Now that the cracks in my cello are stabilized, it's time to think about preparing for the patch. To this end, I've made a partial plaster cast of the top of the instrument, which is a messy process involving a bag of rice, a vacuum cleaner, and some play-dough. This is where I found out that childhood has come a long way since I last played with the stuff -- the only goo available at my local Target was scented.
Apple-flavoured cast, anyone? (I opted for the strawberry, thinking I might want to actually play with the apple).
Apple-flavoured cast, anyone? (I opted for the strawberry, thinking I might want to actually play with the apple).
As per usual, I ended up with splotches of plaster in unexpected places, but the actual cast turned out quite nicely. It is, of course, possible to make castings from other, neater, faster-to-use materials, but I've always got more accurate castings and, as a result, better-fitting patches with plaster.
While I'm waiting for it to dry out, I'll make a new top block, and prepare the piece of wood for the patch. With any luck, I'll have a big enough piece of the original spruce left over from when I was making the instrument. (It would be asking too much for me to have marked it with the year and model ... I didn't think that far ahead when I was 20).
If you look closely, you can see the outline of the bridge feet, the cracks, and a few grain lines.
Meanwhile, in my garden a pair of wrens are busy building an entirely different structure, something I could happily spend many hours watching. But there is a violin to be built, so back to the workbench it is.
Meanwhile, in my garden a pair of wrens are busy building an entirely different structure, something I could happily spend many hours watching. But there is a violin to be built, so back to the workbench it is.