Winter build off 2022 MPUrker

[Flamingo21]

Indeed, it makes sense that a thing called "violin makers plane" is tiny. Violins are small and intricate things.
As a kid I played violin, then went to viola. I have been in several violin makers' workshops. I don't remember seeing one of those, but then I probably wasn't paying any attention to tooling.

 

[MPU]

Today I used Stewmac fret slotting saw and miter box to saw the fret slots. Before slotting I tapered and radiused the fretboard.

I also sharpened my chisels and violin planes.

 

[Flamingo21]

What is the function of the rectangular holes in the near side of the workbench? My dad had them in his workbench, but I can't for the life of me remember what he used them for.

 

[TerribleTim68]

What is the function of the rectangular holes in the near side of the workbench? My dad had them in his workbench, but I can't for the life of me remember what he used them for.

Those are called "dog holes". They are for an insert to go in, which gives you a "stop", then another dog in a vice at the end of the bench can clamp things between the "dogs". Multiple dog holes give you options to clamp various lengths of things. Most often, this is used for planing boards, you'd clamp the board between the dogs and then plane the top surface of it.
Other uses can be the various different styles of "holdfasts" that places like Rockler sell, there's also bench dog clamps that can go in those holes, I've even used two dogs to create a "plane stop" for boards I couldn't clamp between dogs (things that are round or have a radius that won't clamp). Lots of videos on the tubes on how to use bench dogs.

The name comes from the "prairie dog", because the old school bench dogs would be pushed down flush with the top of the bench, then "popped up" when needed, like a prairie dog popping up out of its hole.

 

[TerribleTim68]

What is the function of the rectangular holes in the near side of the workbench? My dad had them in his workbench, but I can't for the life of me remember what he used them for.

Chances are, your dad's bench dogs looked very much like this -

The little flap of wood acts as a "spring", holding them still when pushed down in the hole. Here's a shot of them popped up -

And when down in the hole, they would be flush with the top.

And a shot of a piece being planed between dogs -

 

[Flamingo21]

My dad's bench had none of those dogs. There were just the holes. He may well have never used them for anything, that would be just like him.

Thanks for solving a riddle from my youth.

 

[TerribleTim68]

My dad's bench had none of those. There were just the holes. He may well have never used them for anything, that would be just like him.

Thanks for solving a riddle from my youth.

If you still have the bench, you can make dogs for it pretty easily. That was why they made them out of wood, because if they got damaged or lost, you just make new ones.

 

[Flamingo21]

If you still have the bench

I never had it. And I don't think he still has it. A month ago I visited him, and I don't remember seeing it in his workshop. He must have gotten rid of it at some point.

But it's an idea I may use whenever I build a new bench.

 

[MPU]

Today I trimmed the cf laminate. Sides of the headstock stayed clean of cf dust.

Then I routed the heel and back of the neck. Please ignore the temporary routing sled jig. It does the job so it’s fine.

I made the heel and pocket shallower to make some room for rear carving.

Pretty perfect pocket.

Starting to look like a guitar. I’m carving the neck before gluing it to the body.

 

[Flamingo21]

Please ignore the temporary routing sled jig. It does the job so it’s fine.

I'm not sure why this needs to be said. We all think that if it does the job it's fine. Are there aesthetic standards that you're afraid your jig may not meet?

I’m carving the the before gluing the neck to the body.

I don't mean to be nitpicky, I honestly don't get what "the the" is.

 

[postalflunkie]

I don't mean to be nitpicky, I honestly don't get what "the the" is.

Weren't they a band from the 80's

 

[MPU]

I'm not sure why this needs to be said. We all think that if it does the job it's fine. Are there aesthetic standards that you're afraid your jig may not meet?


I don't mean to be nitpicky, I honestly don't get what "the the" is.

Typing error? Fixed it, I'm carving the neck first.
That jig is put together with masking tape, superglue and hot melt glue. I have thick plywood strips I use for this kind of temporary jigs. The look is very crude but it does the job.

 

[MPU]

Neck shaped and ready for gluing.

And glued. I soaked unthickened epoxy to the joining faces before using thickened epoxy for gluing.

I’m hoping to start carving the back tomorrow.

 

[MPU]

I screwed a riser block to the top. The block fits between the bench dogs on the work table.

Treble side close to finished.

Sharp chisel is a joy to work with. Violin planes did not work well because they were too big.

Rear carving done. Took about two hours.

Last thing today was carbon fiber back strip. I’m sanding the edges of the strip flush with the back before laminating the whole back with cf weave cloth.

 

[TFM94]

Some really impressive work there. I like the transition shape or the neck heel, although it's not really a "heel" anymore. Great contours, too!

 

[MPU]

Carbon fiber cloth laminated with epoxy. I’m trying out a new way of holding the cloth on it’s place while wetting. I used a tiny amount of spray glue. That’s how infusion laminated cloths are kept in place. We’ll see how it works.
I’m heating the laminate with hot air gun to thin the epoxy a bit so it saturates the cloth better and cures faster. I hope I can brush a fill coat of epoxy later tonight.

 

[MPU]

First fill coat brushed. Tomorrow I’m trimming the edges and brushing another coat of epoxy before first light level sanding.

 

[Flamingo21]

Frankly, this looks utterly outlandish to me.




So don't heed me, just keep going. You've piqued my curiosity.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Am I the only one who noticed the nice figure on the wood getting covered with CF cloth? I'm trying to calculate the lumber cost for something that nice locally. Another incredibly clean, quick, and technically sophisticated build. I think I'll crawl back under my bench now.....

 

[MPU]

Am I the only one who noticed the nice figure on the wood getting covered with CF cloth? I'm trying to calculate the lumber cost for something that nice locally. Another incredibly clean, quick, and technically sophisticated build. I think I'll crawl back under my bench now.....

That wood figure will show on front and sides. Rear is the tech side, front is the looks side.