[New] Surefyre Laser Design assists local artist in stunning recycled string quartet creation

We were excited when local creative artist, Jana Eastwood, asked if we could laser cut cardboard which, of course, we can. Jana had been asked by The National Trust’s Charlecote Park to create a string quartet by recycling material left over from activity within the house and she asked if we could help.

Quartet #5 in Eb Major, composed for this configuration.

Working on unusual projects is a joy as you get to exercise mental muscles for their design which don’t often get used.

Thankfully, information on the instrument dimensions is readily available on the internet with plenty of images to refer to. We first created four fronts and four backs – cello, two violas and violin. Not a standard quartet - the musical example picked was Hoffmeister’s

The necks were cut as a box with a pair of connecting panels for the top and bottom and the scroll ends filled with larger pieces to emulate the relief of a real scroll and form a solid end for strength when glued. Sixteen tuning pegs were created using a relief laser engraving technique on MDF. Bridges, tailpieces, fingerboards and chinrests were also cut.

The bows were being made from dowel so frogs and tips were needed that could be securely glued to it. We created each tip and