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The Making of the Violin (Continued)

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Purfling, which consists in applying the purfles.
The purfles, generally made of service tree wood or ebony,
do not only play an aesthetic role, they also reinforce the edges
of the violin. |
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| Using his model, the violin maker draws the neck
and the scroll. |
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Sculpting the scroll. |
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Setting the neck, already
fitted with the fingerboard (the black part, in ebony). |
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Once the violin is finished, it is exposed to
sunlight for at least one year before varnishing in order to eliminate
a maximum of the humidity remaining in the wood. Once the wood has
dried, it is covered with the "preparazione"
(a mixture of natural substances to harden the wood). |
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| Then, following a very particular
method, the violin maker applies various layers of varnish until
he obtains the desired consistency and hue. The violin must dry
completely between each layer of varnish. |
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After making the pegs, the violin maker
uses a special device to give the pegholes the necessary conic shape. |
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Fitting the sound-post with
a "sound-post setter". |
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Sculpting the bridge with a penknife; this requires
special care, for the sound and timbre of the instrument will depend
a great deal on this little piece of wood. |
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Fitting the strings on the bridge. |
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The final step for the violin maker is making
the last adjustments; he tunes the violin before posing the chin
rest and trying out his creation... |
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Science
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