"Yes, sir," is the answer; "I noticed about the depth that would be wanted at that little part where the old stuff had been snapped short at the fracture."
"Well, that will do, James. Be careful to cut the ragged end with a clean angle, doing the same with the fresh stuff—fit the parts accurately, and when you insert the purfling see that the end is pushed home so that as little as possible is seen of the junction of the two ends."
With these injunctions borne in mind, James proceeds to the work. Having had some experience in this branch of the repairing art, and, further, this being to him a more interesting part than others of the proceedings, he at once sets to work.
Having roughly measured the length of the piece of purfling to be inserted, he finds that it will be necessary to bend it to the curves of the groove made for it. To force it in while in its present condition would not do, as it is nearly straight; for, although it has served to go round a violin in years gone by, it has almost resumed its old condition through the action of the natural damp in the atmosphere.
CHAPTER XV.
REPAIRS TO PURFLING (CONTINUED)—FILLING UP AN OPENING EXTENDING TO THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE VIOLIN—FITTING THE CORE—FIXING IT IN POSITION AND RETAINING IT THERE—FINISHING THE SURFACE.
Many old Italian violins bear indications of the haste of the maker to get the purfling done, and so without the delay of any intermediary process the purfling has been pressed in with great risk and sometimes an inevitable result of fracture.
In the present instance, the violin having all the evidence of great care having been expended on its construction and finish, the repair, to be as successful as possible, must be carried out on the same principle, every little deviation of curve being well imitated. For the bending of the purfling there may be, of course, any number of methods. According to the consistency of the material, so the management must be.
At present the piece of purfling, having been taken from a portion of an old violin bought for the purpose of breaking up and using for repairs, is very dry and rather brittle. The light coloured part or central portion is of some hard wood that refuses to accommodate itself easily to the requirements of the moment; this is found to be the case on trying a small portion with the fingers—it goes with a snap on very little attempt being made to bend it.