the same brand Width : the width at the cutting edge, measured with a caliper Radius of curvature : draw a circle of given radius and mark the indicated width, to obtain the real curve of the gouge ; superimpose your gouge to the circle to see the correspondence of the curves. Use : main use of the gouge Gouges Wolf n°4 - width : 22 mm - radius of curvature : 60 mm use : pegbox and carving (scooping) of the volute Dastra n°6 - 18mm - r 17.5 mm carving of the volute and first turn vertical walls Henry Taylor n°6 - 17.5 mm - r 13 mm first turn vertical walls and carving the start of first turn Henry Taylor n°6 - 10.5 mm - r 10 mm vertical walls of turns, carving first and second turn Henry Taylor n°7 - 10.5 mm - r 6 mm second turn vertical walls and carving first and second turn Henry Taylor n°8 - 9.2 mm - r 4.5 mm eye vertical walls, carving end of second turn and flutings of back Stubai n°6 - 6.3 mm - r 3.5 mm cutting and carving the beginning of the eye Wolf n°3 - 4.7 mm - r 10 mm incise the base of turns and flatten the flutings of back Chisels 22 mm - Pegbox inside walls 10 mm - Pegbox headwall at nut 6 mm Pegbox headwall under the chin - pegbox bottom - Chamfers
Very excellent workmanship! Its beyond me how the 36 idiots put a thumbs down, never mind them. They are pathetic people who have to cut down others to make themselves seem better! It takes me 4 to 5 hours to do the entire neck, 5 days to do the entire violin. I'm about to make an electric contra upright bass. It will have a very huge scroll, which should be so easy to do. The total playable string length is going to be a wopping 66 inches, and will sure do some good low notes! I do everything by hand also and avoid all power tools, they cut too quick and screw things up. I only use a power tool to cut a big block of wood to a smaller one. You do very great work, so never mind the 36 morons!!!
I suspect that the thumbs down come from luthiers who do not appreciate my way of openly sharing what I do, without keeping the workshop "secrets" hidden😮 🙂 I'm fine with them, also because maybe they don't know that thumbs down or up have the same value for the UA-cam algorithm, it is still a sign that the video has aroused interest.😇 And then I don't earn anything from my videos, on principle I prefer not to activate monetization and therefore negative impressions would not harm me in any way. I don't make double basses (they don't fit in my little workshop...), I make cellos at most, but working on such huge dimensions is very beautiful, a very materic feeling that gives a lot of satisfaction. 👍 Thanks for your appreciation of my work!
Perfect symbiosis between mathematical science and mastery. The effect is a perfect musical instrument. Watching his videos is like watching a wonderful movie. comment by a Restorer of wooden works
Sorry, no video yet on template making, but to put It in few words simply draw it on paper freehand or copy an existing scroll retracing It on transparent paper, then glue your drawing with spray glue on a 0.8 mm thick aluminium sheet, cut it with a fretsaw and finish with files. From time to time draw your work in progress template on transparent paper and superimpose It on the original drawing or on the photo of your choosed original scroll until perfect match.
The best wood for the scroll is maple, like the back and sides, with few exceptions. It would be better if the density is not too low, which is not necessarily related to the narrow grain, but this also helps for stability. The major concerns for the neck are stiffness, stability, and compressive strength so that the pegs do not wear out the housing holes in the pegbox too much and too soon. Thus well seasoned wood, of not too low density and possibly not too wide grain would be desirable, but above all the cut of the piece that ensures a grain oriented perfectly tangential to the gluing surface of the fingerboard (that is, quarter cut if seen from the side, never slanted at an angle, as you can see here : ua-cam.com/video/PZYSq36XqXg/v-deo.html or here : ua-cam.com/video/trzevj1Yd44/v-deo.html), otherwise there would be unwanted lateral torsions and deformation over time due to string tension.
This little saw is very old, it is a Japanese crosscut Kataba saw with a truncated tip because it was bent during an accidental fall on the floor🙄. A fairly similar one might be this: www.cremonatools.com/peghole-saw-74mm-cut-lenght.html but mine has a slightly thicker blade so slightly stiffer, 0.5 mm vs 0.4 mm of the one in the link. But there are others similar that can work just fine if you search for Japanese crosscut Kataba saws.
Thanks!🙂 You can find the details about tools in the others more detailed videos on scroll carving, this is the link to the dedicated playlist : ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html
I had thought about using the frame saw (scroll saw?) for the video, but it would not have been too honest because it's not the one I really use and the main purpose of my videos is to show my real working method, I do not like fiction :-). I used it in the early years, but since you have a bandsaw it does not make much sense to not use it.......
