16” viola modeled after the 1734 “Gibson” by Antonio Stradivari, carved using traditional luthiery woodworking techniques. (in progress)
Design
Patterns were obtained by tracing and printing publicly available images of an existing model. Parts were made using various traditional luthiery woodworking techniques such as carving, thickness sanding, and heated bending of wood, using tools such as chisels, gouges, planes, and hide glue.
Results
Come back later to see my progress!! (~70% complete, estimated completion time: winter 2026/spring 2027)
Bending maple veneers for lower bouts using steam and iron
Clamping linings onto ribs after gluing. Also the plywood form used to hold ribs and linings in place.
Removing excess material on linings after glueing using thumb plane.