Finished violin - scroll

After polishing, the pegbox and the insides of the F-holes are painted black. The neck is cleaned up and the finger board and nut glued in place. Alignment is critical, so it is checked carefully with an alignment gauge.

The peg holes are reamed to a consistent diameter. The pegs are then turned to individually fit the holes. They are then marked and cut to fit flush, leaving 35mm between the pegbox cheek and the end of the peg. String holes are then drilled into the pegs about 1/3 from the side nearest the peg grip. Peg dope is applied to each peg. The end-pin hole is also reamed so that the end-pin fits properly.

The neck is French Polished. This is alternating layers of linseed oil and orange shellac, each applied by firmly rubbing onto the neck until tacky.

The sound post is then installed. Fit and positioning are critical. Growth rings must align to the length of the instrument.

Strings are installed in the order G-E-D-A, tightening only slightly. The bridge is then fitted, the strings tightened a bit each until the violin is in tune.