This video with music is just a condensed version of the scroll carving, you can listen to the real sounds without music in all these videos that illustrate the scroll carving in more detail: 1) ua-cam.com/video/PZYSq36XqXg/v-deo.html 2) ua-cam.com/video/-ujSJZ0E6bA/v-deo.html 3) ua-cam.com/video/L6-JQizJhTQ/v-deo.html 4) ua-cam.com/video/lVxiebIV2GE/v-deo.html 5) ua-cam.com/video/gvKyxfwDzEs/v-deo.html 6) ua-cam.com/video/ResRt9ieS90/v-deo.html 7) ua-cam.com/video/RXLWX9ThL24/v-deo.html 8) ua-cam.com/video/cPQ9797_E0E/v-deo.html 9) ua-cam.com/video/PlWZ7o84POw/v-deo.html 10) ua-cam.com/video/In8ZZwr7kLk/v-deo.html 11) ua-cam.com/video/1rS-SwJiGWw/v-deo.html 12) ua-cam.com/video/Jh3V8syuG3Y/v-deo.html 13) ua-cam.com/video/0rqjlGALwsk/v-deo.html 14) ua-cam.com/video/bjrC_U40hQ0/v-deo.html 15) ua-cam.com/video/HbeyAdJJV3k/v-deo.html 17) ua-cam.com/video/IfKnsgVfW3c/v-deo.html 18) ua-cam.com/video/LkVixRYCFPE/v-deo.html 19) ua-cam.com/video/etnloilLEXc/v-deo.html 20) ua-cam.com/video/mESGmAS8Aas/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry) 21) ua-cam.com/video/QsF4cfuX_R8/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry) 22) ua-cam.com/video/FeK9Uc3QPq4/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry) 23) ua-cam.com/video/trzevj1Yd44/v-deo.html
I'm not sure I understood your question, but if you're referring to the fact that I don't cut off the wood on both side of the neck during scroll carving, I would say yes, it serves to protect and give more stability to the neck and also allows to tighten it better in the vice and offers a precise reference to be able to use a square to check things in every moment of the work (it is very useful at the end when is time to flatten under the heel , for example)
Master luthier with 30yrs is selling out. Everything from books to wood. Award winner. Varnish..oil and spirit, glue, hand and finger planes, serious only
Western Canada has been a nightmare for me as a professionally trained luthier. 4.5 yr training at 2 different schools made me a target for untrained frauds calling themselves luthiers. I have been robbed and slandered by western musicians and been denied work when foreigners were allowed into Canada and steal my job. I was never permitted to earn a decent living in my trade, and no one in western Canada has my training. I took the Canada Coucil Award for violinmakers in 1988 and took work in the USA, Korea, Taiwan and Spain. When I came to settle in Canada I was shunned by jealous socialists who could not believe someone with training and talent would chose to compete with their untrained incompetence. Should have never come back to this country. So I am selling everything I have worked for, hopefully to a soul who can appreciate what I have tried to accomplish under much unnecessary duress. The story is of course much more complicated and involves many unscrupulous criminals in business and govt. Thanks.
I don't know the situation in Canada and I can only be sorry for your situation. Could you let people know what your real name is? I think that launch these accusations anonymously it is not very effective and credible.
@@DavideSora ..are you saying that if I give you my name..you might be more inclined to believe that the field of true luthiery has been compromised by frauds, liars, slanderers and talentless socialists? Be happy to do so....I am an award winner, author of 2 books, 60 instruments, many technical drawings, award winning students, player, teacher and contract musician for the last 4 yrs for autistic and disadvantaged adults..and because of a black balling prick of a protestant old prominent teacher who decided to take my new concept violin..and refuse to pay me. That arrogant theft cost me..big time..have you ever lost your job and family to arbitrary govt regulation? Have you ever been blackballed by a rich mormon nazi?.. have you ever lost your home when you were asked to prove your innocence in a crime you could not have ever committed?...well I have. VIOLIN STUFF FER SAIL..YUP..
This little saw is very old, it is a Japanese crosscut saw with a truncated tip because it was bent during an accidental fall on the floor🙄. A fairly similar one might be this: www.cremonatools.com/peghole-saw-74mm-cut-lenght.html but mine has a slightly thicker blade so slightly stiffer, 0.5 mm vs 0.4 mm of the one in the link.
I drew it myself, taking the measurements from some Stradivari scrolls. You can find some information on how to place the circles in this video: ua-cam.com/video/lVxiebIV2GE/v-deo.html Find all the detailed videos on the scroll making here: ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html
Have you watched the complete series of videos? From those you could get some measures, this video is just a short cut version. Find the index here : davidesora.altervista.org/videos/scroll-neck/ For violin scroll you can get some measures here : davidesora.altervista.org/photogallery/scroll-making/ For cellos I suggest you to look for a good poster from The Strad Library, I do not have video or photos of measures of my cellos available. What do you mean with "uprights"??
Ah, now I get it. My workshop does not even have the physical space for a double bass, I've never considered even making one so I can not help you for that, sorry.
