Rob, Many thanks for sharing that. It may not be rocket science, but it is precisely this sort of detailed know-how, often hard-won through long experience, when generously shared as you have just done, and as David van Edwards has done through his various courses, that makes all the difference to a diffident beginner like me.
I now have a clearer picture of that part of the process, a picture that I know will become fully clear only when I actually get to the stage of trying to do it - which will be a while yet, as the vihuela I'm attempting next will require a somewhat simpler mould! Best regards Din > -----Original Message----- > From: Rob Dorsey [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 04 December 2007 18:54 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Jon Murphy'; 'lute-builder' > Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: Lute - Baroque Guitar > > Din, > > Here's how to do the magic. As you know, walking on water is > actually quite easy if one knows where the rocks and stumps > are. In this case they are composed of two or three card > templates derived from a drawing. If you don't have plans > with sectional views (vertical cuts through the body at > precise points) then you will need construct them by drawing > the body in side view and front view. Due to the shape of the > body, a front view will be in perspective with the small > block end in the foreground and the maximum girth making up > the largest part of the drawing. On this view you have drawn > the edges of the facets beginning at a point in front of the > block and extending to the perimeter of the drawing. If you > started your drawing with a smooth curve you may now connect > the facet lines and, voila', the form of the ribs. From this > perspective view so segmented you may now fashion templates > which match the facets, i.e. an inside cutout with flats > which correspond to the outline of the body at a certain > point. One should be at the thickest point of the body shell > - the faceted outline of your drawing - and another about > half way, no precisely half way, between the drawing edge and > the block. > > Now, as you carve the mould you can apply these templates to > the shape. You will find that using a felt marker to draw the > edges of the facets in as you go, understanding that you will > most probably carve them away and need to redraw. Once you > have the whole mold carved - and please, please do not get > too anal here, this is really not rocket science. Believe it > or not instrument build is a pretty forgiving medium - you > cam saw off the block end creating a flat onto which you can > screw the basswood block wood. Once you do, you can see how > the facets on the block are merely extensions of the body > facets. It is things like this which keep me carving solid moulds. > > Hope this helps, > Rob Dorsey > http://RobDorsey.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: Din Ghani [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 11:26 AM > To: 'Rob Dorsey'; 'Jon Murphy'; 'lute-builder' > Subject: RE: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: Lute - Baroque Guitar > > Jon, > > I wish I had your carving skills - next time I make a lute > I'd like to try a solid mould, but the thought of producing a > complex shape with accurately curved lines and surfaces out > of a lump of wood terrifies me! I'm sure with your experience > of carving you will be able to work out how to go about it. > > I just about managed to carve the neck block with fairly > accurate facets, following detailed instructions from David, > and using the lines and facets from the completed mould to > guide the carving. Unfortunately, as far as I can see, > Lundberg's book does not even mention how the facets on the > mould are cut. Rob, I hope you might be able to give me a > clue, having learnt directly from him. I assume there is a > systematic method, not relying just on a steady hand and a sharp eye? > > At heart, I guess I'm more of an engineer than a craftsman... > > Regards > > Din > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
