ing chisel is used in order that
there may be as little spring as possible in it while cutting and so
prevent a hacking of the parts instead of a clean cut surface; indeed,
no other proportioned tool can be used with any degree of facility.
It must not be ground to a very acute angle, or the objections that
are sought to be avoided will reappear in another form. Great care must
be taken that the mortising does not extend to a depth that will cause
the back to be thin and weak. This mistake is often seen to have been
committed in very valuable instruments, especially such as have the
two grooves deeply modelled, or the contour downwards from the volutes
is much indented. At times, on the other hand, sound judgment has been
perceptibly directed to this part and instead of cutting away wood to
allow of freedom in the winding of the strings over the pegs, the holes
for these have been filled up and re-bored nearer to the front edges.
Many most excellent old Italian makers seem to have been rather
careless with regard to the exact position of the peg-holes, making
them to be equi-distant from each other. There might have been little
or no objection to this in the days when the strain on the pegs was
not near what it is in the present times of very high pitch. The shaft
of the old pegs used in Italy at the time of the great masters, was
not half as thick as is thought expedient now. Towards the latter end
of last century and the beginning of this, more attention was paid to
the matter, and we accordingly find the two upper peg-holes much closer
together and the two lower ones ditto.

Concerning the refilling or "bushing" as it is termed of the peg-holes,
a few words may not be out of place. For the purpose the holes must
be enlarged more or less or there may not be sufficient of the new wood
to hold together when the re-boring takes place. The cutting must be
truly circular and very sharply done, no tearing of the wood must be
perceptible, but a clean, almost polished surface inside. A solid
cylinder must be cut with great exactitude, of maple or the same kind
of wood if obtainable as the scroll. The old makers did not invariably
use maple, perhaps being unable to obtain it in sufficient quantities
for their business purposes. It is useless to think of cutting the
cylinder or rod any other way than with the grain, it is seldom if ever
done, and moreover involves an expenditure of time and labour that
brings no adequate return