project <CELLO>

[chrisBk]

Hello Friends,

i have already introduced myself, as not quite the "Aussie" you would expect on this forum, but glad to share and be inspired on these pages!
see viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9714 for my introduction and presentation of my very first lutherie project.
After seeing the guitar I proudly presented to my wife- she just goes, "oh, that^s nice, so you could also build me a cello" ... well, of course I first thought- no way! but the seed was already planted, and I was still highly motivated from the guitar build- which turned out to be a very beautiful looking and sounding OM.
So I thought, worst that can happen, I could learn a whole lot during production of very nice looking and very expensive firewood

So- I embarked on this adventuresome journey just two weeks ago, and I would be happy if some of you are interested, and I value all of your comments, since everybody is going to have a lot more woodworking experience- feel free to give advice and critique....

all the best from Austria
Chris

creating templates and the inner mold

the inner mold

thicknessing the ribs down to 1,7 using the safety planer

bending the first c-bout

first center bout installed..

[kiwigeo]

Nice work Chris and thanks for posting up the pics of your cello build. Please keep us posted with updates on this interesting looking project

[Mike Thomas]

Yes Chris, a very interesting project. Are you modelling it on a particular cello, e.g. one of those documented in The Strad like the Domenico Montagnana, 1740?

[chrisBk]

Yes Chris, a very interesting project. Are you modelling it on a particular cello, e.g. one of those documented in The Strad like the Domenico Montagnana, 1740?

Hi Mike,

I got Henry Strobels Books to get some guidance, and as far as I know, the plans he offers ("his own") are very much based on the Davidov 1712 by A.S., which I wanted- but it is very hard to find plans....

[chrisBk]

hello to the other side of the globe-

the cello work has been continued, of course, so I would like to share the progress. So far, no great discouragement or major accidents like sawing off the wrong parts - so I think, maybe this is a really great opportunity to practice mindfulness and devotion rather than just "get the work done" .... I am really enjoying this kind of work...

so here are the new pictures, finishing with the rims, and linings, and starting on neck/scroll which I was very afraid of (still am, since I am far from finished)

greetings, and best wishes for 2025
chris

[kiwigeo]

Thanks for the update Chris. It looks like you're making good progress. I find violin and cello making fascinating...

[chrisBk]

Hello,

just a little update on my work, I hope someone is interested and I am looking forward for comments and questions....
work goes rather slowly, mostly due to the fact that a lot of the work is done manually- also I didnt have too
much time lately.
What I did:
-complete or almost complete the neck and scroll
-complete the back with the arching and then the purfling (done with dremel router), graduation of the back
-I used the neck angle jig from robbie o brien to route the mortise for the neck, which seemed to work perfect- so far perfect angles...traditionally, this is done after gluing the back and the top on, with chisels, I thought I might try it a new way..
-glue on the back and start on the front, where I am now.

thanks for commenting!
Chris

[Dave M]

Great stuff Chris. I know it takes a bit of effort to take and post photos to the forum. I have however taken lots of photos, particularly of my early guitar builds to help keep records, along with my log book with wood types and thicknesses etc.

I can't imagine tackling that carving exercise on the top and back; just a tiny bit too much taken off and all that work wasted! It's why I will also not be tackling an archtop.

You seem to be making a good go at it so hope you enjoy.

[Mark McLean]

I love watching the birth of this instrument. Thanks for the beautiful documentation. Your work looks very skillful and elegant, especially on the neck scroll. I am interested to see that you can graduate the outside arch of the top using the Safe-T-Planer, which would be a great way to hog off a lot of material to begin the shaping. I am trying my first archtop guitar top at present and I feel quite intimidated by this part of the build. I imagine that a guitar top would be so much smaller that the Safety-T-Planer might not be suitable? What wood species have you used for the neck and end block?
Best wishes - Mark

[chrisBk]

...small update from my work on the top,
also I added some fotos of the raw wood before starting my work

AHR303-012-03.jpg (78.21 KiB) Viewed 575 times

AHR303-012-07.jpg (39.2 KiB) Viewed 575 times

AHR303-012-10.jpg (52.24 KiB) Viewed 575 times

AHR303-012-11.jpg (17.59 KiB) Viewed 575 times

[chrisBk]

Great stuff Chris. I know it takes a bit of effort to take and post photos to the forum. I have however taken lots of photos, particularly of my early guitar builds to help keep records, along with my log book with wood types and thicknesses etc.

I can't imagine tackling that carving exercise on the top and back; just a tiny bit too much taken off and all that work wasted! It's why I will also not be tackling an archtop.

You seem to be making a good go at it so hope you enjoy.

thank you dave, yes everything seemed very intimidating, but as for the maple, it doesnt allow you to screw up too much, because of its hardness, and then you have some practice for the soft spruce top, so it is agreat way to learn to work very careful, awesome!
i would go for the archtop, i would say, its no problem for a guitar builder!

[chrisBk]

I love watching the birth of this instrument. Thanks for the beautiful documentation. Your work looks very skillful and elegant, especially on the neck scroll. I am interested to see that you can graduate the outside arch of the top using the Safe-T-Planer, which would be a great way to hog off a lot of material to begin the shaping. I am trying my first archtop guitar top at present and I feel quite intimidated by this part of the build. I imagine that a guitar top would be so much smaller that the Safety-T-Planer might not be suitable? What wood species have you used for the neck and end block?
Best wishes - Mark

thank you Mark for your kind comment. i was amazed myself, that the scroll actually turned out like a scroll!
using the safety planer was a great help, but still, it took a long time, mm by mm taken off, for archtop, i think you can also use it, or make graduation holes or whatever.
neck, sides, back are always maple, and top always spruce. almost no exception with bow instruments. the blocks are spruce.
all the best, Chris