This second episode of DIY's five-part series on violin-making focuses on the violin's plates -- i.e., the top and back. After a quick review on the violin's rib structure, host Jeff Wilson and the staff at the Chicago School of Violin Making begin creating the plates for the violin body. The top plate is made from spruce that's specially selected for its tonal qualities. The back is made from flame-maple. Expert violin-maker Becky Elliott joins book-matched pairs of stock using the "non-clamp" method used by violinmakers for centuries. This episode is dedicated to following each step as the stock evolves from raw blanks to precisely crafted violin plates. Students and viewers are treated to an exhibit of rare and expensive (twenty-million dollar) Stradivarius violins. Duly inspired, the students and directors return to their projects and complete both plates by show's end.