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.