My scrapers is hand formed, you buy sheets of steel for scrapers and shape them as you like. You may find someting pre shaped like this : www.cremonatools.com/shaped-small-scraper-set-of-5.html but I prefer this : www.cremonatools.com/acciaio-giapponese-per-rasiere-japanese-scraper-steel.html
No, this is my Stradivari model, which is what I use most. I got the template from the original drawings that are in the museum here in Cremona, not from any specific violin. I only use a Del Gesù scroll template when I use my Del Gesù violin's form, which I do if a customer requests it. The choice of the scroll model depends on the violin's form because stylistically it is not a great idea to mix the style of different makers in the same violin.
@@DavideSora Thanks Davide I love your videos, I am not a luthier & wouldn't have a fraction of your skill, I'm interested in what makes a violin sound good while at the same time being ergonomic. The best violins seem to combine Euclidian geometry, with a respect for The Divine in nature.
@@flaggedowntown The first violin makers like Andrea Amati and for the next two centuries conceived their forms based on the system of proportions, but Stradivari and Guarneri Del Gesù are on the watershed with the introduction of the use of measures instead of proportions, and they begin to introduce personal variants that detach themselves from pure proportionality, giving several headaches to those who study the geometric reconstruction of their forms😊 In any case they were building baroque violins, which were all modified with the replacement of the neck with a modern one which greatly improved the ergonomics of modern instruments, which is linked to the needs imposed by the evolution of the music and playing technique . What is surprising is how their violins have adapted to this change compared to those of other ancient luthiers, maintaining and improving their acoustic quality, clearly they were great masters whose inspiration still enriches us today. If you are interested in deepening, I recommend this very interesting book that deals with the geometric reconstruction of shapes by contextualizing it in the geometric systems of the past : traitedelutherie.com/
Davide. Ciao. Cordiali saluti. Grazie per l'informazione. Hai calcolato quanto pesa un braccio senza tastiera e con tastiera alla fine? Grazie per la risposta in anticipo.
Io peso la testa con la tastiera incollata e il manico e il tallone finiti, una volta che ho finito l'incastro e appena prima di incollarlo alla cassa. A seconda della densità del legno il peso di solito si aggira intorno ai 120/130 g. Non ho mai pesato il manico senza tastiera perchè andrebbe scollata e non avrebbe molto senso farlo , ma le mie tastiere finite pesano dai 60 ai 65g, quindi anche il manico senza tastiera credo potrebbe pesare più o meno intorno ai 60 / 70g
My gouges are Henry Taylor, Wolf and Dastra bought more than 20 years ago, so I do not know if now the quality of steel is still the same. I have never tried Pfeil so I do not know how they work. Probably if I would buy them today I would choose Dastra.
This video with music is just a condensed version of the scroll carving, you can listen to the real sounds without music in all these videos that illustrate the scroll carving in more detail:
1) ua-cam.com/video/PZYSq36XqXg/v-deo.html
2) ua-cam.com/video/-ujSJZ0E6bA/v-deo.html
3) ua-cam.com/video/L6-JQizJhTQ/v-deo.html
4) ua-cam.com/video/lVxiebIV2GE/v-deo.html
5) ua-cam.com/video/gvKyxfwDzEs/v-deo.html
6) ua-cam.com/video/ResRt9ieS90/v-deo.html
7) ua-cam.com/video/RXLWX9ThL24/v-deo.html
8) ua-cam.com/video/cPQ9797_E0E/v-deo.html
9) ua-cam.com/video/PlWZ7o84POw/v-deo.html
10) ua-cam.com/video/In8ZZwr7kLk/v-deo.html
11) ua-cam.com/video/1rS-SwJiGWw/v-deo.html
12) ua-cam.com/video/Jh3V8syuG3Y/v-deo.html
13) ua-cam.com/video/0rqjlGALwsk/v-deo.html
14) ua-cam.com/video/bjrC_U40hQ0/v-deo.html
15) ua-cam.com/video/HbeyAdJJV3k/v-deo.html
17) ua-cam.com/video/IfKnsgVfW3c/v-deo.html
18) ua-cam.com/video/LkVixRYCFPE/v-deo.html
19) ua-cam.com/video/etnloilLEXc/v-deo.html
20) ua-cam.com/video/mESGmAS8Aas/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry)
21) ua-cam.com/video/QsF4cfuX_R8/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry)
22) ua-cam.com/video/FeK9Uc3QPq4/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry)
23) ua-cam.com/video/trzevj1Yd44/v-deo.html
Your patience and attention to detail is outstanding. Wonderful craftsmanship. Bravo!
Davide Sora you are an extraordinary model of luthier, congratulation to you...
I cannot find enough words to express my gratitude for showing us how you create such an amazing piece of art! Truly an amazing person!
Thank you for your time and expertise in leaving your video for those wishing to absorb and create the past, for the future interests of the world that may be repeated for the next generations to follow the lost arts sadly disappearing, but kept alive by people like yourself showing others your skills.Cheers.
Thanks so much for your kindness 🙏🙏
Maestro Sora. I have learned many, many techniques from this video
This is just a summary video, if you want to delve further, you can watch the detailed video series (25 videos!). You can find them in this playlist:
The importance of sharp tools never ends. Beautiful mirror-finish sharpness!
