Dear Dan, Din, Jon, Rob etc, I have nothing against solid moulds as this shows http://www.vanedwards.co.uk/moulds.htm
In practice I use skeleton moulds for lutes with fewer than 19 ribs and solid moulds for those with more. I find the skeleton better for aligning ribs while building and they are certainly quicker to make, which is why I showed them in my courses. It even has historic precedent in the Arnault of Zwolle manuscript. There are no historic moulds surviving, so for all we know the original makers all used skeleton moulds, though not in MDF, that horrid but useful material! However in answer to Din's query I normally build up my solid moulds in exactly the same way as the skeletons but with each cross-section defined on paper first, which ensures the shape remains as designed and allows me to make then hollow at the same time. This makes the large theorbo moulds light enough to handle with ease. After the cross-sections are all glued up, the protruding corners are simply chiselled off leaving the exact mould shape, as I show in the lower picture. It's a nice metaphor to think of carving the air space and in fact that's what I'm doing, but on paper first. Perhaps I'm more used to seeing the 3D shape within the drawings having done it so much. Thirty years ago, when I first started, I used to build without a mould in just the way Dan describes (following Ian Harwood, who I think first came up with the idea) and it's certainly a very quick method. But it's difficult (but not impossible if you build a jig for each rib) to build the more complex shapes which are not semi-circular in cross-section and only a few of the historic surviving lutes are like that. Most involve twisted and assymetric ribs and I came to prefer these shapes, hence the large number of moulds. As ever there are many routes to the same end......... Best wishes, David At 16:25 +0000 4/12/07, Din Ghani wrote: >Jon, > >I wish I had your carving skills - next time I make a lute I'd like to try a >solid mould, but the thought of producing a complex shape with accurately >curved lines and surfaces out of a lump of wood terrifies me! I'm sure with >your experience of carving you will be able to work out how to go about it. > >I just about managed to carve the neck block with fairly accurate facets, >following detailed instructions from David, and using the lines and facets >from the completed mould to guide the carving. Unfortunately, as far as I >can see, Lundberg's book does not even mention how the facets on the mould >are cut. Rob, I hope you might be able to give me a clue, having learnt >directly from him. I assume there is a systematic method, not relying just >on a steady hand and a sharp eye? > >At heart, I guess I'm more of an engineer than a craftsman... > >Regards > >Din > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Rob Dorsey [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: 04 December 2007 14:22 >> To: 'Jon Murphy'; 'lute-builder' >> Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: Lute - Baroque Guitar >> >> Jon, >> >> I've made molds from pine lumber which works fine albeit >> harder to carve but the best is bass wood or boxwood. >> Basswood carves like butter and is easy to finish. As an >> avant-garde touch, you can carve the mould without facets so >> that the number of ribs can be varied or a multi-rib (39 or >> so) can be made if you're feeling particularly industrious. >> >> Best, >> Rob Dorsey >> http://RobDorsey.com >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Jon Murphy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 2:08 AM >> To: lute-builder >> Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: Lute - Baroque Guitar >> >> All, >> >> I think Rob has convinced me to can my skeletal form and make >> a solid one. I like the idea of sculpting the air within the >> body, and as a woodcarver I have all the tools and skills for >> shaping a solid form. The confidence I'll gain from having > > the form fully shaped will probably get me off my butt to >> make the body of my incipient lute. >> >> Dan's method is attractive in the apparent speed of the >> process, but I doubt I could accomplish it without being >> "hands on" at his workshop (which is tempting, but June is a >> long time away). >> >> Best, Jon >> >> >> >> >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> -- The Smokehouse, 6 Whitwell Road, Norwich, NR1 4HB England. Telephone: + 44 (0)1603 629899 Website: http://www.vanedwards.co.uk
