I repair a Cello Crack part 1 of 2

Watch Master Violin maker Olaf Grawert as he repairs a cello crack!
His goal is to make it look like the crack invisible... Like it had never been there in the first place.
Website:
www.olafgrawer...
Social:
/ olafgrawertviolinstudio
/ olafgrawertviolinstudi...

[@TheSpinTensor]

Olaf: "Nobody will see this ..." Also Olaf: Literally puts it on the internet for everybody to see. That was really interesting, thank you so much. I will send this video to my cello teacher, her cello was cracked some time ago and maybe she is interested in how those cracks are handled. Greetings from Germany.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Oh yes... minor details 😀 No One except for the entire internet will see this. Grüße aus Australien

[@wolfgangamadeusmozart9082]

Hallo, wie geht's?

[@roberacevedo8232]

@@wolfgangamadeusmozart9082 Mir geht's gut Mozart. Ich glaubte dass du gestorben bist. Alles gut?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

@@roberacevedo8232 Haha... Mozart war mein Lieblingskomponist

[@dotteddice2358]

As an owner of a cheap Chinese cello, I loved that you said it was still worth spending extra time on the inside even though it wasn't an antique. 💖

[@Iggykoop]

I love that Olaf doesn't care if you spent $500 or $500,000 on an instrument, he treats them all with the same respect, because he knows how much they mean to the owner.

[@davsch22]

Well I dont't know about you guys, but I'm horrified every time he opens up an instrument and you hear these cracking sounds... XD

[@neilfox9854]

Reminds me of shucking an oyster.

[@eldricgrubbidge6465]

I believe it's mainly the glue itself making those noises thankfully. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will correct me, but as I understand it, hide glue kind of cristalises, so once you break it it all kind of shatters leaving the wood unaffected. Those old makers knew enough to make this a safe operation, provided the luthier is careful and knows his work of course. When you have tough modern glue it can be a lot more risky.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

The body of the instrument makes the sound so much worse! I have heard of clients fainting when they saw their priceless instrument opened up.

[@davsch22]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker I don't want to know how I would react to seeing my violin opened up😂😬 But knowing that you are a professional I really think these instruments are in good hands... 👍

[@sisfantasto7004]

It's all about trust. You need to trust your luthièr to repair your instrument. I trust Olaf to repair everything really😀

[@PhysicsWolf]

I find the skateboard in the background an interesting addition to a room with fragile instruments laying on every surface

[@Johnnisjohnnis]

It's Chekhov's skateboard. Just wait for part two.

[@Cadwaladr]

I noticed that too. Maybe it's how he goes to work in the morning.

[@larryxiang822]

Cadwaladr Doesnt he live there?

[@eviloatmeal]

@@larryxiang822 He does, but he leaves and comes back just to imagine that he's commuting to work.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

It's how I relax in the afternoon... we live on a fantastic hill with a smooth street that you can just carve up with the board.

[@tsarinaballerina4]

I don’t play the cello, or really any string instrument, but this is educational and fun to watch anyways. Thanks~

[@NoName-zn1sb]

It's never too late. In my 70th year, never having laid a finger on a bowed string instrument, I bought a 'cello! Replaced the pegs with machine pegs, put in a new sound post. Now all I have to do is learn to play. : - )

[@benjaminlamey3591]

I love the approach: "every instrument is special and precious to its player and its owner". that´s so true. thanks for taking care of every instrument with the same passion and attention.

[@glaciacronk5543]

I "met" you through TwoSet, and this is so interesting, even for one who does NOT play an instrument. Keep these coming.

[@eddyyaeji6769]

I haven't watched twoset in a long time. I been watching only Olaf and car stuff. I feel like I'm cheating on my spouse lol

[@DmitriShostakovichDSCH]

as a cellist i’d love to see more cello repair/restoration videos also nice dr who reference lol

[@lavmli]

The sound of the cello cracking could be a part of Brett’s lofi

[@atriyakoller136]

Oh my god, you're a luthier and a whovian! I hope you do have time for the worldwide simultaneous rewatches of the episodes or enjoy them on your own :)

[@FiddleSticks800]

I have used your technique here to repair a crack in the solid top of an archtop guitar. I really enjoy your instructions, very helpful. I can't even see the crack I once had.

[@laurabohlander5985]

Once the back came off my cello because the glue gave out (left the cello in a cold room in winter overnight... Ah to be young and foolish again). That was traumatic I tell you. Thank you for healing our babies ❤️

[@d.b2370]

Can you also repair the cracks in my heart? ;-;

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Haha... That's something only you can do... Just be kind to lots of people 🥰

[@d.b2370]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker i am kind but it is tiring :( BTW I GOT VERY EXCITED TO THE FACT THAT U REPLIED THANK YOU FOR MAKING MA DAY❤❤

[@eml0u]

It's like watching a Bob Ross painting, but with Instrument Repairs...