Such beautiful precise craftsmanship. Bravo!
Thank you maestro Sora for this great demonstration of your beautiful craftsmanship.
Thank you David for helping me make better scrolls!
Wow.. just wow. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this amazing vision.
That is some beautiful work.
TNX for posting this beautifully carved scroll !!!
Beautiful work. The control with the chisels is impressive.
By golly, I think he's done this before! Beautiful, and amazing!
Complimenti maestro!! Questo ricciolo e' straordinario!! Grazie mille per condividerlo con noi!! ❤️🥇❤️👏🏻👏🏻
Maestro come Lei non c'è nessuno!!! I video da Lei fatti dimostrano una maestria senza eguali. Complimenti non mi stanco mai di guardarli e riguardarli. È come contemplare un Leonardo da Vinci all'opera. Grazie infinite.
Esagerato!!🙂 Grazie comunque.....
A master Luthier is known by how well the scroll is carved in relationship to the golden ratio. You are a master carver!. I am a retired professional violist and loved watching this. If only I could fine a maker that would hollow out the neck and make the front and back plates thinner. This would result in a lighter instrument and a more responsive "boxy" sounding instrument. Both are hallmarks of the great instruments!
Thank you for your kind words.
I share your idea on light instruments, even if making a hollow neck would be impossible with traditional materials (too much loss in stiffness for the weight that could be saved), to maintain the proper stiffness it would be necessary to resort to synthetic materials such as carbon fiber, which is outside my comfort zone😊
This is incredibly inspiring and infinitely helpful. This is a surgical ballet with wood, utterly beautiful. I am currently carving my first scroll, and, well, it looks like it’s being carved with a meat cleaver while blindfolded by comparison.
😅 it is quite normal for the first time at carving a scroll to get a slightly "chewed" effect, especially if the tools are not razor sharp. If you like, I have made a series of very detailed videos on scroll carving, this is just a condensed summary video. You can find them in this playlist, on the description page of each video you can find the English translation of the Italian texts:
ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html&pp=gAQBiAQB
What a fantastic video ...certanly the best use of 15 minutes of my time today. Thank you.
At 6.15 I used a mirror to watch the saw position at the far side. The eyes movement makes that risky operation much safer . It`s all like walking on a tightrope . Lovely video .
Yes, using a mirror can help, but for me it is not very comfortable because I have the impression that looking in the mirror distracts too much concentration from operating the saw. With practice you can live without the mirror, just occasionally glancing at the level of the cut on the side you don't see, first approaching the mark on the "dark" side and then refining the depth of the cut on the side where you have the mark on sight.
Sencillamente ; Los vídeos de David, son los mejores en cuanto a construcción de violín. Felicitaciones Maestro !!
Thanks for following your calling; beautiful work!!🙏🏻
Hard-work, talent, knowledge, skills, and great tools! Stunning work!
Where’s hardwork?
@@Jay-S04 ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html
@@Jay-S04 ... Thanks, I added that.
Thank you for making all of these wonderful videos! I enjoy watching them as I practice repeated violin fingerings and memorized passages. I find it inspiring, meditative and also wonderous to watch. GREAT work!
Thanks🙂 I am pleased that you find it even inspiring.......
That’s some CRAZY woodworking skills!
Needs some practice.... 😊
Beautiful video, and beautiful craftsmanship!
This video was actually instrumental for me when I carved my first [successful] scroll! It shows the steps in such a concise way. Thank you for it!
I don't know when I've been so impressed with the skills as shown here.
To make a violin, you truly need to be part MichaelAngelo.
If it was me, I wouldn't have the patience. I'd just stick the bock of wood on the end and say "here ya go", will this be cash or charge?
The scroll has always been something of a mystery to me, not that I've ever made one. I'll leave this to the artisans. I'm happy to watch excellence...
Grazie Mastro per essere disponibile, nessuno é cosi.
Beautiful work!
Thanks!
Tocco di mano leggero come il battito di ali di una farfalla
Straordinaria maestria nella manualità degli utensili... Bravo
Grazie!
Wow beautiful work and beautiful flame on the scroll and peg box
Grazie Maestro, é stato meraviglioso vedere la sua arte, trasmette molte antiche emozioni e mille grazier per aver condiviso la sua arte personale. senza parole….
This is beautiful. So inspiring thankyou.
Very interesting video! Straight to the point and instructional, and that's without mentioning the impressive end result. I'm currently making my first violin. The scroll carving is going better than expected, but your video makes me think I could find more precise and useful chisels. I only have small ones and it's difficult to avoid doing some irregularities...
Absolutely beautiful.
L`importanza di questo lavoro,quello di mostrarci la eleganza del taglio , il metodo sicuro di lavorare , la possiamo aprezzare solo seguendo questa base solida per trovare il nostro stile personale. Grazie Maestro !
