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Great question that really got me thinking. I'm going to have to think more about this and get back to it.
Nigel, I'm really enjoying your blog. Beautiful work!

I'd love to try the adjustable f-hole idea but it sounds like a lot of work. I like how my designs seem to get simpler over time.
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I found a photo of the back during finishing. I used the...

Exquisite!

Thanks Gary and Steve, the "f"-holes are not adjustable. What an idea! The design is bandolim inspired and is for a Choro player.
I've been using that tailpiece on my Northern Flyer mandolins but...

Setting up the new 10-string with pickguard and custom pickup.

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Sylvain Courcelles is in the Montreal area http://www.courcellesluthier.com/Guitare_Courcelles/Accueil.html

Finishing the 10-string with oil varnish.

Hey thanks you guys. I think the top might be a bit thicker than usual but that's more because of the wider body than any thought of extra string tension. I go by flexibility so it's not something...

thanks Bill. That's a carved "step-down" and not an insert. Purely ornamental.

Here's another one I've been working on. A 16" scale mandola.
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Doing some final sanding on this new 10-string.

These are some beautiful tuners I just received from Nicolo Alessi. He does some great work!

Thank you Bill,
Wyatt

Awesome! I'm going to go sharpen my chisels now.....

Jim- Amos really enjoyed playing the guitar. It was great to sit there and listen to him play for about 40 minutes.
Mark- Thanks for adding the link to Paul Zarzyski's site. I should've thought of...

Leonard and Delia are finished and delivered so I thought I would close this thread with a few photos of the finished instruments.
First two photos show front and back of Delia during set-up sans...

Very cool, Ian. Congrats!

Thanks Pete,
Sorry but I thought you were talking about bending binding. I've been using a propane torch and pipe and nothing else for bending sides and have no reason to change. I don't use a...

This works great if you're talking about bending wood binding and not sides.
It's nothing more than a regular soldering iron mounted in a block of wood. In this photo I have a 1/2" pipe slipped...

Marty- Beautiful design work all round. Congrats!

Thanks Goodin, it's a french polished finish using shellac and a little resin dissolved in alcohol.
Marty- thanks for that link. I hadn't seen that before.

Thanks you guys.
John- hard not to put body and soul into a project like this. Not usually something I think about but it's a nice thought leaving something behind, something with a story...

Putting the finishing touch on these two.

Beautiful work Marty!

Wow, what an incredible thread! Thanks for the link Jim.