gouges, chisels, knives, planes, and scrapers, oh my!
(this is like a basic, down n dirty, show and tell type overview of all the blade tools we use besides purfling cutters oop. i tried to link prev posts w photos of some of the unexplained technical stuff, but feel free to drop an ask if you’ve got any questions !!)
gouges are used for basically any and all parts of the instrument, from the inside blocks to the initial shaping of the plates to the final purfling channels. they’re probably my favorite to sharpen, and the most versatile tool for the work we do.
gouges are used for basically any and all parts of the instrument, from the inside blocks to the initial shaping of the plates to the final purfling channels. they’re probably my favorite to sharpen, and the most versatile tool for the work we do.
chisels are mainly used for the inside blocks and the scroll. there’s not a lot of large flat stuff on a violin, so they don’t get used as much other tools when it comes to finalizing shapes and forms on the instrument. honestly they probably get used more for making other tools and jigs.
knives are also involved in almost every facet of the instrument. refining the shape of the corners, trimming linings, fitting the purfling miters, carving the f-holes, carving bridges… they’re the kitchen scissors of violin making lol
planes… lovely lovely planes. i’ve only got a hand/block plane and finger planes in the picture, (the teeny tiny rabbit looking things at the top of the photo) but we also use large bench planes and some smaller block planes when the occasion calls for it. we use both toothed and straight blades in the planes, which hold the blades at a constant angle so the cut can be flat and consistent. these things have touched probably every part of the instrument inside and out, and are the main tool used for refining the arch and graduation of the plates.
scrapers are essentially just flat pieces of tempered steel that we cut to shape and then burnish the edges of, and thes drag across the wood to smooth and perfect a shape. historically i think they were cut out of left over saw blades, which is a kind of interesting if irrelevant fact unless you’re looking to repurpose a saw… you can see one in the bottom right hand corner of the picture on the right. scrapers touch almost every part of the instrument—if it’s smooth, it was likely scraped.
blades and scrapers get worn down by use, so they’re pretty regularly sharpened by hand on ceramic/diamond sharpening stones. sometimes when sharpening, we’ll go all the way up to 30,000 grit stones.. which is maybe a little overkill, but it’s definitely helpful when precision is required.
May 5 - JACKSONVILLE, FL @ WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE
May 7 - BIRMINGHAM, AL @ LEGACY ARENA AT THE BCC
May 8 - LOUISVILLE, KY @ KFC YUM! CENTER
May 10 - HAMPTON, VA @ HAMPTON COLISEUM
May 11 - CONCORD, N.C. @ EPICENTER
May 13 - ST. LOUIS, MO @ ENTERPRISE CENTER
May 14 - KANSAS CITY, MO @ SPRINT CENTER
May 16 - LINCOLN, NE @ PINNACLE BANK ARENA
May 17 - DES MOINES, IA @ WELLS FARGO ARENA
May 19 - BRIDGEVIEW, IL @ CHICAGO OPEN AIR FESTIVAL
05/24 Fairfax, VA – Eaglebank Arena
05/27 Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
05/28 Allston, MA – Harvard Athletic Complex (Boston Calling)
05/30 Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena
05/31 Hamilton, ON – First Ontario Centre
06/02 Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
06/04 Randall’s Island Park, NY – Governors Ball Music Festival
06/05 Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center
06/07 Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
06/08 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
06/09 St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
06/12 Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
06/13 Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
06/15 Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
06/17 George, WA – The Gorge Amphitheater
06/18 Nampa, ID – Idaho Center
06/21 San Jose, CA – SAP Center
06/23 Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