Very inspiring videos. Just watching them makes me think about trying to build a violin of my own
rimango ogni volta stupito,la padronanza degli attrezzi, le sue mani che "obbediscono" a quello che la testa pensa,nulla viene per caso o per tentativo.maestro con la M maiuscola!
Thank you for sharing your skills🌺
Beautiful work. I would love to learn and start making violins.
Beautifully elegant!
Thanks!
Arte hecho con amor. Art made with love.
Brilliant Craftsman Thank you.
HexterTheJexter fantastico!!!!
Bravo majstore
Hermosa voluta! Mi máxima admiración al luthier.
Incantato da tanta arte e da tanta bellezza oltre che da tanta maestria!
beautiful work
Qué trabajo tan hermoso! ❤❤❤
Very nice
Complimenti anche per musica.
Beautiful work!! I am working on building a violin and I am very nervous aabout this part.
Keep calm, the only thing to be really careful about is the pegbox as it carries out the functional part, the rest is just
"artistic expression"..... :-)
When I was considering making my first ever violin, as distinct from quite extensive experience in repairs and restoration, the best advice I had was to carve the scroll first, along with the pegbox. The reasoning being that if you have completed the body and then find your ability doesn't extend to the most difficult part, you can save a lot of effort and heartache!
Masterful!
Que talento.......... Maestro
gorgeous!
Thanks!
incredible
Dear Davide, thank you for these incredible videos. I noticed you use the divider and circles at many points in the process, but I am most curious what ratios you use for the second turn of the scroll (the video just showed a second of this). Right now I am struggling to mark the second turn of my scroll neatly, and I’d like to find a more organized method. Thank you!
Thank you for appreciating my videos!🙂
This is just a condensed summary video, you can find all the more detailed videos (about 20 videos!) for each stage of the process in this playlist: ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html&pp=gAQBiAQB
As usual, you will find the English translation of the Italian texts on the description page (with timestamps).
You can also find a complete index of my videos, in the right order of making phases, on my website here: davidesora.altervista.org/videos/
very nice video, thank you sharing
ART OF PRECISION .. , ADMIRABLE ...
Congratulation. Thank you . It was really a gift to me.
Beautiful!
I can't help but notice how incredibly sharp and 'flat ' your chisels are.... any pointers on getting a mirror edge onto a gouge? Readings? Video? I've gotta get myself a strop...
I use Japanese waterstones (King) 1200 grit for initial sharpening and 4000 grit for final sharpening (the real sharpening of cutting edge), followed by leather strap with aluminium oxid paste (the one for used for razor blades). The 4000 grit leaves the shining surface that you see on my tools, further improoved by the paste on leather strap. You can find many good videos on internet on this topic, I have not yet done so because it's not really specific to violinmaking, every serious woodcarver need sharp tools!!
Thanks a bunch.
Magnifico lavoro, e bel video! grazie
Belleza.
Hats off!
beautiful video !!!professional job!!!I have a question !!!watt kind of wood is this that you work???
Thanks!
The wood used for the violin scroll is maple, as well as the back and the ribs, while the top plate (the one with the F-holes) is always in alpine spruce
@@DavideSora thank you very much for the help!!!!!!
art is part of Italian DNA
All people are capable of artistic expression. Sometimes it is not encouraged enough.
amazing work!!! how many scrolls have you made in your life ?? to reach this masterie ??? greetings !! and keep this beautiful art!
Well, I think the point is how long it takes to become aware of what you want to do about the style of your work, when you have reached this you are already at a very advanced stage that required me less than ten years I think.
Technically speaking it is not necessary so long, assuming that you are already able to sharpen the tools well, without this you can not get to an appropriate degree of cleanliness of the work.
Thanks for your comment.
I see... im working on two violins right now, my first two (im learning in a violin workshop and while i learn i advance in the other one in my house) and I've done a lot of tiny mistakes! but Im very motivated on this and will have those mistakes to consider the next time :)!
Mr.String
Hi Mr.String, would you mind sharing some of the mistakes you made and what you learned from them? I’m starting my first violin very soon :)
Thank you for these amazing videos. Please tell me what sizes and sweeps of gouges you use for carving the scroll. I would like to buy a set and I need a good starting point. For far, I like the short handled ones. Thank you, Maestro.
You can find all these measures in the specific videos for each operation, you can find the complete list in the pinned answer I put in evidence. I can also give you the complete list below, it's a bit long, but since you ask...😊
These are the gouges that I use, you can see them in action in my youtube videos I mentioned above, also find the complete index with links to videos on www.davidesora.altervista.org/videos
Brand names : Wolf, Dastra, Henry Taylor, Stubai
N° : the sweep number engraved on the gouge, an indicator of the curve but applies only to gouges of the same brand
Width : the width at the cutting edge, measured with a caliper
Radius of curvature : draw a circle of given radius and mark the indicated width, to obtain the real curve of the gouge ; superimpose your gouge to the circle to see the correspondence of the curves.
