View Full Version : Troughton mandolin pattern problem
ejkauf99
Mar-15-2007, 11:43am
I remembered reading a post from awhile back about enlarging the patterns from Jim Troughtons "The Mandolin Manual". Someone suggested that the correct enlargement should be 318%
So I had it done. Either that number is wrong, or my printing service messed up. Instead of a mandolin and mandola, they look more like a mandocello, and mandobass.
If you laugh, I'll hear you.
We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.
billhay4
Mar-15-2007, 11:46am
Wouldn't measuring the pattern in the book, and dividing that number into the size you want give you the approximate enlargement size? I'd take several measurements at different places to see if it were consistent.
Bill
Cragger
Mar-15-2007, 12:47pm
Not sure of the percentage but I have always loved that quote from the original Willy Wonka.
whistler
Mar-15-2007, 6:46pm
Ejkauf99 - Did you actually build the instruments before realising they were too big?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
...Probably not.
If I remember rightly, Troughton's book has all the drawings with a grid superimposed, with each square representing 1/2" or 1cm or whatever - so you should be able to work out the dimensions easily enough from that. Not as convenient as having full-size plans, but it does the job.
dave17120
Mar-16-2007, 3:46am
I would have thought that if you had it photocopied, the lines in the original drawing would come out far too wide..... would you use inner, outer edges or centre???
I re-drew the whole plan myself by hand from the measurements..... took a little time, but worked fine. Dave
ejkauf99
Mar-16-2007, 5:14am
I've never been one to copy plans line for line. I just happened to be going near the copy place so I thought that I'd try it. Your correct that all the lines are way out of porportion. What I probably will do is lay out the neck to specs, and draw the body to eye so it will be a little different than the one in the book. The posters that I ended up with would have been great to use as props for a lecture on lutherie that I gave to the antique tool club that I belong to.
Ed
Ahhh... where's your sense of adventure? Just build from your copies! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
pd