advice needed on buying a few gouges for violin making

[Anders Eliasson]

Hi

I´m going to start building one or a few violins.
I need some advices on buying a few gouges for shaping the plates (Not the scroll). I prefer buying a few and in a good quality. I´m in Europe and I have decided on the Swizz Pfeil company. I like their products and they are readily available.

I was thinking about buying 1 of their spoon gauges specially made for instrument making. They have an angled spoon and an inside bevel
They exist in 12 and 17mm with an 8 sweep and a 30mm with a 5 sweep. Which one would you recommend.


Besides that I´ll buy a 10mm 7 sweep for fluting the edges on the outside.

¿What else should I buy?

[michael walsh]

I don't think that type are well regarded by the Violin makers. You only need 1 gouge for the rough arching. Pointless buying 2 or 3 gouges when they are of no advantage. A wide (approx. 35 mm) No. 3 or No. 4 sweep. It doesn't have to be exactly those dimensions, you can get away with other widths and sweeps. Something along those lines will make it a touch easier and quicker. No need for spoon gouges and certainly no need for inside ground!. Some folk change the handle for something bigger and longer, again it just makes it easier to use but hardly necessary. Pfeil, Iles, Taylor are all good (many others as well). Modern steel and any 'named' tool maker should ensure a decent cutting edge. If it hasn't got that, then just send it back.
Apart from the gouge to do the fluting, that's all you really need. Scrolls can be done (and done extremely well) with just 3 gouges. My friend does it with just 2!!
Corner blocks can be done with an outside ground gouge or an inside ground. I much prefer doing them with an inside ground gouge.

[Charlie Schultz]

Hello Michael and Anders and welcome to the forum!

[Anders Eliasson]

Sorry for breaking the forum rules. I´ve been a member of the old forum for over 8 years and never posted a picture. I did have a look at the rules, but there are so many that I didnt se this one. I guess, only homegrown pictures?

Back on topic.
So just 1 big relatively flat outside bevel gouge for the plates. That sounds good and cheap. Is it possible to buy straight inside bevel gouges? I havent seen any european made ones.

Also which 2 or 3 gouges are adviceable for the scroll.

[michael walsh]

Incannel gouges are still being made. I know that Henry Taylor (UK) make them. I'm sure there are others. I can't really give you the sweeps of these. Mine are old English gouges. I picked up two of them pretty cheap. It's probably best to go by the curves of the model that you are making and get the gouges a touch tighter. You can probably get away with one, two different sweeps are better though.
BTW the Taylor Carving chisels (Acorn brand?) are pretty decent.

As for the other gouges. Here is what I've used:

26 mm Pfeil sweep 3 - Rough arching and scroll. Bit small for rough arching but it does the job, just a bit slower.

10 mm Ashley Iles sweep 4 - Scroll

10 mm Ashley Iles sweep 5 or 6 - hard to say, numbers rubbed off. Probably doesn't matter. Scroll

10 mm Herdim brand sweep 7 - Eye of the scroll + a bit further around.

Steel on all these gouges are decent. You can't expect these gouges to cut all the curves, instead you use the technique of rolling the gouge.
Here's a scroll that I did many years ago. I think it was my first. There's a lot of subtlety to Violin Scrolls, edgework, arching etc. that I haven't really got a grasp of.

[Anders Eliasson]

Again, thanks a lot for your advices.
I´ll order soon and use your advices.

[Greg Robinson]

Hi Anders,
Yes, you can only post pictures you have created yourself, due to copyright concerns. However, you are welcome to post a link to a picture if it is available elsewhere on the Internet.

[Douglas Ingram]

Welcome back Anders! I look forward to your contributions on the new forum, especially on flamenco guitars. There are a few builders her.

How's the boat coming?

[Anders Eliasson]

Thank you Douglas

The hull of the boat is finished. I´m painting it these days/weeks/month <G>

[Nicholas Blanton]

David Strasmann , or Dastra, makes very very good carving tools, and some for violin making, including "incannel" or inside-bevel gouges. The company is in Germany, and they have a website. Search under Dastra.