Use : main use of the gouge
Gouges
Wolf n°4 - width : 22 mm - radius of curvature : 60 mm
use : pegbox and carving (scooping) of the volute
Dastra n°6 - 18mm - r 17.5 mm
carving of the volute and first turn vertical walls
Henry Taylor n°6 - 17.5 mm - r 13 mm
first turn vertical walls and carving the start of first turn
Henry Taylor n°6 - 10.5 mm - r 10 mm
vertical walls of turns, carving first and second turn
Henry Taylor n°7 - 10.5 mm - r 6 mm
second turn vertical walls and carving first and second turn
Henry Taylor n°8 - 9.2 mm - r 4.5 mm
eye vertical walls, carving end of second turn and flutings of back
Stubai n°6 - 6.3 mm - r 3.5 mm
cutting and carving the beginning of the eye
Wolf n°3 - 4.7 mm - r 10 mm
incise the base of turns and flatten the flutings of back
Chisels
22 mm - Pegbox inside walls
10 mm - Pegbox headwall at nut
6 mm Pegbox headwall under the chin - pegbox bottom - Chamfers
Davide Sora thank you so much! This really helps me. All the best to you!
PS Are they all out cannell?
@@moneypenny174 Yes, all the gouges that I use for scroll carving are outside bevel (normal)
Davide Sora so far I’m liking them at 27.5 degrees. Do you prefer a specific angle?
Muito bom too de mais
Very excellent workmanship! Its beyond me how the 36 idiots put a thumbs down, never mind them. They are pathetic people who have to cut down others to make themselves seem better! It takes me 4 to 5 hours to do the entire neck, 5 days to do the entire violin. I'm about to make an electric contra upright bass. It will have a very huge scroll, which should be so easy to do. The total playable string length is going to be a wopping 66 inches, and will sure do some good low notes! I do everything by hand also and avoid all power tools, they cut too quick and screw things up. I only use a power tool to cut a big block of wood to a smaller one. You do very great work, so never mind the 36 morons!!!
I suspect that the thumbs down come from luthiers who do not appreciate my way of openly sharing what I do, without keeping the workshop "secrets" hidden😮 🙂
I'm fine with them, also because maybe they don't know that thumbs down or up have the same value for the UA-cam algorithm, it is still a sign that the video has aroused interest.😇 And then I don't earn anything from my videos, on principle I prefer not to activate monetization and therefore negative impressions would not harm me in any way.
I don't make double basses (they don't fit in my little workshop...), I make cellos at most, but working on such huge dimensions is very beautiful, a very materic feeling that gives a lot of satisfaction. 👍
Thanks for your appreciation of my work!
Perfect symbiosis between mathematical science and mastery. The effect is a perfect musical instrument.
Watching his videos is like watching a wonderful movie.
comment by a Restorer of wooden works
Thanks, much appreciated :-)
Such a beautiful thing. Thanks for sharing & inspiring.
Poi si chiedono perché un violino fatto da un liutaio conosciuto nello specifico campo costi tanto. I miei complimenti sig. Sora
Wonderful job.
But, could you tell us how long for finishing that job from scratch?
About 30 hours
Восхищен. Прошу прощения за ссылки на мой канал. Удачи.
amazing
Hi, I would love to see how you made your template. I’m a novice maker, and haven’t seen a better one yet. Thanks for sharing
Sorry, no video yet on template making, but to put It in few words
simply draw it on paper freehand or copy an existing scroll retracing It on transparent paper, then glue your drawing with spray glue on a 0.8 mm thick aluminium sheet, cut it with a fretsaw and finish with files. From time to time draw your work in progress template on transparent paper and superimpose It on the original drawing or on the photo of your choosed original scroll until perfect match.
Davide Sora thank you for taking the time to reply, I will do just that.
Is all the wood for a violin old growth chosen to insure tight grain structure? What species is chosen for the scroll?
The best wood for the scroll is maple, like the back and sides, with few exceptions. It would be better if the density is not too low, which is not necessarily related to the narrow grain, but this also helps for stability. The major concerns for the neck are stiffness, stability, and compressive strength so that the pegs do not wear out the housing holes in the pegbox too much and too soon. Thus well seasoned wood, of not too low density and possibly not too wide grain would be desirable, but above all the cut of the piece that ensures a grain oriented perfectly tangential to the gluing surface of the fingerboard (that is, quarter cut if seen from the side, never slanted at an angle, as you can see here : ua-cam.com/video/PZYSq36XqXg/v-deo.html or here : ua-cam.com/video/trzevj1Yd44/v-deo.html), otherwise there would be unwanted lateral torsions and deformation over time due to string tension.
I'm very interested in the small saw that was used. Where can I find one?
This little saw is very old, it is a Japanese crosscut Kataba saw with a truncated tip because it was bent during an accidental fall on the floor🙄. A fairly similar one might be this: www.cremonatools.com/peghole-saw-74mm-cut-lenght.html but mine has a slightly thicker blade so slightly stiffer, 0.5 mm vs 0.4 mm of the one in the link. But there are others similar that can work just fine if you search for Japanese crosscut Kataba saws.
complimenti maestro!
