The outline and measurements

1. For the mould, use a 12 mm thick, 400 mm tall and 250 mm wide piece of wood. It is important that the wood is as stable as possible, so multi-layered plywood or battenboard are preferred.
   
2. After you have cut it to the right dimensions, you need to transfer the outline of the template.
   
3. First, draw a centerline on the wood, then align the template with it.
   
4. Now you need to drill two holes, about 8 cm in from top and bottom of the template, on the centerline, drilling through the template itself as well as the wood. For this, a drill press is the best. See the Templates chapter for the exact location of the points.
   
5. Then get two wooden pegs, matching the diameter of the drill bit. Or you can use the drill bits themselves.
   
6. Securing the template in perfect alignment with the centerline in this way, scribe a line along its contour, flip the template on the other side and repeat. Repeat also on the other side of the mould, making sure the orientation of the template is correct.
   
7. Now you need to transfer the lines as in Fig. 1, all measurements are in millimeters. The cornerblock recesses are drawn as follows:

   a) Draw the "a" line,

   b) using a compass, from point x1, measure 26 mm and create the point x2 on the C bout,

   c) from x2, draw the "b" line connecting it back to the "a" line.
   

8. Repeat on all remaining corners. Repeat for the other side as well.
   
9. It is also a good idea to mark the top and bottom side of the mould so that you always know which side is facing you. Also, add an inscription on the top of the mould about the name and author of the source violin you are interpreting.
   
   

Cutting out the mould

1. After you have marked out those lines, you can proceed to cut out the actual mould. The best tool for this is the band saw, which will make it easy for you to achieve the perfectly perpendicular cuts. If you are cutting the mould by hand, make sure you stay well off the line and that you are not undercutting into the line on the bottom side.
   
2. Use a file to finish the contour.
   
3. For the clamp openings "c1-c8", a press drill again is the best tool. Predrill all the holes with a 3 mm bit. Then, using a 25 mm drill bit, to avoid splitting, start a hole on the top, drilling about 1/3 in, then flip the mould and finish.
   
4. The four "e1-e4" holes should now be predrilled with a 2 mm bit. Four screws will be later used here to elevate the mould above the workbench surface a bit when attaching the blocks.

   You can see the finished mould in Fig. 2.
   

5. Dry soap should now be applied on the perpendicular side walls of the mould, excepting the areas the blocks will be glued to. This prevents accidental gluing of the ribs to the mould, should you spill some glue where it does not belong.
   
6. The areas where the blocks should stick - the longer sides of the recesses, bold red lines in Fig. 3 - should be glue sized with thin hide glue.
   
   

The blocks

1. Cut spruce blocks to the following sizes: Top "A": 32 x 50 x 22 mm, Bottom "B": 34 x 46 x 20 mm, Upper corners "C, D": 33 x 25 x 28 mm, Lower corners "E, F": 33 x 25 x 28 mm. It is important that the grain run perpendicular to the bottom plane on which they "sit", allowing for precise cutting and shaping {from top to bottom} of the blocks to the rib outline with your gouge later on. The wood must not split in the wrong direction, which may cause you to undercut the line at the back {bottom} of the block.
   
2. At the bottom side of the mould, screw in four screws into the predrilled holes so that the mould gets lifted evenly by approximately 9 mm. Make sure that all four screws make contact with your flat workbench and that no rocking is present.
   
3. Fit the blocks in the mortices in the mould. The gluing surfaces are the thick red lines in Fig. 3 It is important that these surfaces are in perfect contact with the mould. The top and bottom "A, B" blocks should have a slight gap at the sides allowing them to be inserted easily. Make sure the annual rings are directed away from the mould as in Fig. 3.

   With most violins, the height of the ribs decreases gradually along the length of the body, which we call taper. Therefore, in the finished violin, the bottom block may be 32 mm tall, whereas the top block may be 30 mm in height. This, of course, affects the upper and lower cornerblocks as well. For Messiah, the final heights in the finished rib structure is as follows: A 30 mm, B 32 mm, C 30.5 mm, D 30.5 mm, E 31.5mm, F 31.5 mm.
   

4. With these numbers in mind, if necessary, trim the blocks to their final heights leaving them about 2 mm taller.
   
5. Glue the blocks to the mould using medium thickness hide glue. Apply the glue to the longer side of each mortice only. Remember, you will have to break the blocks off the mould when the ribs are finished, so avoid applying too much glue. Hold in position with your hands for about 30 seconds. Let dry overnight.
   
6. Once the glue is completely dry, sand the blocks down on both sides, bringing their height to about 1 mm above the final numbers. For this, use a long belt of sanding paper clamped down on both ends to your workbench or glued onto a flat /ie. 6-8 mm thick glass/ plate. Later on you will finalize the heights of the ribs using this method again, but this time with the ribs already glued on.
   
7. Take the template, realign it with the mould, mark the contour on all the blocks with a pencil or a scribe. Mark the true center of the violin on the top and bottom blocks. See the red lines in Fig. 4.
   
8. Flip the mould over and repeat the marking on the other side.