First week completed

With the first week at an end I am looking foward to the next. We completed the bench jigs and necessary sharpening by Thursday and on Friday we decided to start our instruments. I ended up chosing a treble viol based on an instrument by Michel Colichon.
We had to trace the front half and the scroll onto paper and then transfer, using holes to a peice of veneer (thin wood) and then proceed to cut out the templates using a knife, "very tedious" as my bass maker friend Luciano would say. My tutor and I had to reshape the scroll due to the fact that the one on the original was very thick and nubby. After we completed cutting out the templates you then have to continue to fine shape the edges of each so they are perfectly in line with the pattern on the original. Again very tedious.

Next week we will pick out the necessary wood for the making of the moulds. As for now I am off to enjoy the beautiful sunny day we have and go hiking through the downs!

Tools! Tools! Tools!

After getting settled into our benches we decided to take a trip to the local second hand tool shop in Yapton. The ride to the shop was very nice and so was the conversation. Once at the store it was shop, shop, shop!

Back at school we are busy making 3 bench jigs used for various jobs and at the start of next week we will decide which instrument we will make. I myself, have the tenor viol in mind. Other than that it is a quite week with lots of school introductory meetings and such but, none the less enjoyable.

Well to my surprise the flight over went really well except for the few minor delays and a really crowded plane, tip to the masses: if you fly Continental be prepared to feel like a packed sardine.
I sat in between two friendly woman one from the states and the other from Puerto Rico who by the way sleeps so soundly I had to climb over her to get to to the bathroom.

I thought the trip from the airport to the train station would be a bit of a rough haul considering the bags I had to carry collectively weighed about 100 or so pounds. Yet, thankfully the train station was right there at the airport and I used a trolley all the way to the platforms. YAY!!

My room at the school is great, I have two huge windows and my own bathroom. In addition, a desk, chair,night stand,bureau and great big closet...Every girls dream. Unpacking took about 30 minutes and I have spent the rest of the weekend having tea and walking around the grounds. Also been doing a lot of napping considering I have caught some kind of cold that has me real tired and a killer sore throat

.......Mind over matter as they say and I am determined to fight it all the way.