Andy was given funding, a violin to repair and a work experience placement. He writes:
Thanks to the RAB Trust, I was able to buy a vintage Stanley Bedrock 605 1/2 jack plane. I was looking for a high quality jack plane and now I can use this for smoothing plates and necks. To me, RAB Trust gives not only financial help but also spiritual encouragement.
I was also awarded workshop experience with Andreas Hudelmayer, a London violin maker. Andreas has done a lot of experiments on acoustics of instruments. The workshop experience turned out to be very enjoyable and successful. We talked about how to choose wood, weight of different components, Lucchi meter, mode frequencies, Sacconi’s study, contour lines, plaster casts, wolf notes etc. Also, I brought my violin free plates to the workshop. We tested the frequencies and stiffness of the plates and concluded that a front plate is too stiff. So, I planed off the bassbar and thinned down the front and we tested and recorded the changes in different mode frequencies. Andreas gave me a lot of new insights on the style and construction method of violin. I would like to thank Andreas for his sharing and also many thanks to the RAB Trust for arranging such wonderful experience.”
