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I've done LOTS of these things, and find that cyanoacrylate works wonders in this situation. I just soak the stuff in, clamp it up, and clean up with acetone (if possible, depending on the finish)....

I've played a number of high-end mandolin banjos, and owned a Montana #1 like that 10" of yours for a while. It was painfully loud, and I never liked the tone much. I had the sense of notes being...

Around these parts, we'd want to shake any sap who calls our City "Frisco," even before we remind him that the devastating earthquake and fire happened in 1906.

I don't do "smilies," so I'll add...

So much talk about alcohol. Everclear isn't handy in these parts, and pure ethanol is pricey, so I've used either methanol or denatured alcohol from the paint store, and it works just fine. I...

No, it doesn't muffle sound, and your nephew's technique is common among instrument finishers.

I don't get the comment about alcohol. Alcohol is the solvent for shellac, which comes to us as a...

French polishing is all about practice and feel. Techniques and materials vary all over the place, and the "rules" are there to be broken but only by the experienced and those willing to make...

Please understand that fine finishing is the single most difficult and just plain tricky part of making instruments. Many of us who do traditional instrument building and repair would agree that,...

Donzen -

I'm pretty much with the others - refretting is the kind of job that seems to require a specific quoted price, so the "good" and "bad" jobs are more or less averaged to allow for that. ...

Here's another take on bridge design, the Martello "wedge bridge." Mario was an old pal, and the most prolific instrument restorer, capable of performing minor miracles daily. A link to his patent...

You don't need chalk or tape - I do the job with sandpaper as the marking agent:

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Mandolin/FitBridgeFeet/fitfeet.html

Glue the crack as described above, but don't count on the glue to hold up by itself. Cut yourself a nice hardwood shim to fit beneath the bridge pieces - that will simply eliminate any chance of...

I'm thinking that Washburn is a perfect candidate for a nice peghead overlay and a set of StewMac's "restoration" gears. . .

Whoops - it was late last night when I posted that last bit - I had only read the first page and hadn't noticed the dates or the subsequent pages. . .

Some clarification -

Delmar is a distributor, not a manufacturer of celluloid, and there have been no celluloid manufacturers in the US for a generation or longer. Delmar did import the stuff...

That's a cool old mandolin, for sure - reminds me of Martin style 20, and Lyon&Healy "A"

Bits of binding should be no problem - like the tuner buttons, it's ivory-grained celluloid, or "ivoroid." ...

Here comes a long answer, and one with some parts you might not like so much:

FIRST - get the best education you can afford. While a college degree isn't necessary for a career in lutherie, I...

A few years ago I was given a full set of keys (sans ivory) from an old Bosendofer. I started a project - now on the back burner - to make some banjo bridges using the salvaged maple and ebony. . .

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless the fake screw heads are formed (as in "stamped") as part of the tuner plate. Then there would be a bit of saving in time and hardware.

Phony screws...

It's entirely possible that the screw is hardened steel. If that's the case, then there's little chance of drilling it out, or using a screw extractor. BUT, you can drill around it if you're...

When approaching a dealer for the first time, you SHOULD make an appointment, and show up on time. In addition:

1. Tempting as it may be, do NOT tell the dealer how good your instrument is - let...

The Gibson style adjustable bridge is prone to this particular failure because of its design. Those inside corners create what the engineer boys call "stress risers" so the crack propagates from...

There's a common misconception about contact cement - namely that it is strong stuff. It is NOT strong stuff.

If you're bonding a countertop, sure, you can't budge it if you even begin to stick...

indeed, that's the deal. . .

Absolutely can be done. But, remember that "satin" is a descriptor of the surface reflectivity, and nothing else. So, instruments with gloss tops and satin backs are generally finished with the same...

Just to be contrary, I'd take it apart. Chances are very good that there are other loose joints inside, more lining problems, etc. I'd rather spend my time lining up and regluing the back than...