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Shimming the saddle is the wrong way to go; it just puts more pressure on the top edge. The crack very likely extends under the saddle slot- the first thing to do is close it as best you can and...

If that's the original Kentucky bridge, be aware that they may not be the highest quality wood. Taking material from the base is safer than taking it off the saddle. Removing 1/16" will allow you to...

That's my preferred repair as well. The quick-n-dirty fix is superglue and baking soda to fill the slot, but that's temporary and as a pro, I wouldn't do it.
The inlaid material doesn't have to be...

Jay, regarding your original question, my experience is the board won't swell back enough to make any difference. File away...

Greg Mirken

I got an identical mandolin, Harmony Monterey, for my 13th birthday- 1962.

There’s a (good) chance the bridge is already bolted on. Are there “pearl” plastic dots on the bridge? Feel inside for hardware. If it’s bolted on just play away.

Indeed, it is a very useful fixture. Not only on mandolins, I might add. He simply means this type of damage happens too often, and often heat and humidity are factors.

The most important thing about the stiffness of wood is that it is stiff in the direction of the grain, but flexes much more easily across the grain. This makes a soundboard that resists deforming...

If fretted notes are most sharp at the low frets but get closer in-tune as you move up to the 12th fret, the culprit is the height at the nut. As you push the strings down to contact the fret you are...

I think mdowlin is right. From the thread wrap those look like they may be Thomastiks, which would also have a wrap over the other end of the wound strings. That might have stuck over the nut without...

Five string banjos from the 19th Century typically have markers at 5, 7, 9, and 12. Tenor banjos, which surged in popularity in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, have them at 5, 7, 10, and 12 [Tenors are also...

The current KM500 claims to be nitrocellulose; older ones might have a synthetic catalyzed finish. The only way to tell for sure is to test an area with acetone. I pull off one side of tuners and...

I can recommend Harvey Leach [harv@leachguitars.com] here in Northern California.

First, I'd be surprised if the back wasn't made from staves, rather than a hollowed out chunk of wood. But without any photo that's just conjecture.
To determine the finish, test an area [perhaps...

Or perhaps older. We still haven't seen a photo... and no information about the previous repairs. So this is speculation of practically no value.

CA might be the best thing for you to use anyway, but the typical way to test the finish is to remove a tuner and dab an acetone-dampened swab in the footprint. A cross-linked finish won't be...

I think you are referring to a post of mine. I can't buy 190 proof Everclear in California. If you can get that, it's fine. I bought pure ethanol from Quality Chemical [Amazon] which is denatured...

Right. These usually have a pretty minimal break angle to begin with; if you lower it further the bridge just scoots around on the head when you play hard and it goes crazy out of tune.

Well, you've got that short scale length to deal with, you know. Anything lower than mando tuning is likely to sound un-musical. Heavy strings tuned down are just going to flap in the breeze.
But...

I'm very familiar with the banjo neck attachment you describe. It's not the best, but it works. Taking material off the heel won't get you anywhere; you'll just end up with a gap. Does the end of the...

Paul Hostetter once gave me a super idea for crack-stoppers. A Tyvek mailing envelope cut into small circles works great; it’s about impossible to tear so the crack can’t lengthen. I was skeptical...

If you are converting a bar-fret instrument to T frets and making other modifications you should not consider this job a restoration. I'm not being judgemental, but a restoration means returning the...

Thin cyanoacrylate glue wicked into those fissures will at least slow down the crumbling celluloid. Nothing will stop it, though.

Nice work. If anyone notices and asks about it, b.s. them with something like "Yeah, the second harmonic on the A was a bit harsh, so I did that to tame it a bit."

A slight convex arch to your brace might be a real good idea, in fact. The string tension will flatten the top out.