We have a cello in the shop with four very thin and multiply cracked ribs, the traditional fix is to repair the cracks and then  "double" the rib by laminating a second layer of  new wood to the inside of the original Structural and tonal considerations How to add...

Varnish repair can be a challenge but with some experience it becomes less daunting, you need an awareness of what it is that “gives away” a varnish retouch job

Opening up an old instrument you never know what you will find; players may know that their instrument has a lot of old cracks but they usually have little idea of what it looks like on the inside. While for a collector the ideal may be an instrument in “as new” condition, decay is inevitable and there is a certain beauty in the repair work itself

I’ve come across a couple of violins like this Storioni where the corner blocks had apparently been replaced. Signs of this are: none of the linings have been morticed into the blocks, and the linings ends have been cut on a line parallel with the line that bisects the rib miter allowing a new block to be slid into place.

By placing the job inside a bag and sucking out the air, the top will be pulled down firmly into the mold giving a good surface to work on