The purpose of this configurator is to ensure perfect consistency between the moulds and templates you order. All products are CAD designed and CNC machined or laser cut with extreme precision. The mold is made of very high quality birch plywood, in 9 plies (12 mm) and 11 plies (15 mm), with well joined and adherent layers. Each mould is delivered with its set of 4 templates to trace the blocks (for neck block, button block, upper corners and lower corners blocks). All templates are made of 0.8 mm thick black and white laminated plastic, except the soundhole template which is made of a flexible and transparent plastic that can be easily placed on the violin table when tracing. You can also add a set of 6 maple clamping wedges, which allow you to press the ribs flush against the blocks when gluing. All the components of the kit are laser marked with the main useful information to identified them and to facilitate their use: Name of the master, name of the model, possible axes of layout, main dimensions, heights of the sides,... If you do not wish to order a mould, but only templates relating to the selected violin model, just select the option “No mould, only templates” in the “Material and thickness” menu.
Choice of the mould thickness, 12 or 15 mm:
A thinner 12 mm mould allows easier access to the linings area when gluing and profiling them. A thicker 15 mm mould helps to better guide the verticality of the rids along its edge and therefore helps to achieve a greater geometric precision of the instrument outline. It's up to you to make your choice according to the importance you give to these criteria. In general, a thin mold is more suitable for experienced luthiers or those who are not afraid to create asymmetries during construction, and a thick mold is more suitable for those who are less confortable with the rib bending process or for maniacs of the dimensional perfection.
About the design of moulds and templates:
It is carried out with CAD tools, on the basis of reliable data provided by official sources. Sketching a violin mould does not consist of stupidly tracing the outlines of a photo or reproducing a 3D scan, it is a complex operation which requires weeks of work and which sometimes resembles a real police investigation. The shapes are never interpreted, I strive to preserve the original character of the instrument down to the smallest detail, but it also means being able to distinguish what belongs to the mechanical deformations undergone by the instrument over the centuries, to possible repairs or modifications, from what belongs, on the contrary, to singularities created on purpose by the master.
Learn more about
Sketching technics
In order to chose your ideal instrument model, you can refer to the moulds data table:
Moulds data
Your favorite mould is not in the list? Please use the Contact form to let me know which model you would like me to add.
Contact
You would like to check the mould layout before buying it? Buy and download the corresponding dxf/pdf layout
Moulds layouts
You would like to have your own mould or templates manufactured ? Check this page
Custom mould