[@influennzapyloric4073]

That's amazing! You're the string surgeon!

[@carrieannkouri2151]

Horrifying, yet fascinating to watch.

[@castingstorms]

Hey just a small request can we get a close up of your finished cleats next time I'm always fascinated how each luthier finishes them differently

[@vicvza]

I don't even play an instrument (yet) but I love to watch Olaf's videos because they're so interesting and educational. Also very good to watch because they have kind of a calming vibe to it, if that makes sense? It's really nice when you wanna slow down a bit and just watch something, while still learning new things. Love your videos, Olaf, thanks for making them! Sending lots of positive energy and love from Brazil!

[@mandolinic]

Always have control over your tool. I think there are many who would benefit from that advice.

[@johnmorgan9617]

Behind you is a small round table - One day X violins with what looked like a portable AC unit, the next day V-y with a portable oil radiator - Love the content, who would have thought repairing violins and Chellos etc would be so entertaining, next year Great Guitar Build Off - Ha ha

[@zuricchu]

It's always satisfying to see how you work! I'm excited to see how it will turn out (Love the Doctor Who reference btw)

[@sinclari1]

I love it when you talk about the timber and how it changes the sound. I wonder what a fruit wood or mahogany would sound like. I also pity the poor luthier who would try to make those. For reference, fruit woods have to be very strong, else the tree would break every time it bore fruit, making it hard to cut and sand.

[@Sadimal]

Mahogany produces a warm tone with deep overtones. It's not as resonant as spruce or maple. Mahogany guitars have a wonderful sound.

[@peteacher52]

Brilliant! I played the 'cello (rather badly!) for a few years but never got to see inside one. I'd heard of luthiers taking apart expensive instruments, but had no idea how. Imagine . . . "Good morning, I'm Casals. My Gofriller has developed a rattle and I'd be obliged if you could have it fixed by yesterday."

[@schell9726]

Why would anyone dislike this?!?! Please remove the dislike, it does not belong here

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Thank you... you are too kind... Luckily there is free speech and there are way more likes! Thanks for all the wonderful support

[@d.harrison1570]

This is endlessly fascinating to me. I would love to see us develop an alternative to hide glue that didn't come from animals.

[@theonewiththeratpfp]

cello being the instrument I chose to play, is always the hardest instrument to watch being repaired. the worst I've done to a cello is trip over an endpin in the 6th-grade orchestra, the cello fell out of tune. My cello was tripped over a week prior to me tripping and the bridge was destroyed and the cello's top plate formed a dent. luckily it was covered by the school. moral of the story don't leave cellos on the ground with endpins out

[@pur3d3m0n67]

i honestly didnt know olaf had a YT but im happy he does and i think he deserves more subs

[@Ithrenniel]

This video is actually "The Doctor Performs Cello Surgery" without getting attacked by Daleks (or maybe that's what part 2 will be?) It was really interesting to watch! I've had a small crack in my cello that I was adviced not to do anything about unless it becomes worse - and now I see why - it's a lot of work!

[@lotsabirds]

So few of us still use hot hide glue. It seems to be a remnant of history when we rebuild musical instruments. I've done pipe and reed organ work. Hide glue is the best for felt and leather. You've done a brilliant repair !

[@ScoptOriginal]

I always say, if people like Stradivarius had access to wood glue, that's what they would've used.

[@JAlanne]

Damnit it thought the title of the video was, I repair a cello on crack. I was really excited there for a second

[@robertbamford8266]

Thank you. Hide glue for furniture too. Reversibility and authenticity for restorations. Love your set of edge clamps (final glue up). So simple, so obvious. Probably “easy” to make and readily reusable for similar instruments.

[@RedGermRedGerm]

Best video yet. Thanks.

[@evielknievel4972]

The Bob Ross of violins. 🎻

[@excuseme5251]

Great vids ... as a kid I took accordion lessons .. one day I told my mother that I could not go to school and take the accordion lessons at the same time .. she asked what I was going to do ... I said .. I guess I will have to quit school ... that more or less ended my accordion days

[@urielgrey]

How often do you have to make fresh hide glue and how long does it last (i mean does it remain viable for you to use heating and reheating it) Have you ever ruined an instrument and had to pay for it? Have you ever had a instrument that is too damage to repair? I'm so glad I found your channel!

