Ribs
The ribs are built on the mould created from the outline taken from the poster. First blocks are lightly glued in place at the corners, neck and tail. These are then shaped back to the pattern of the outline. From here the ribs, reduced to 1mm in thickness and bent to shape, are glued in with purpose made blocks as guides. Next the linings are added to the top and bottom edges of the ribs. These are mortised at the insides of the c-bouts. The outline of the ribs is transferred to the plates to make the final outline.
- Dry-fitting the blocks
- Gluing the blocks to the mould.
- Cutting back the c-bout portion of the blocks.
- Sizing the ribs by plane.
- Rough-sizing the height of the ribs
- The ribs are marked so that the flaming lines up correctly on the finished instrument.
- The ribs are glued in place.
- The blocks are shapped for the upper and lower bouts
- The ribs are bent to follow the shape of the mould as closely as possible
- using custom made clamping blocks, the ribs are gluded to the blocks.
- Another view of gluing the ribs to the blocks.
- A mortise is cut into the corner block
- Linings are cut and shaped to the outline.
- Linings are glued on both sides
- The result of gluing the lining into the mortise.
- The ribs are sanded back to the final height
- The ribs and blocks are sanded down to the final hight
- Using a screw device the blocks are popped off the mold.
- The rib garland is now free of the mould and partially lifted out. The c-bouts have to be pulled away from the mould for this to happen.
- Removal from the mould complete
- The blocks are cut back to their final shape
- The linings are blended into the ribs
- The rib garland is put back on the mould to help keep its shape prior to bluing to the back.