Creating the archings

I do prefer starting the rough arching before bringing the outline to a finish.
In this case, Douglas did a lot of rough arching because as my bump grow, so decrease my physical strength.
We don't forbid ourselves the use of machine tools in that process either as long as they are entirely controlled by hand, so the archings are still our creations.
When creating an arching, a number of material is at our disposal : templates, pictures, plaster casts (plaster copies of existing instruments - usually made by masters such as Stradivari), and for sure our experience is a good guide.
However I found myself that when I make an arching, my flair will be my best guide.

Cutting out outlines.

Placing carefully the rib structure on each jointed plate, we first mark around it with a scriber because that will be one of the only references to relocate the plates on the ribs perfectly at the same place. This is crucial for the instrument. We also drill two tiny holes for each plate into the top and bottom blocks and we use pins (called locating pins) to also enable us to accurately relocate the plates on the ribs. Much later on, when we are finished with the pins, the holes will be bushed. Such tiny holes can be seen on most classical instruments.
After that we use a special tool (a washer actually :-) to draw the outline at a set distance from the ribs.

However the corners are drawn by eye and by hand. The style is mine and belongs just to me.
It can take me hours to come to the point I am happy with all my corners fitting in with the rest of my outline (which is also my creation from some years back).

Both plates are cut out carefully, using a band saw - of course.
On this picture, you can see that a bit is missing into the bottom boot at the edge. It is not uncommon that a piece of wood is slightly to short to accommodate the whole outline. In this case a piece will be glued on and the addition will be almost invisible and totally safe. This is called a wing.
In the history of Violin Making some instruments, for that reason or another (sometimes to discard a bad bit in the wood without discarding the whole piece) have been pretty heavily winged...










Both plates are cut of.
The next step is to mark the edge. On this picture we can see the mark along the side that is at an exactly set distance from the underneath of the plate which is flat.
The plates are now ready for most makers favorite bit : Creating the archings.

Linings

The linings are strips of wood (I use spruce, but willow or lime is good too) that run all along the ribs at the "top" and the "bottom" of them - this is the area that we call seams because that is where the plates (the belly and the back) come to be glued to the ribs.

In fact the linings provide extra support to the ribs (to avoid tension and distortions) and also a bigger gluing surface for the seams.

The linings are partially set into the blocks, where with time they tend to lose their bent shape and could come unglued from the ribs (which could cause buzzes). It is not necessary to set them in at the top and bottom bouts as their natural tendency would press them closer to the ribs - if anything.

Trimming the ribs.

Once the ribs of the top and bottom bouts are glued, they need to be trimmed. We do so in such a way that the joint is inside the "C" where they are the least visible.

Now we only need to fit and glue some linings and the rib structure will be left on the side until it comes time to glue it to the plates.