violin carving gauge, thickness indicator

Description

This is old stock from the original run of the patented (expired) "wood thickness indicator" violin, viola, mandolin plate carving thickness gauge tool. It was designed on the tools used by Stradivarius where small indentations pushed into the underside of the plates during the carving process by a tapered point
would
give an indication of how much wood needed to be carved away to reach a desired thickness. It is NOT a drill, hand pressure is used to push the point into the wood, a pre determined thickness is determined by the lower threaded stop but the indicated marks are there so you work down to a given thickness but no more. As the wood is carved away the marks gradually get smaller until minute differences in the plate thickness can be observed, in the last picture you can see how the indentations get smaller and smaller as the wood is carved away eventually
disappearing completely indicating the desired thickness. It was shown by Sacconi in his definitive book on Stradivari that these marks were evident on some plates presumably because he reached a desired tap tone and stopped carving. With practice these types of carving
debth indicators can be used with surprising accuracy. This one is constructed in hard maple sanded but not sealed, and includes a stainless steel plunger and stop. A tapered maple rule facilitates a reasonable
depth
setting gauge. The base and frame will be shipped unassembled and will include the two screws needed to re assemble .