Here are some wonderful glimpses of the maker’s notebook and work in progress from Ellie Deakin, a first-year student on the Violin-Making course at Newark College.
A maker’s notebook quickly becomes an essential part of a violin maker’s working life. Over time it evolves into a personal, curated library - filled with specialised notes, sketches, measurements and techniques that are rarely found in commercial publications.
Because the notebook is designed by the maker for their own use, it allows complex information to be condensed into a personal shorthand. Drawing the forms and outlines of the instrument also helps internalise the three-dimensional shapes that will later be carved in wood, guiding the maker’s hands during the building process.
The other images show Ellie’s careful progress through the early stages of building her violin:
The rib structure being assembled around a birch plywood mould, with corner blocks and top and bottom blocks shaped by hand. The ribs are bent using a bending iron.
The rough arching of the front and back plates as the curves of the instrument begin to emerge.
The purfling platform and channel being formed, followed by the delicate process of inlaying the purfling.
A reference cast of the model’s front plate used to guide the final arching.
Students in their first year of the course are expected to complete two violins in the white - developing the precision, patience and craftsmanship needed for professional violin making.
Interested in becoming a violin maker? Applications are open for September 2026 entry. Apply now and begin your journey into the craft of violin making.
