This 19th century Dutch violin presented an interesting problem, as not only did it have a soundpost crack (running down the front plate alongside where the treble bridge foot would sit) but it also had a square piece of wood let into the top plate (right under the location of the treble bridge foot).
The soundpost crack needed to be thoroughly cleaned, glued & then reinforced with a strong soundpost patch on the inside. I also decided to remove the piece of wood that had been let in, as this wood did not match the front & quite frankly stood out rather badly.
By taking this non-original wood out of the front, I was able to push the original wood nearly level with the rest of the front plate. This original wood was only 0.7mm thick in the pushed section.
Finally, I continued with the soundpost patch repair to the inside of the plate – this strengthened the repair & stabilised the front plate of the violin.
Please click on the first image to scroll through this restoration project.