You had me going for a moment when you mixed up some Bondo. I was afraid it was going to be directly applied to the damaged area of the wood. Using it as a mold for the repair is genius.
3:50 "I'm just going to take off for a quick morning meeting coffee" But you didn't get back!!!! 4.00.... The next day! That was one helluva coffee break, Olaf 😉🤣 This was a very long, stage by stage, process. No wonder such repairs take weeks! Fascinating to watch. 25:25 So those are the birds we hear all the time. How delightful they are.
I don't even play or own a violin and there is just something therapeutic just watching your videos and the way you speak and explain the process. I've watched all your videos and you are truly amazing.
Doubling edges is an art when done well & that guide for the file was a great little technique for keeping the worked area flat & level. Thanks for showing the whole process as you did it. BTW, have you shown the composition of your polish in any of your videos? I'm curious to know how you have prepared & then maintain it. I know you keep it in a sealed jar.
*- Proprietary craftsmanship skills of art and engineering all rolled into one fix, and all hidden by a modesty that models what he he is really selling...the invisibility of his gifts.* *- As Olaf said, invisible repairs prove the craft of his art's engineering has been done right.*
Olaf! I have a question you might be able to answer and would love to hear your thoughts. We just rented a viola and the body is somewhat sticky. How does one clean this lovely instrument and keep it in tip top shape?
Hi Olaf, can i make u a question? hmmm why are all the soundposts made of Pine wood ??If i made a SP With harder density wood It will transfer the sound any better? I have a wood with double of density and a very fine and straight grain
Few things fall under Awesome in my world. But You Sir. Well if Awesomeness was a word. I must break this down. So in Tennessee to use the term violin is almost unheard of even in the 21st century but my Grandfather he had a violin put back for me it was a well it had a sticker inside that said Stradivarius so anyways it got gone along with a Manuel Valesquez guitar from1967. Both put back for me since 1990. Well both were gone and i having never touched a string on any instrument had no clue. Well my cousin was at the farm one day and he said something like...Frank could play anything he picked up. My Papaw Frank. So that resonated in my head a month or so and i came across a violin with everything included for 50$ so i got it home and it had these little boxes of shinny stuff and Only by the song Charlie Daniels sung did i figure how to rosin my bow...i have 50year old pine trees i use their rosin now. Light to dark. Have made my own bridges from cedar. I got down to 2 strings but found a hanging wire that works as #3. Custom bridge for 3 strings. A neighbor came over and handed me a book and said there are a couple good songs in here and i went blank. I kno not of any written song or music but I can play the fiddle and guitar i got last summer like they are part of me. Never touched either in the 49 years before. You ever heard such? Thank you very much. Im gonna make one. I love your clamps! Awesome!! Have a Great day and weekend and every after. ...UOi
I am curious if you use the same formula of glue for the repair as you do for joining the top? If so, what prevents the repair from loosening or popping off if ever the top needs to be removed again? I'm sorry that I can't recall if you've answered this before. Thank you. Lovely video, as usual.
Would have been good to see more details of the finished repair, like the inside of the plate. I am thinking given how deep that purfling is, that the plate should be double edged the whole way around.
Good video. I wish you would have shown how you removed the excess wood that you glued on. It would have been a nice skill to see. I really enjoy watching your videos even though I don't play the violin but I do like to see how your incredible Talent is used to prepare these valuable instruments
Hi Olaf! Your Piere Lomont violin is PERFECT! (for me anyway) You can DO THIS repair! I know it because I've seen you completely repair much worse cases to the point that I couldn't believe it was still the same violin (even though I knew it was).
Looks like the purfling fluting was done quite deep. Maybe the maker cut the purfling channel first, and then did the fluting, and wanted to cut the purfling channel deeper to make sure after fluting there's still purfling left? But then obviously he cut too deep in the most precarious place.
That was quite a repair process. I wonder if the violin defect would have not been a problem if a gentler chin rest had been used. Are pressure points and flex of a chin rest something to watch out for?
To me it looks like that chin rest has been modified by someone (whether the player or someone else) to add those extra round feet to give it extra height. The old chin rest does look a bit DIY and it looks like those feet have been screwed into the cork pads. Usually the cork pads would rest on the violin top to minimise damage to the violin when the chinrest is clamped on. The pressure would have been spread more evenly if the chinrest was used as intended and it probably would have fit better without having to be overtightened as the contact area would have been better.
A very impressive repair to a delicate edge area. The purfling channel is now stronger where the original maker had cut it too deeply. Better than new, now! It took Olaf several cups of coffee, but the result of the meticulous, time-consuming repair process is outstanding!
This repair really is astonishing to me. This is what a master violin maker like Olaf can do.
You had me going for a moment when you mixed up some Bondo. I was afraid it was going to be directly applied to the damaged area of the wood. Using it as a mold for the repair is genius.
Thanks for sharing this! I was really surprised to see that a renowned violin maker cut his purfling channels too deep!
3:50 "I'm just going to take off for a quick morning meeting coffee" But you didn't get back!!!!
4.00.... The next day! That was one helluva coffee break, Olaf 😉🤣
This was a very long, stage by stage, process. No wonder such repairs take weeks! Fascinating to watch. 25:25 So those are the birds we hear all the time. How delightful they are.
I don't even play or own a violin and there is just something therapeutic just watching your videos and the way you speak and explain the process. I've watched all your videos and you are truly amazing.
same for me! it's just really fascinating to watch how Olaf masters his art! :)
Totally agree. If you’re looking for another instrument master. youtube.com/@twoodfrd?si=T4YcLoHEUwz_nBI2
Doubling edges is an art when done well & that guide for the file was a great little technique for keeping the worked area flat & level.
