Page 21 - The Strad (February 2020)

NEW PRODUCTS

PNEUMATIC POSITIONER

Out of thin air
A clamp-free way of holding an instrument in place
FEATURED
PRODUCT
abio Lavelli’s ‡rst pneumatic positioners were created
with heavy engineering such as welding and coating
processes in mind. Now, however, he has created a
F smaller version suited to the needs of those, like
jewellers or instrument makers, working on more intricate
projects. e object – a violin, for example – is held in place
against the stainless steel plate by a vacuum pump, eliminating
the need for clamps and, according to Lavelli, o‰ering users
freer access to their work.
‘Once you’ve tilted and rotated the plate to the optimum without applying too much force to the delicate tonewood.’
position,’ Lavelli explains, ‘you can lock it in place by removing e convex form of a bowed instrument’s front and back
your foot from a ‹oor pedal that controls the pressure of the mean that the surface area actually in contact with the plate is
air in the cables. To adjust the placement, you simply reduce proportionally smaller than it would be if the instrument were
the air pressure by pressing the pedal, move the plate, and a guitar, for example. ‘As a result,’ says Lavelli, ‘the set-up works
remove your foot again.’ e stainless steel plate can be best for violin-family instruments that have already been
‡tted with a specially cut neoprene cushion that protects varnished, as their smoother surfaces create a better seal than
the object being worked on without disrupting the air‹ow those of instruments still in the white.’
of the vacuum system.
Depending on the type of vacuum pump used, the pressure 62'<1!ধ$ 639-ধ32'89 from €897
exerted on the instrument will fall somewhere between -0.4 and email p-set@outlook.com
-0.8 bar. ‘It’s enough,’ Lavelli says, ‘to create a secure hold web www.p-set.com

GAME
GAME ON
SHOULDER REST
e Da Capo music theory card game is
designed to be engaging and fun to play for FLYING COLOURS
everyone from seasoned professionals to Canadian manufacturer
those just starting out. Suitable for 2–8 Kun has created versions
players, it introduces concepts and of its collapsible shoulder
terminology across 112 cards, including rests for student-size
3 ‘reference’ cards that may be useful for violins in four bright
those studying (or teaching) music theory. colours: blue moon, razzle
dazzle, atomic green, and
Da Capo music theory card game £17.99 papaya. The rests have
email sam.gee@me.com the classic Kun design
web www.samgee.co.uk/dacapo but with collapsible feet
that allow them to be
folded up and stored
more easily in smaller
instrument cases.

Kun colour collapsible
shoulder rest £33
email kun@kunrest.com
web www.kunrest.com

www.thestrad.com FEBRUARY 2020 THE STRAD 21