[@Cadwaladr]

He doesn't actually have to make the glue, it comes in little dried pellets that you soak in water and heat up. But it is made from animal hides, so once it's hydrated, I don't imagine it stays fresh for very long.

[@urielgrey]

@@Cadwaladr thank you!

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Hi, The glue lasts between 4 and 8 days. I have had a violin after a car drove over it :( And I have had little accidents that happened but then repaired... after 34 years that nearly never happens... touch wood... Luckily I pretty much continuously touch wood 😃

[@nakedcellist]

Ending on a cliffhanger! Can't wait for part two... love it!

[@Codymeister99]

When Carl Becker restored the Lady Blunt he spent 2 months taking the top off. Of course Carl’s patience was amazing. Plus one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet.

[@miriambabota8024]

I love your videos! They always put me in a good mood. Thank you😊

[@map-reduce]

I thought we were bad in Seattle with our socks and sandals. Shorts and a sweater is a new one on me though! Very interesting video, thanks for sharing, it's fun to see you work!

[@amascia8327]

There ya go... nuthin to it. The owner could have done it himself, eh. What's that... you want it to sound like a cello?

[@ipostwhateveriwant99]

I want to see a 10-hours video of you making a violin/cello from scratch. That would be super cool

[@belladingdong3396]

Olaf, you should take before and after pictures of your repairs! Much love from Alaska

[@Ragnar8504]

Sometimes I'm a bit worried that KZbin can indeed read minds :-D About a month ago I had my first dabble at instrument repair, just for the fun of it and because I love to learn new stuff. A friend gave me a guitar that he'd "inherited" with his apartment, from someone who'd intended to turn it into a clock. It was never an expensive guitar, plywood back and spruce top, possibly from Eastern Germany (there's a faint stamp that I think reads "März 1974", which means it was most likely manufactured in a German-speaking country and the GDR was a welcome source of cheap but decent products back then. The finish was shot to bits (I have no idea how you can make it crack and lift off along the cracks like that!), the back is bashed in in two spots about the size of a 1-Euro coin each and it had become loose at the neck, making the neck move all over the place, especially since no one had ever bothered to take the strings off. I did my best to glue the back on where it was supposed to go, even though the whole thing felt warped. On a luthier friend's recommendation I used Titebond Original. Since I obviously don't have any clamps designed for the task as a first-time DIYer I improvised with plenty of standard clamps and painter's tape. That repair feels pretty solid now but the top is slightly warped and it looks like the bridge is partly coming off as well so the string height isn't correct. I'll try to repair that and possible even the smashed bits. Not looking to make it perfect again but to learn and perhaps make it playable again! So really enjoyed to watch a pro and see how it should be done!

[@walteralter9061]

With stringed instruments usually constructed with bone glue, why not use a blow dryer to heat the seam to soften the glue?

[@VvTheMuFFinManvV]

Wait, what was that loose dowel rod just rolling around on the inside when he put the top plate on? Is that normal?

[@rossthefiddler5890]

It's normal if leaving the soundpost there to not lose it. It is refitted later with a 'sound post setting tool' as it is normally done with any of the violin family of instruments.

[@Ricobass0]

Very nice, very dedicated and very trad. Can't help think if Strad had had CA glue bitd, he would have used it and no cleats.

[@SUMANnoHADASHI]

I really enjoy your videos! Thank you for sharing your craft with us. It‘s interesting and calming at the same time :-)

[@jeffbeck6501]

This guy is fun and cool.

[@vmeli73]

Thank you Olaf for this video! I'm going to take my violin to the luthier soon, because I also have a little crack in the topplate but at the f hole, your videos show me the importance of taking care of your instrument and I also learn a lot of things about the "anatomy" of the instrument! Greetings from Germany :)

[@joshmasterson5015]

One of my favorite doctor who episodes xD

[@MikeSpeakman]

Hi Olaf, i am a new subscriber (found you via "Two Set"), I dabble with woodworking myself ( mostly making keep sake boxes & making hard wood tuba mouth pieces on my lathe). I do suffer terribly with O.C.D. but i find watching you work is wonderfully fulfilling, your attention to detail is simply amazing. I also repair brass instruments and it is great to see how string instruments are repaired and maintained. Thanks ;)

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Great to hear that you are doing beautiful woodwork. Keep it up. It definitely makes your life better. 🙂

[@60000L]

Thank you for the captions, Olaf!

