The progress reports
Each week we update this page with new photos of instruments in progress. The updates will usually be sometime on Monday, which is the end of our work week.
We hope that you enjoy seeing the progress on your instrument and those of others who have them on order.
Week ending August 4, 2003
My brother's birthday is on August 5 - Happy Birthday, Philip!
The big event this week: the foundation for the addition is now in place.
The nice man from Fred Hill Materials and his concrete truck - which we managed to get into the side yard without either running into the studio or hitting the Cedrus deodara planted in front. The chute was long enough to reach the foundation form.
Pouring the concrete mix into the form.
Justin and Cali and I whacking the form with hammers to remove the bubbles, then screeding the top to bring it level.
The next morning - dry enough for Tippy to stand on it without getting in trouble: she had made several excursions across the slab the previous evening that were not as welcome!
The form is removed, leaving the slab to cure fully.
VG36 - cutting the veneer cavity in the phenolic wheel
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VG36 - the cherry wheel veneer glued in
VG36 - well, whatever it is, I guess we can't show you... ;-)
VG36 - ...but we can show you this: the finish being applied to the soundboard
VG38 - the back being finished
LB5 - all the ribs but one...
AW's luteback: this is a really big instrument, and it doesn't fit in any of our moulds, so I made an extra-large jig to hold it steady for carving out the binding channel.
AW's luteback: Carving out the channel, held in the new jig.
Esprit: the blanks for the master set of keyfronts
Esprit: gluing on the chanter bridge
Esprit: the wheel is in and the chanter strings are on, stretching out and conditioning the instrument. The prototypes of the polymer resin keyfronts are at the front.
Pajot - bushing the holes in the peghead for the new pegs
EG2: starting the next Esprit
The vegetable garden is in its full glory:
... some of the early harvest:: thinnings from the Swiss chard at left, zuchini and cherry tomatoes at right.
See other weeks for more pictures.
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Alden and Cali Hackmann
Olympic Musical Instruments
Beati illi qui in circulum circumeunt, fient enim magnae rotae.
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