Sharon Peddie is one of South Africa's leading goldsmiths; her specialty being that of copying antique Victorian jewellery. She was one of my students at the violin making class I run once week.
After beginning her first violin Sharon decided to pause work on the violin body and began carving a scroll. I was in such awe of the scroll that she produced that I promptly decided to 'confiscate' it and use it on my own violin!
That was two years ago and ever since she has been making scrolls for my instruments. I have travelled all over the world and seen many, many scrolls and I have never seen scrolls carved with such grace, balance and flow ... it is certainly a great privilege to work together with her on my instruments!
Sharon assists me on a part time basis as she runs High Hopes a tranquil guest house in Greyton, Western Cape.
One begins the scroll with a solid block of wood planing the surfaces square. This is followed by the marking of the template and roughly cutting out the shape.
Then using different shaped gauges one carves away the excess wood, systematically ‘building up’ the volutes of the spiral shape. Being a three dimensional object it requires a keen eye to make sure that there is a unifying tension and an inter-relationship between the different curves.
Once the side view has been cut the surfaces are scraped to smooth out the tool marks and blend the curves into each other.
The fluting down the spine of the scroll is carved and once completed the delicate and almost flower like qualities come to life!
Then the peg box is hollowed out to accommodate the pegs and strings and lastly one adds a chamfer on the edges softening the clinical appearance and defining the outline as it reflects on-coming light.
The video below is best viewed in HD and full screen. For email subscribers the video can be viewed by clicking here: Carving the scroll ...
Stunning and fascinating. Thanks for sharing with us.
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