About

Turn a bundle of wood into a violin that makes gorgeous sound in a class designed to let you work at your own pace with a minimum of stress. You'll go through all the steps, from shaping the parts to assembling them, applying finish, and setting up your instrument so it's ready to play.

Building a violin is a challenging project, and not one that can be completed in a few class sessions. This is structured so the class fee covers instructor time of three hours a week for four weeks, with additional four-week classes scheduled soon thereafter (classes aren't offered every week of the year — the schedule includes a few breaks of about a month). You can sign up for additional four-week classes as far out as you want. The number of sessions needed to complete your violin depends on your skill level and whether you work independently between sessions.

Details

• Skill level: Open to beginning woodworkers and those who don't play the violin or fiddle (the instruments are the same; it's the playing that differs). But experience with either or both crafts would be an asset.
• Open to BARN members only because it overlaps with Open Studio and you'll probably want to use the tools during additional Open Studio hours. Guest drop-in fees for Open Studio would total far more than the membership fee (because of the overlap with Open Studio, you'll be sharing the shop with others).
• New students can start any four-week class by registering at the level that includes materials.
• Returning students should register at the level that does not include materials.

Prerequisites

• Orientation to the Woodshop
• Woodshop Tool Safety  Checkout 1
• Woodshop Tool Safety Checkout 2

Class Policies

• Ages 14 and up are welcome.
• Wear closed-toe shoes.
• If you need to use power tools to shape parts, you'll also need to wear safety glasses, tie back long hair and avoid loose-fitting clothing and jewelry. We recommend bringing your own safety glasses.