Efficiently making and installing cleats to reinforce cracks is a necessary skill for luthiers. This article will discuss the concept of cleating cracks, provide a simple method for making cleat stock, and fitting cleats. This is the first article in a series I will be writing on the subject of cleats and crack reinforcement methods. […]
Sound post cracks are very common in the long life of a violin family instrument. When repaired properly with a sound post patch, the instrument can continue to be a reliable tool beyond your lifetime and perhaps even improve its tone. Materials and tools Block plane Sharp knife Wide gouge with tight sweep Sharpened pencil […]
A cheval is a form of wood replacement. Often, due to a bow frog’s small size, an entire section of wood has to be replaced with new wood to reinforce the structure and to supplement missing wood. Traditionally, a cheval is performed by planing away original material and replacing it with new wood. A rounded cheval maximizes the surface area […]
As published in the IPCI Book. One of the traditional methods employed to repair cracked pegbox wall consists of removing half the thickness of the pegbox inner wall over the crack area, and then fitting one or two reinforcement pieces, or clavettes, made of cross-grain maple.[1] Invasive and time-consuming, this method not only requires a fair […]