How To Repair A Broken Button On Violin

The button is the semi-circular tab at the upper dorsum. It is an extension of the back wood and helps to anchor the neck into the body of the instrument. Equally ane might imagine, the neck articulation/back button area must be able to withstand a lot of tension. When this area suffers harm or deterioration (frequently associated with the neck coming loose), the button may crack on either side and along the purfling. Or it may break away completely:

Ouch! This button has actually gone birthday missing and volition require a replacement – a related operation mayhap worthy of another post.

Permit'south await at this instrument. It's a 19th century Flemish violin. The button is croaky at the sides and forth the purfling. This instrument also had an effect with the center joint, but we can ignore that at the moment.

Starting time the dorsum is accessed by removing the neck, top and interior cake. One-time glue and dirt are removed from the broken button surface area and the push button is glued to the dorsum as cleanly and evenly as possible. Then the surface area is to be reinforced with an interior doubling of healthy wood. In this case, maple for the dorsum.

I've made a simple mold of the area with a cherry-red plastic-like dental compound. The button/back fits perfectly in the mold, which will be of utmost importance as I piece of work the damaged wood down to a thickness of .05 mm at its thinnest. Here, the patch bed is cutting downward deep enough to reveal the purfling peeking through from the exterior.

The patch bed is concave, like a bathtub, and will be scraped to a clean, uniform surface. I will then shape a new piece of wood to to fit perfectly in the cavity I've created. As the fit approaches a finished land, minor wooden cleats assure the correct positioning of the new wood. Btw the center joint issue has been corrected and reinforced with long tabs of willow.

Here the new patch forest is glued in.

And hither it is after it's been cut down flush with the remainder of the back.

I've chosen a piece of European maple that is similar in character. While nigh of it won't be seen, I do desire the grain lines and medullary rays to be every bit close to the original as possible. This volition be of import later on.

The instrument is reassembled: ribs returned to the back, a new upper cake installed, the top replaced and the cervix reset. This musical instrument required a new neck graft as well, evident in the next photograph.

The neck heel and the doubled push button volition be shaped and revarnished together. I will save my retouch skills for the face up of the push and allow my grain matching to aid alloy the new patch wood into the old. I do not try to brand this particular repair invisible, although I do appreciate an end event that is skillfully subtle. I differ from some of my colleagues in this thing. In my opinion, an expert can always tell when the cervix has been reset, or a button previously broken. Personally, I would e'er prefer to come across the reinforcement, and come across that it was done well rather than wonder if it was done at all.

Finally, push button (and center joint) restoration, earlier and after.