Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Wingfield Not 'Fiddling' With Violin Making (cont)

to be added.

A line is "drawn" out with an overhanging margin for the top of the violin, and then carefully cut out.

Wingfield then removes the waste wood using gouges and various grits of sandpaper.

A groove is cut along the side for "purfling," a strip of wood about 1/2 inch high and 4.5mm thick at the outer edges. Purfling is made of three strips of wood -- one strip of holly between two strips of ebony. This strip of wood is inlaid along the edge of the violin.

"You must prepare a groove 1/16 inch wide and 1/16 inch deep for the purfling," Wingfield said. "The channel must be true and away from the edge at 5/32 of an inch."

The purfling is cut to length and mitered in.

To glue the top and bottom together, Wingfield uses "spool clamps." These are wooden spools attached to a bolt and are padded with leather to prevent the violin wood from being scarred. These clamps are installed at three- inch intervals along the body of the violin. Wingfield lets the clamps stay on overnight.

Next comes the instrument's neck. This is always made of curly maple. He said the top surface at the butt is 1.25 inches wide where the fingers go, uniformly tapering to a width of 7/8 inch at the peg box.

Drills and chisels are used to form the peg box, he said.

A notch is cut in the violin body where the neck goes. This notch is about 1/8 inch thick and conforms to the shape of the neck.

In order to attain the proper pitch, the neck and notch must be lined up properly. These parts are then glued in, using violin maker's glue, clamped and left to set overnight.

A tapered reamer is utilized for the pegholes, along with a matching peg shaper. Wingfield said it is important to place the pegs through the peg box so the strings don't interfere with each other when the instrument is being tuned.

Once all this is glued together, Wingfield installs the bass bar, a strip of spruce with the grain running perpendicular to the plane of the top.

The "F holes," those holes on either side of the instrument's top, are cut by using a template set at a specific distance from the end of the body. These holes must be in perfect alignment with the position for the bridge, and are cut out using a knife and are smoothed using small files.

The bass bar is glued to the belly of the top and must rest directly under the center of the foot of the bridge on the bass side. This bar is vital as it supports the bass side of the violin.

Next comes the varnishing. First, though, the wood is water stained using a golden yellow or orange tinge added to the water.

This mixture is wiped on with a cloth or brushed on to highlight the wood grain.

Facial tissue is stuffed in the "F holes," to prevent any moisture from getting inside the instrument. Wingfield said varnish on the inside could affect the violin's overall tone. He said it is important to count the tissues stuffed inside the body so the same number can be removed.

Once the instrument has been water stained and dried, Wingfield then "sizes" it. This means a pore filler is liberally applied to the wood in one coat.

Once the pore filler dries, the instrument is inspected and sanded with various grits of sandpaper, using a light spray of water to lubricate the wood. This sanding, he said, is done in a small, circular pattern all over the violin, except for the neck and handle.

Wingfield uses a premixed reddish-brown varnish to coat the violins he makes. Following the same "recipe" used for water staining, eight coats of varnish are applied.

The first coat is allowed to dry for two days, with longer periods of drying allowed for the following coats. The amount of time for drying will depend on the time of year and the weather.

Following the eighth coat, the violin gets a final rub of sandpaper, pumice stone and rotten stone. The end result is a beautiful mat finish.

At this point, the finger board is installed, along with the stringnuts, saddle, tailpiece, end pin, bridge, pegs, strings and sound post, which is fitted inside the violin's body.

The handle of a violin is never varnished, Wingfield said. "It's not traditional. The varnish has a drag to it (which would interfere with the player's hands)."

The handle is sanded, polished and burnished to cut down on friction and allow smoother hand action for the player.

At this point, it's time for the finishing touches. The violin has the strings installed and the sound posts adjusted, the bridge container, sound nuts and chin rest are also added.

Wingfield began playing when he was 9 or 10 years old. His uncle, Thomas Jackson Wingfield, also known as T.J., played and allowed young Phillip to saw away on his fiddle.

This got him hooked, and he spent his free time learning to play the instrument.

He became interested in making and repairing violins when he took one of his to W.A. Spraggin in Garland, Texas. Wingfield was fascinated watching Spraggin work and took the first steps in learning how to make violins as well.

Eighteen violins and more than 30 years later, his love for the instrument has not palled.

At this time, No. 18 is being made for his granddaughter in Mesquite, Texas. He said she's first chair violin in her high school band.

"I don't encourage her to play by ear," he said. "She needs to know all she can learn about music. Then, if she wants, she can do it (learn to play by ear).

"I'll help her any way I can.

"I'm thankful for the talent I have and this hobby, and that I'm able to exercise it."

Wingfield has played fiddle with two bluegrass bands, plays when he can at country dances and, five times a month, he plays at senior citizen clubs.

He likes all kinds of music, with the exception of rock and rap. "I prefer country, bluegrass and western swing," he said. "I like to listen to classical."

His wife, Betty, supports his hobby 100 percent, he said, and "backs me up in my hobby and playing.

"We've made a lot of friends through this in fans and other players."

As long as possible, Wingfield plans on using his surgeon-like skills to continue making violins. He said this is not a commercial effort, just a hobby.

However, should anyone want to purchase the end result of this "hobby," it will cost them about $1,000.

At this, Wingfield said he'll make about 30 cents an hour for his efforts.

While making violins isn't surgery, the haunting music coming from these delicate and beautiful instruments serves a purpose equally as important.