Grazie :-)
Great Job, all your videos are very useful and relaxing!
Can you send me you scroll scrapers templates please.
in order to send them I need your email, you can send me an email to the address you find on my website
@@DavideSora partiture@hotmail.com thanks!
Sent, check your email.
Really nice!! I was wondering what size of the gouges(width and sweep) you used in this video?
Thanks!🙂 You can find the details about tools in the others more detailed videos on scroll carving, this is the link to the dedicated playlist : ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html
When you use a bandsaw for this, does it automatically become a scroll saw?
I had thought about using the frame saw (scroll saw?) for the video, but it would not have been too honest because it's not the one I really use and the main purpose of my videos is to show my real working method, I do not like fiction :-). I used it in the early years, but since you have a bandsaw it does not make much sense to not use it.......
It was just a pun, but thanks for the explanation anyway. :)
🙂
Máster , hermoso
Can You do this same video but dub out the music so I can hear My favorite music of the tools working the wood?
This video with music is just a condensed version of the scroll carving, you can listen to the real sounds without music in all these videos that illustrate the scroll carving in more detail:
1) ua-cam.com/video/PZYSq36XqXg/v-deo.html
2) ua-cam.com/video/-ujSJZ0E6bA/v-deo.html
3) ua-cam.com/video/L6-JQizJhTQ/v-deo.html
4) ua-cam.com/video/lVxiebIV2GE/v-deo.html
5) ua-cam.com/video/gvKyxfwDzEs/v-deo.html
6) ua-cam.com/video/ResRt9ieS90/v-deo.html
7) ua-cam.com/video/RXLWX9ThL24/v-deo.html
8) ua-cam.com/video/cPQ9797_E0E/v-deo.html
9) ua-cam.com/video/PlWZ7o84POw/v-deo.html
10) ua-cam.com/video/In8ZZwr7kLk/v-deo.html
11) ua-cam.com/video/1rS-SwJiGWw/v-deo.html
12) ua-cam.com/video/Jh3V8syuG3Y/v-deo.html
13) ua-cam.com/video/0rqjlGALwsk/v-deo.html
14) ua-cam.com/video/bjrC_U40hQ0/v-deo.html
15) ua-cam.com/video/HbeyAdJJV3k/v-deo.html
17) ua-cam.com/video/IfKnsgVfW3c/v-deo.html
18) ua-cam.com/video/LkVixRYCFPE/v-deo.html
19) ua-cam.com/video/etnloilLEXc/v-deo.html
20) ua-cam.com/video/mESGmAS8Aas/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry)
21) ua-cam.com/video/QsF4cfuX_R8/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry)
22) ua-cam.com/video/FeK9Uc3QPq4/v-deo.html (not available without music, sorry)
23) ua-cam.com/video/trzevj1Yd44/v-deo.html
Do you find that finishing the scroll is better? If so, is it that it provides more stability for the neck during the process?
I'm not sure I understood your question, but if you're referring to the fact that I don't cut off the wood on both side of the neck during scroll carving, I would say yes, it serves to protect and give more stability to the neck and also allows to tighten it better in the vice and offers a precise reference to be able to use a square to check things in every moment of the work (it is very useful at the end when is time to flatten under the heel , for example)
Yes, that’s what I meant. Thank you for your clarification!
Master luthier with 30yrs is selling out. Everything from books to wood. Award winner. Varnish..oil and spirit, glue, hand and finger planes, serious only
So ..what ya leaving for
Western Canada has been a nightmare for me as a professionally trained luthier. 4.5 yr training at 2 different schools made me a target for untrained frauds calling themselves luthiers. I have been robbed and slandered by western musicians and been denied work when foreigners were allowed into Canada and steal my job. I was never permitted to earn a decent living in my trade, and no one in western Canada has my training. I took the Canada Coucil Award for violinmakers in 1988 and took work in the USA, Korea, Taiwan and Spain. When I came to settle in Canada I was shunned by jealous socialists who could not believe someone with training and talent would chose to compete with their untrained incompetence. Should have never come back to this country. So I am selling everything I have worked for, hopefully to a soul who can appreciate what I have tried to accomplish under much unnecessary duress. The story is of course much more complicated and involves many unscrupulous criminals in business and govt. Thanks.
I don't know the situation in Canada and I can only be sorry for your situation. Could you let people know what your real name is? I think that launch these accusations anonymously it is not very effective and credible.
@@DavideSora ..are you saying that if I give you my name..you might be more inclined to believe that the field of true luthiery has been compromised by frauds, liars, slanderers and talentless socialists? Be happy to do so....I am an award winner, author of 2 books, 60 instruments, many technical drawings, award winning students, player, teacher and contract musician for the last 4 yrs for autistic and disadvantaged adults..and because of a black balling prick of a protestant old prominent teacher who decided to take my new concept violin..and refuse to pay me. That arrogant theft cost me..big time..have you ever lost your job and family to arbitrary govt regulation? Have you ever been blackballed by a rich mormon nazi?.. have you ever lost your home when you were asked to prove your innocence in a crime you could not have ever committed?...well I have. VIOLIN STUFF FER SAIL..YUP..
