Well my wood order is finally down to looking like violin material. The back halves and belly halves are jointed, glued and the bottom is planed flat. The neck block is squared up to size. The ribs are cut up, but still a little thick. Ready to go.
I plane the long joints using my 18" Craftsman plane. I clamp the plane in the vise and slide the wood on the top. After much experimenting I found this works the best for me. I mark the edge with pencil and plane until it is all off. Then I hold both halves together and check the fit by seeing if I can see light through the joint. The perfect joint, or at least the one I look for, is closed at the ends and has a very slight sliver of light through the middle. I read that this type of joint helps keep some glue in the joint and it isn't starved. I put a coat of thinned glue on first to size the wood and then glue up with a full strength glue. I glue the belly as a rubbed joint. I lightly clamp one half in the vise and apply glue to both faces. Then I put the loose half on the clamped one and slide it back and forth. After a few slides it changes from slippery to stiffer and I slide it where it is supposed to end up and leave it there.
For the back I get it ready to clamp on my Workmate. I don't have a real workbench so it works as good as it can. The worst part about it is its main feature...portability. I don't really want it moving! It roams all over the basement when I'm planing, or gouging, or sawing, well just about anything. To glue the back up I put glue on both faces, slide a few times, and clamp it up.
I like to start out with a square block for the neck. I know the stock gets cut away, and it is a waste of time, but it makes it easier to mark out and clamp for sawing out. The camera isn't talking with the computer so I'll add the photo later.
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