Supposing now that a reasonable time has elapsed for the thorough drying out of all damp, the assistant is now requested to bring both the old Italian violins for inspection by his chief. The latter gives a look over both in turn, and says, "I think you may take those sticks out of the Guadagnini, it must be dry enough by this time." This being done, the upper tables of both are fetched and tried on, "there," says the chief, "they fit as near as we want them to, and we might almost say they cured themselves." As the Guadagnini had nothing further to be done to it, James is told to proceed with the glueing and closing up.
CHAPTER XIII.
RE-OPENING THE BACK TO CORRECT THE BADLY REPAIRED JOINT—A FEW WORDS ON STUDS—FILLING UP SPACES LEFT BY LOST SPLINTERS—MATCHING WOOD FOR LARGE CRACKS, ETC.
Regarding the glueing and closing up process, we will defer the matter for the present. While the assistant is going through the necessary routine in connection with that most important part of the repairing of a violin, the master has been looking over a few of the things that are to be operated upon some time or other. Going to a sort of store cupboard, he fetches from thence a violin in fair condition generally, but with one sad defect, the back has at one time been open, that is, the joint down the middle, either through damp affecting the glue or from violence, had parted and had been badly repaired; the two surfaces being brought together and glued, but not evenly, one side being a trifle higher than the other. "James," he calls out, "this old Pesaro fiddle is worth putting right; when you have finished what you are about, put the wet rags on this as far along the joint as may be necessary, set them better and closer, it is the fine varnish all over that will make it worth while."
James having finished the closing up of the Guadagnini and taken the instrument with its array of screw cramps into a place where it could repose uninterfered with until quite dry, returns and looks over the violin just brought forth from its retirement. "It seems to me, sir, this back will have to come off before we can properly bring those two halves together." The other scans the work again, turns it over, tries its strength between his fingers and thumbs, and concludes with "Well, I think you are right, it is quite worth the extra labour and had better be done so." The matter being settled, James takes a seat, and, with the violin resting on his lap and held by his left hand, the broad bladed knife in his right is inserted with a carefully calculated thrust underneath the border and edging. There is not much difficulty; sometimes the violin is turned in a contrary direction when there is a disposition for the grain to tear up here and there.
At last the back is free, the corners and blocks have caused a little trouble in the progress of the knife around, the wood being hard and tough on both sides of the knife. It would have been slower work with a violin of later and more careful construction. In the present instance there are no linings to struggle with. "Now," says the workman, "we can get to work at this joint much more easily."
After being examined again by both, the rags are again brought into requisition. The back is laid varnished side downwards and a "poultice" applied as far along the joint as appears necessary. Meanwhile other work, such as fitting and finishing, is proceeded with.
A proper length of time has to elapse,—in the present instance it will be longer than that for the purpose of merely softening the glue. The damp has to work its way down at the junction of the two parts, a rather slow process at the best of times; the back now under treatment being of full average thickness causes some extra time to be taken up.
After repeated examinations, the joint, being gently tried each time, gives evidence of the glue having softened. "You must clear out that black stuff," interposes the chief, when the rag or poultice has been lifted off. James accordingly, having some warm water and a small hog-haired brush already to hand, proceeds to gently scrub the brush along the course where the ugly black line is seen. It is necessary to do this both sides, the varnished one receiving milder attention than the other. Frequent dippings of the brush in water, gently scrubbing away the glue and wiping the brush on a cloth, working the joint backward and forward between the fingers, are details of the process gone through in a leisurely yet business-like manner; much care is exercised that no strain is made on the good and unwetted part of the joint.