Thanks for showing the whole process as you did it.
BTW, have you shown the composition of your polish in any of your videos? I'm curious to know how you have prepared & then maintain it. I know you keep it in a sealed jar.
Beautiful work
*- Proprietary craftsmanship skills of art and engineering all rolled into one fix, and all hidden by a modesty that models what he he is really selling...the invisibility of his gifts.*
*- As Olaf said, invisible repairs prove the craft of his art's engineering has been done right.*
9:42 Backgound music: Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings
Excellent! watta pro.
Olaf! I have a question you might be able to answer and would love to hear your thoughts.
We just rented a viola and the body is somewhat sticky. How does one clean this lovely instrument and keep it in tip top shape?
Hi Olaf, can i make u a question? hmmm why are all the soundposts made of Pine wood ??If i made a SP With harder density wood It will transfer the sound any better? I have a wood with double of density and a very fine and straight grain
i have an student violin with pine top and maple floor
Few things fall under Awesome in my world. But You Sir. Well if Awesomeness was a word.
I must break this down. So in Tennessee to use the term violin is almost unheard of even in the 21st century but my Grandfather he had a violin put back for me it was a well it had a sticker inside that said Stradivarius so anyways it got gone along with a Manuel Valesquez guitar from1967. Both put back for me since 1990. Well both were gone and i having never touched a string on any instrument had no clue. Well my cousin was at the farm one day and he said something like...Frank could play anything he picked up. My Papaw Frank. So that resonated in my head a month or so and i came across a violin with everything included for 50$ so i got it home and it had these little boxes of shinny stuff and Only by the song Charlie Daniels sung did i figure how to rosin my bow...i have 50year old pine trees i use their rosin now. Light to dark. Have made my own bridges from cedar. I got down to 2 strings but found a hanging wire that works as #3. Custom bridge for 3 strings. A neighbor came over and handed me a book and said there are a couple good songs in here and i went blank. I kno not of any written song or music but I can play the fiddle and guitar i got last summer like they are part of me. Never touched either in the 49 years before.
You ever heard such?
Thank you very much. Im gonna make one. I love your clamps!
Awesome!! Have a Great day and weekend and every after.
...UOi
what do you use for polishing? is it french polish?
I am curious if you use the same formula of glue for the repair as you do for joining the top?
If so, what prevents the repair from loosening or popping off if ever the top needs to be removed again?
I'm sorry that I can't recall if you've answered this before. Thank you. Lovely video, as usual.
That putty is not epoxi. It is polyester. Epoxi does not smell much but polyester does.
„Mir schmeckt der Coffee“ 🤠
🤎
Would have been good to see more details of the finished repair, like the inside of the plate.
I am thinking given how deep that purfling is, that the plate should be double edged the whole way around.
I also hear bits of the Hallelujah Chorus when sipping my coffee. 😃
😂 Every time Brian... Every time
olaf you never stop impressing me
.. such an interesting and informative video - many thanks Olaf !
Olaf: I've got some builders bog for the repair. 😱
Me: wow his standards have slipped, using builders bog to repair a violin 😂😂😂
There is something so claming and meditative about your videos olaf ,almost therapeutic. Thank you and keep up the great videos
Good video. I wish you would have shown how you removed the excess wood that you glued on. It would have been a nice skill to see. I really enjoy watching your videos even though I don't play the violin but I do like to see how your incredible Talent is used to prepare these valuable instruments
I know...
Sometimes I just get into the moment and totally forget to film
Hi Olaf!
Your Piere Lomont violin is PERFECT!
(for me anyway)
You can DO THIS repair!
I know it because I've seen you completely repair much worse cases to the point that I couldn't believe it was still the same violin (even though I knew it was).
Hi Melissa, Great to hear that it arrived safely!
Enjoy the journey 😊
Truly masterful work!! Such a pleasure to watch - thank you Olaf.
Excellent vid by an excellent luthier.....
Wait, this happened over time? Or just one day, he put it under his chin and.........
Olaf what do you use for polishing?
you need a hand made coffee cup
How often are vioins opened? Or on average, how many times would a violin be opened in, say, 100 years?
Hopefully never...
But it just depends on the player, it's journey, it's construction and it's location.
I think that might become a video
Looks like the purfling fluting was done quite deep. Maybe the maker cut the purfling channel first, and then did the fluting, and wanted to cut the purfling channel deeper to make sure after fluting there's still purfling left? But then obviously he cut too deep in the most precarious place.
I really enjoy watching you work, I'm a piano tech and what you do doesn't directly apply to pianos, there are similarities in the process
digging out purfling channel is such a pain in the ass i dont know how you could dig too far!
Thank you.
based on the poor work, can we assume it's a colin mezin fils, the son ?
I think Collin Mezin is a trade name, blame the son if you like.
That was quite a repair process. I wonder if the violin defect would have not been a problem if a gentler chin rest had been used. Are pressure points and flex of a chin rest something to watch out for?
To me it looks like that chin rest has been modified by someone (whether the player or someone else) to add those extra round feet to give it extra height. The old chin rest does look a bit DIY and it looks like those feet have been screwed into the cork pads. Usually the cork pads would rest on the violin top to minimise damage to the violin when the chinrest is clamped on. The pressure would have been spread more evenly if the chinrest was used as intended and it probably would have fit better without having to be overtightened as the contact area would have been better.
A very impressive repair to a delicate edge area. The purfling channel is now stronger where the original maker had cut it too deeply. Better than new, now! It took Olaf several cups of coffee, but the result of the meticulous, time-consuming repair process is outstanding!