This violin came into the shop with a severe neck break that had caused damage beyond the neck joint itself. The force of the break had cracked the rib and broken the button, making it necessary to carefully manipulate the damaged neck so the cracked rib could first be separated and repaired. Once the neck was removed, the rib was reglued and the neck was then refitted, glued back into position, and reinforced with a pin for additional security. A small missing chip was also rebuilt, and the damaged areas were touched up to blend with the surrounding finish. With the structural repairs complete, accumulated rosin and damaged varnish around the bridge area were cleaned up and the top was polished to improve the violin's overall appearance. - Separate the Damaged Rib: Carefully manipulate the broken neck to gain access to the cracked rib and separate the damaged area for repair.
- Remove the Neck: Remove the damaged neck so the rib and neck joint can be properly repaired.
- Glue the Cracked Rib: Work glue into the damaged rib and carefully bring the crack back into alignment.
- Reglue the Neck: Refit the neck and glue it securely back into its proper position.
- Pin the Neck: Reinforce the repaired neck joint with a pin for additional strength and stability.
- Rebuild the Missing Chip: Fill and shape the small piece of missing wood beside the repaired area.
- Touch Up the Repairs: Apply touch-up varnish to the rebuilt chip and repaired rib so they blend with the surrounding finish.
- Clean the Top: Remove the accumulated rosin and clean up the damaged varnish around the bridge area.
- Polish the Top: Finish by polishing the violin top to restore a cleaner and more even appearance.
 IMG 20260406 115413 631 | IMG 20260406 115420 218 | IMG 20260406 115517 344 | IMG 20260407 100711 427 | IMG 20260723 104253 473 | IMG 20260723 132010 436 | IMG 20260723 141906 134 | IMG 20260724 151515 519 | IMG 20260730 133916 992 | IMG 20260728 123607 931 | IMG 20260807 133220 846 | IMG 20260822 124208 367 | IMG 20260822 124347 737 | IMG 20260822 124409 638 | |
Note: The traditional restoration for a severely broken button would be a button graft, but that is a considerably more involved repair. Simply regluing a break like this leaves the repaired joint without additional mechanical reinforcement, while pinning through the outside of the neck heel can create unnecessary damage in a visible area. For this instrument, I chose to reglue the original neck and button and reinforce the repair with a pin positioned as shown through the endpin hole. The repair is strong and relatively unobtrusive, while still leaving the option for a future button graft. If that were ever warranted, the pin could be removed, its hole plugged with wood, and the button reconstructed in the traditional manner. |
