Stupid brain moment tonight

I was working on the blond yesterday. I have altered lots already. The bridge was mated fine but I wanted to lower the action some so I stripped it down and sanded the bottom some more... while I had it apart I decided I didn't like the V shape of the back of the neck... out came the files and sandpaper.. I rounded the back comfortable to me.

I masked off to just spray the back of the neck and figured I'd just wetsand it back. eventually I wanted to refinish again... well the stuff I had here just didn't want to cure (varathane pro satin finish).... so I stripped it off. I had a little laquer and did the neck with that. it turned out good. I took it in the house to finish drying and set it on a kitchen chair... I just turned to grab a coffee and I heard the mandolin fall...

broke the scroll off the headstock. so out came the tools and wood glue... it plays great now but I will always see that crack and shake my head

Bad luck there Barry !. I learned 50 years ago NEVER to stand my instruments upright. Me & my band had played a Folk club one night,we came off stage & a guy stopped me to ask me a question. Instead of standing there with my banjo slung around my neck,i took it off & leaned it against a table - bad move !!. A minute or so later,i heard a tremendous bang & ringing sound & saw my banjo lying on it's back on the floor. Thank goodness it was fine & un-damaged,but ''lesson learned''. My instruments are kept in their case. When i play them,i lie the case on the floor to take the instrument out & if i take a rest from parctice,they go back in the case - flat,
Ivan

After finishing a song one night I just let my mandolin hang down by my side and I usually hold it with one hand but for reason I was doing something with both hands, probably adjusting the microphone stand, and the end pin came out and it fell and broke of the scroll on the peghead, everyone said I wanted my mandolin to look like Monroe`s when his was that way, I glued it back on and it`s fine now....I had a kid knock one over that was sitting in it stand between sets and my heart sank as it was brand new and I thought "There goes a good instrument" but as it was it didn`t show any scratches and I just tuned it up and kept on getting up with it...

Just be careful and don`t be in a hurry to do something and don`t forget about what you mandolin is doing....

Willie

YT video : Patty Smith forgetting parts of the lyric of Bob Dylan's 'Masters Of War' in front of the crowd at the Nobel Award ceremony

Where she was picking up the Lit Medal For Bob , who was working a more important (to him) Gig ..

OK no mandolins were harmed in the process.. ;)

I am going to blame loss of brain function on this stupid cold... if it had been an expensive instrument I might be more upset. and sharing your versions gives that misery company thing lol

I hear you. I remember well when the scroll broke off of the peg head of my F-2. Just carelessness on my part. Worse yet, I took it to a well known local luthier to be fixed, and it wasn't glued on straight. That was twenty five years ago, guess I'll just let it be.

A friend leaned his Nat'l reso against the wall and a drunk patron knocked it over. It blew the cone out and cost $125 to replace. He should have known better....

Had a friend stand the upright bass against the stage wall for break, as we stepped off the stage we heard a crash. The bass fell and broke the neck off. Was fixed and still plays, but was a sad moment at the time. As a friend of mine says "poo poo happion"

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Originally Posted by Barry Wilson

I am going to blame loss of brain function on this stupid cold... if it had been an expensive instrument I might be more upset. and sharing your versions gives that misery company thing lol

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You could always blame it on the spray laquer.... I used to work in a furniture repair shop and the laquer had us loopy by the end of many a day! :))

I left my mando in its case (closed but not latched) so when wifely went to pick it up to move it, it popped open and bashed the table pretty hard... my heart skipped a beat but all was well... don't think it even got a dent.

I pulled some laquer off the headstock removing the tape otherwise you can barely see the crack. I was playing it a fair bit today and enjoyed it...

instruments and vehicles get nicked and scratched if you use them. I've just never busted a big chunk off myself before

though I think I'd lose it to see a stand up bass neck break. ouch

My Kentucky 675S, which I'm now getting friends/family to carve up Mary Stuart style, had a crash several years ago that broke the headstock scroll. Can't recall exactly what happened, other than I didn't put it in its case, and it had a violent encounter with the hardwood floor...I think from ottoman height...glued/clamped it up overnight and it's held since. I think some binding even kept it from completely coming off (i.e., the binding was all that was holding it on), but that did make it a little easier to align. Looking back, I really couldn't care less, but at the time it was my only f home mandolin, and I remember being pretty annoyed with myself...