@@DavideSora ..hey Dave. Ya had any experience with Masonic shit eating communist pervs like me?
Wery Good frend super
David, could you provide the source for your small detail saw?
This little saw is very old, it is a Japanese crosscut saw with a truncated tip because it was bent during an accidental fall on the floor🙄. A fairly similar one might be this: www.cremonatools.com/peghole-saw-74mm-cut-lenght.html but mine has a slightly thicker blade so slightly stiffer, 0.5 mm vs 0.4 mm of the one in the link.
My god look at that wood grain 🤤
😊
Fantastic!
Hi where do you find the template with all circles spacing ? tx
I drew it myself, taking the measurements from some Stradivari scrolls. You can find some information on how to place the circles in this video: ua-cam.com/video/lVxiebIV2GE/v-deo.html
Find all the detailed videos on the scroll making here: ua-cam.com/video/6WLFJJTf9wM/v-deo.html
@@DavideSora great thank you very much
any measurements by chance? practicing on scrolls myself and would love to get some kind of starting ground for things like cellos and uprights
Have you watched the complete series of videos? From those you could get some measures, this video is just a short cut version. Find the index here : davidesora.altervista.org/videos/scroll-neck/
For violin scroll you can get some measures here : davidesora.altervista.org/photogallery/scroll-making/
For cellos I suggest you to look for a good poster from The Strad Library, I do not have video or photos of measures of my cellos available.
What do you mean with "uprights"??
im sorry, upright basses. im working on carving larger scrolls, i should have been more specific
Ah, now I get it. My workshop does not even have the physical space for a double bass, I've never considered even making one so I can not help you for that, sorry.
Eccezionale!!!!
amazing………
which wood are you using ?
Maple
are those scrapers hand formed or is there a place to buy them? thanks another great video
My scrapers is hand formed, you buy sheets of steel for scrapers and shape them as you like.
You may find someting pre shaped like this : www.cremonatools.com/shaped-small-scraper-set-of-5.html
but I prefer this : www.cremonatools.com/acciaio-giapponese-per-rasiere-japanese-scraper-steel.html
thanks again
Is that a Del Gesu style scroll? Which pattern do you use most, or is it client preference?
No, this is my Stradivari model, which is what I use most. I got the template from the original drawings that are in the museum here in Cremona, not from any specific violin. I only use a Del Gesù scroll template when I use my Del Gesù violin's form, which I do if a customer requests it. The choice of the scroll model depends on the violin's form because stylistically it is not a great idea to mix the style of different makers in the same violin.
@@DavideSora Thanks Davide I love your videos, I am not a luthier & wouldn't have a fraction of your skill, I'm interested in what makes a violin sound good while at the same time being ergonomic. The best violins seem to combine Euclidian geometry, with a respect for The Divine in nature.
@@flaggedowntown The first violin makers like Andrea Amati and for the next two centuries conceived their forms based on the system of proportions, but Stradivari and Guarneri Del Gesù are on the watershed with the introduction of the use of measures instead of proportions, and they begin to introduce personal variants that detach themselves from pure proportionality, giving several headaches to those who study the geometric reconstruction of their forms😊 In any case they were building baroque violins, which were all modified with the replacement of the neck with a modern one which greatly improved the ergonomics of modern instruments, which is linked to the needs imposed by the evolution of the music and playing technique . What is surprising is how their violins have adapted to this change compared to those of other ancient luthiers, maintaining and improving their acoustic quality, clearly they were great masters whose inspiration still enriches us today.
If you are interested in deepening, I recommend this very interesting book that deals with the geometric reconstruction of shapes by contextualizing it in the geometric systems of the past : traitedelutherie.com/
Davide. Ciao. Cordiali saluti. Grazie per l'informazione. Hai calcolato quanto pesa un braccio senza tastiera e con tastiera alla fine? Grazie per la risposta in anticipo.
Io peso la testa con la tastiera incollata e il manico e il tallone finiti, una volta che ho finito l'incastro e appena prima di incollarlo alla cassa. A seconda della densità del legno il peso di solito si aggira intorno ai 120/130 g. Non ho mai pesato il manico senza tastiera perchè andrebbe scollata e non avrebbe molto senso farlo , ma le mie tastiere finite pesano dai 60 ai 65g, quindi anche il manico senza tastiera credo potrebbe pesare più o meno intorno ai 60 / 70g
@@DavideSora Grazie per le tue generose informazioni.
Hello, what brand of tools are those, I personally use pfeil, what do you think?
My gouges are Henry Taylor, Wolf and Dastra bought more than 20 years ago, so I do not know if now the quality of steel is still the same. I have never tried Pfeil so I do not know how they work.
Probably if I would buy them today I would choose Dastra.
Thank you very much, I hope to visit Italy soon!
You will be welcome!!