Two Box Fiddles - not quite twin fiddles

Side by side gives an idea of the difference in width. I tried to make them fairly similar so I could compare tone vs. box size. The skinny one is harsher and thinner sounding but not awful.
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  • Thanks Mark. Yup, I made both these tailpieces. I usually make the fingerboards as well but a friend gave me about 10 that came off busted fiddles so I'm using some of those.

  • Very nice pair Jim .Did you make the tailpieces?, They look great. Some day I hope to learn how to play the fiddle. Might have to come to you for building tips, you seem to have a good handle on it.

  • Thanks Dave. Lately I've been trying to actually focus more on what I'm doing to avoid spilling blood. I have a habit of thinking ahead to the next 2 or 3 steps in the middle of using sharp stuff and that often causes slip ups.

  • Wow Jim. Beautiful fiddles. I have a moon gouge scar on my vice grip thumb pad to this day made when I was 10 or so. I was making a crossbow groove on a plank and slipped off the side into my palm. I still can't build anything without putting holes in me...
  • Thanks Bug.

  • Nice, looks awesome

  • Yup, I cringed right away. I've hurt myself only occasionally with power tools but chisels are my nemesis. As I've said before, not the chisel's fault. One of my woodworking mentors used to tell me "You have to be smarter than the chisel" and then he'd add "and the box it came in"

  • So, a cautionary tale about slipping chisels (cringe now). I was inletting a lock plate for a NW trade gun (muzzleloader) at my kitchen table Wife was teaching that night, and I didn't want to be away from our pug. I was simply shaving a wee bit of wood, not much at all. My left hand acted as my vice. The chisel left a prefect chisel shaped hole in my left hand above the webbing in my vice hand. :) It went in 1/2" or a bit more. I sat there and felt a bit queezy and marveled how little blood was coming out, and how clean the hole was. I should have gone to the ER, but I just cleaned the hole and wrapped it with lots of bandages, after checking to see if there was nerve damage. And hoped the wife would not notice. So, the morale is always keep your tools very sharp, and make sure your shots are up to date. :)

  • Oh yeah, Dane, I gotta get my 5 y.o. grandson in the shop to "help" me out! Usually he diverts my attention and the chisel slips.

  • Well that must be where I went wrong! Usually both my sweat and a little blood are sacrificed for these things but I don't recall any cuts or scrapes on this build. I gotta get back in there and try harder!

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