[@VoxVocisCruora]

I don't know much about string instruments, so how do cracks actually affect the instrument? does it affect the sound, or is it mainly a danger to the integrity of the wood? I'm assuming that cracks can grow if left unfixed, what's the worst thing that could happen in this case? Could the face plate split completely, or can cracks splinter into multiple cracks like glass and thus cause even more damage than one would expect?

[@bonkchoy4521]

In 8th grade my cello had a gaping hole in the side about the size of an ipad. Used it in a performance where I sat at the end of a row and everyone could see it.

[@cjdonald1983]

A really enjoyable video, thank you Olaf! Please keep them coming!!!

[@AzaliahE]

I really love your videos, always has something to learn everytime 😊 greetings from the Philippines 😊

[@49mrbassman]

You should take a look at the one I've just rebuilt. A real basket case that arrived as a box of bits. The only thing that swung my decision to take on the restoration was that it about 300 years old (plus the owner is a close friend).

[@SinanAkkoyun]

So nice videos!!!

[@maximerousselle5984]

I hoped you would have been more precise on the cleats : first idea is the fiber should be perpendicular to the crack to be more solid. But on the contrary the cleats are wood and will retract more perpendicularly to the fiber, so, if their fiber is parallel to the crack, the lateral retraction will pull the crack close (if the cleat does not crack itself in this position). Which do you use ? Or 45° as I have seen on some repairs ?

[@jeffbeck6501]

Oh my god, "I got to split the cello open". Please man, children could be watching. I was not ready for that and had to leave and come back. Man that takes balls to "split the cello open". And people say I am crazy. I will refer them to you.

[@josephtravers777]

Thank you, Olaf! I must check your channel for double bass work. I had a neck re-set from a supposedly reputable shop that I am not completely satisfied. Would like to see a proper re-set to determine if I am correct.

[@MrPendell]

Silly question- if you have to add a bit of heat to extend the open time of your hide glue while getting the crack aligned, might it not be better to heat from the inside, where you don’t have to worry quite as much about damaging the finish with the heat gun?

[@ScottRedstone]

Fascinating. Good thing the hide glue can be undone. Imagine epoxy where the cello could not be taken apart. Did the early craftsmen anticipate the glue would eventually fail allowing repairs or did they actually want a more permanent adhesive?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

I have seen instruments that were glued with hide glue 450 years ago and I believe some areas are still glued together with the original glue.

[@heythered3208]

I love your work! It is so cool and interesting to follow you around! 😁👍🏻

[@dragonite-boi]

Hi, thanks again for the great video, you’re super entertaining and funny but also actually explain things really well and I feel like I always learn a lot from your videos. I’d like to make a request: could you make a video where you speak German? Especially when it comes to musical terminology there’s a lot of differences to English I think so it would be super nice to hear you talk about it! Also it would be interesting to hear what your accent sounds like after (how many?) years in Australia :D thanks in advance!

[@Smoph04]

I have a mild crack in my cello in the same area too! I’m thinking mine came from really rapid weather changes. cool to see how my baby is gonna be repaired soon

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Yes, sooner is often better than later. Sometimes the different direction of the grain in the saddle can cause problems. The saddle will shrink less than the top-plate, so causing a crack is the only way the timber can shrink.

[@cpt_nordbart]

I've seen some guitar luthiery videos. They seem to have a more robust approach to some things. But guitars are probably built more often with modern glues and stuff. I mean they had used epoxy and super glue when they deem it okay.

[@luborkloda8903]

Hello Olaf, I have seen multiple times cracks like this one. From the saddle upwards, along the bass bar or on the right side, dangerously close to the soundpost. I think those cracks could be prevented by oversized cut for saddle in the top plate. Some extra room would allow spruce top plate shrinking without tension caused by ebony saddle part which doesn't shrink so much. I asked my friend about it and he replied that he would not be happy with gaps left and right from the saddle. I think gaps are still better option then cracked top plate , just my opinion.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Exactly. One can actually make the gaps quite thin, but enough to give the top-plate some room to move

[@unbekannternutzer25]

10:58 - 11:20 "you could end up with a cut in the top plate" or your limbs... Unfortunately it's a bit late to show this to my brother because that's exactly what he did last Friday. He thought about protecting his fingers though, so when he slipped he hit the knife in his thumb instead. Badly 🤦‍♀️

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Youch... hope he is ok. I cut myself lots when I first started learning violinmaking

[@jyz]

Any experiences -- will a cheap $500 Chinese cello allow a similar top plate removal or would they have used glues that holds things together too strongly?

