using micromesh, tripoli powder and light soapy water to take the shine off the varnish

here is all the ingrediants but with this I am going real lightly as it is easy to go through the varnish

afterwards going over the cello with a violin polish/cleaner with soft polishing cloth

you can see how the ribs are no loger shiny but have a sheen

the back has a nice glow to it now

same with the front

the varnish is far from perfect and this is an area where I need a lot more practice

gluing the fingerboard on was fun, the side clamps to keep it true against the neck and the cam clamps to hold it down

he is a better shot of the side clamp, only lightly clamped

on the second attempt the sound post is in, the first one I cut too much off trying to get the top to fit nicely

the end pin was tricky as it kept wanting to go off center, I did get it close though not completly straight

the end pin came with a way oversized plug so to cut it down I made this tool up with the blade from my plane (the method was a suggestion I recieved from Maestronet)

after fitting the bridge feet, cutting height and various trimming it is time to thin the bridge