The Repairing & Restoration of Violins 'The Strad' Library, No. XII.   By: Horace Petherick (1839-1919)

PRINTED BY E. SHORE & CO., 3, GREEN TERRACE, ROSEBERY AVENUE, LONDON, E.C.

[Frontispiece: HORACE PETHERICK.]

"THE STRAD" LIBRARY, No. XII. THE REPAIRING & RESTORATION OF VIOLINS.

BY HORACE PETHERICK.

Of the Music Jury, International Inventions Exhibition South Kensington, 1885; International Exhibition Edinburgh, 1890; Expert in Law Courts, 1891; Vice President of the Cremona Society .

ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR.

London: THE STRAD OFFICE, 3, GREEN TERRACE, ROSEBERY AVENUE, E.C. D. R. DUNCAN, 186, FLEET STREET, E.C.

New York: CHARLES SCRIBNERS' SONS, 153 157, FIFTH AVENUE

1903.

CONTENTS.

PAGE CHAPTER I. Introductory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

CHAPTER II. Slight Accidents Modern Restorers "Chattering" The Proper Sort of Glue Its Preparation and Use . . . . 3

CHAPTER III. Minor Repairs Cramps and Joints Violin Cases Rattles and Jars Loose Fingerboards Atmospheric Temperature Old Fashioned Methods of Repairing Modern Ways A Loose Nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CHAPTER IV. Injuries to the Head or Scroll Insertion of Fresh Wood Colouring of White Wood Separation of Head from Peg box and Re joining Stopping Material for Small Holes or Fractures The Peg box Cracked by Pressure . . . . . . 28

CHAPTER V. Fracture of Peg box and Shell Chips from this Part Filling up of Same Restoration to Original Form, after Parts have been Lost Worn Peg holes, Re filling or Boring Same . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

CHAPTER VI. Loosening of Junction of Graft with Peg box, and Refixing Same Grafting, Different Methods of Performing this Lengthening the Neck Old and Modern Method Renewal of Same Inclination of Neck and Fingerboard with Regard to the Bridge Height of Latter, and Reason for It . . . 58

CHAPTER VII. Finishing the Fingerboard Fixing the Nut Size and Position of Grooves for the Strings Filing Down the Graft Smoothing, Colouring, and Varnishing Same . . . . 84

CHAPTER VIII. Injuries that can be Repaired from the Outside Insertion of Fresh Wood in Fracture of the Ribs The Effects of Climate on the Glue in Violins . . . . . . . . 92

CHAPTER IX. The Glue Used by the Early Italian Makers Insertion of Pieces of Wood for Repairing Lost Parts Replacing Lost Rib and Repairing Interior without Opening when Possible Securing Loose Lower Rib to End Block Different Methods Treatment of Worm holes Fixing on Graft on Neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

CHAPTER X. Ways of Removing the Upper Table and the Neck Cleansing the Interior Preservation of the Original Label Closing of Cracks in Upper Table . . . . . . . . . 114

CHAPTER XI. Getting Parts Together that apparently do not Fit The use of Benzine or Turpentine Treatment of Warped or Twisted Lower Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

CHAPTER XII. Removal of Old Superfluous Glue by Damping Replacing Old End Blocks by New Ones Temporary Beams and Joists Inside for Keeping Ribs, etc., in Position while Freshly Glued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

CHAPTER XIII. Re opening the Back to Correct the Badly Repaired Joint A Few Words on Studs Filling Up Spaces left by Lost Splinters Matching Wood for Large Cracks, etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

CHAPTER XIV. Repairing Lost Portions Margins of Sound Holes Matching the Grain Fixing and Finishing Off Replacing with Fresh Wood Large Portions of Upper Table Lost Parts of Purfling Restoring It with Old Stuff . . . . . . . . 155