[@beldawilliams3282]

Hey Olaf why is he base bar closer to the left side of the instrument

[@therealperegrine]

As the ancient scripture says, an eye for an eye, a finger for an instrument! And another Olaf video showing how brass was the right choice, we (mostly?)don't need no weird added pieces for out repairs! ;)

[@chazz30000]

I didn't know you would actually remove the whole plate to fix a crack. Do you do that for every crack or are there certain criteria that have to be met before you go "yep the whole thing needs to get off for that one"?

[@benoitmyrand6490]

Would there be a way to fix a smaller crack without taking off the top ? Asking for a friend. . .

[@zozzaa9314]

No way! We were just watching Dr Who in music class!!!! What a coincidence

[@gary24752]

I have a question. I read a blog where a woman repaired the top plate due to an impact on the sound post resulting in a crack in the top plate. She repaired it by putting an oval shaped plug in the top rather than what you did here. She had removed all the varnish to do this repair. Does this not seriously impact the sound quality of the cello now? The serious issue I have is she is equating her repair to that which could be used on a hardwood floor. I lost it at that point.

[@nope24601]

Would you share what books are in your library near the window?

[@bornthebjorn1490]

I adore your vids bud, so happy to have found the channel. Them damn twoset boys amirite?

[@liothelion4712]

One time, I was in orchestra and the cello player next to me was putting away his stand and it fell on my cello. The only thing which was broken was the tip of the waist, so not much damage. I still hold a grudge to this day because there are no luthiers near me and I still cannot get it fixed.

[@ponderanceofagravedigger2564]

Quick question. Does it matter what kind of wood is used for the reinforcement cleats? And how far do you cut and sand them down? Flush? Thank you

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

I try to use the same type of wood as the area I'm repairing.

[@spriterfighterstudio4574]

Do these reapir clots affect the sound of the instrument?

[@twistedcherrypop]

i have a crack like this, I wonder how much it costs to repair

[@fnersch3367]

I wonder if that spruce came from the Altai mountains? The Chinese are making good stuff these days.

[@liamthoralexanderspencer4684]

Matt smith! Yes!

[@hermanmiller5549]

The glue that you use. Is that something you buy or make yourself? I think you have said that you make your own varnish

[@mtabernig]

Why are you working on the ground?

[@pheart2381]

Have you ever encountered an instrument that was beyond repair?

[@phlosen7854]

5:42 Olaf casually flipping us all the bird ;)

[@Kenji1685]

I would love to see what it looks like (close up) after it's all dried and (touched up). 😊❤️How do you touch up the seams where the top plate meets the body? Does opening it up inevitably make scratches on the sides? Is that necessary or does it naturally come off very clean?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Yes, opening an instrument will leave some cracks and marks in the varnish when it is glued up again. I retouch those and then polish around the join. Also the timber can splinter slightly, so it is really important to make sure I reglue those splinters and that the plates get reglued in exactly the same place they were before.

[@Kenji1685]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Wow that sounds bad if it splinters in addiction to fixing a crack on the top plate. Better then than later i guess... I would love to lean the craft and learn how to make violins/cellos. :)

[@Skyliner_369]

Personal question... Do you watch Baumgartner restoration? Just curious because I wanna see how much of a 'small world' yt is

[@patrickclark223]

Where did you get those larger clamps? I can see how they can make the process go so much faster than using the single bar clamps.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

... GEWA or Dictum. I also made 2 crack clamps myself

[@missaisohee]

Why is bass bar not exactly in the middle ?

[@Shoshun2]

It is a pity the camera is more on Olaf than it is on the work. couldn't get a proper view most of the time.

[@yuyuzhao96]

Could you let me know how much does it cost to fix the crack by opening the cello?

[@johndextersantos9541]

Thats a big violin

[@sillstars]

Why isn't the base bar in the middle?

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Then it would be a middle bar 😆. But seriously, the soundpost supports the treble sude and transfers the vibration to the back, and the bassbar supports the bass side and transfers the vibration to the top and the bottom of the top-plate.

[@luborkloda8903]

Think about bridge as a hammer and top plate as a drum. Bass bar in the middle would not be very effective, it would neutralize the hammering action of the bridge. If you put bass bar on left side and bridge pushes down, the left part of top plate reinforced by bass bar resists and right part goes down and presses on soundpost and from soundpost to rear plate. F holes help the process. So basically assymetrical bass bar design creates leveraged transmision of the bridge vibrations on both plates. It is very sophisticated mechanical system.

[@mtabernig]

Why do you use animal base glue, we have modern glue that is much strong and durable.

[@saltypotate]

Am I sensing improved audio quality???

[@saltypotate]

and video

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

When I remember to plug in the mic, it's much better 🙂 Thanks for letting me know