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After building 200+ mandolins over the past 50 years I hesitate to give much advice to someone just getting started. That said, the most challenging task for most newcomers is bending the rim for an...

If the separation is above the bridge the fix is easy with a small cleat using thin hide glue. If below the bridge I would look carefully to determine what the underside looks like. If a clean...

What kind of adhesive did you use. If hide glue, a hair dryer may soften things up enough to avoid more damage but if Titebond or other similar glue, it will be a bit more difficult to not do more...

Looks pretty bad but before removing the back, try putting a flat piece of 3/4 plywood over it, add 30-40 pounds of weight on top and then place under a heat lamp for a week or so, should flatten...

My guess based on the wet color and hardness is Padauk. If so, it will make some very nice fingerboards but for a back, it might have to be thinned too much to get near a desired resonant frequency.

A hydraulic log splitter makes short work of nearly any wood. While I am no fan of Sweetgum, I have split several billets in past years with my friends splitter and after curing found them to work...

I generally build from 8 to 20 instruments per year and have found E-bay to be worthless, primarily due to time wasted dealing with kooks and those so ignorant they have no idea what questions to...

I would suggest rough splitting the billets, paint the ends and set aside for several years before attempting to use. Twisting seems to be a common problem in my experience but once cured, it is...

I have purchased a high percentage of my tone wood from John for several years and always found him both honest and competent in wood selection. Recently I ordered two of his "You Select" mandolin...

I regularly ship to Canada using USPS with no difficulty other than a rather slow Canada Post. The customs form is simple and easily completed. One odd feature is that shipping from Canada to the US...

I have had pretty good luck using penetrating oil intended for loosening rusty bolts and then giving the offending part a half hour in my small sonic cleaner with dish soap.

This is a very reasonable question that is subject to interpretation by each individual. Seems to me that whether the excess wood is removed with a gouge or CNC mill, that has little to do with the...

Minor tear-out is a constant problem around the F-holes. For that reason leaving that area a bit thick is a good idea. Of the 25 mandolin tops that I have cut using CNC, only one had to be scrapped...

One additional feature of CNC carving is the ability to easily create simple artwork on the instrument. I am currently creating a tribute piece for a Pacific Northwest native customer. The entire...

I thought it might be informative to show the precision of CNC machining of mandolin tops. By programming curtate cycloid curves in 0.125 increments very little roughing is required to achieve a...

Brian Dean has been casting my custom designed tailpieces for a number of years and I have yet to have one break or be of less than excellent quality.

I have done it both ways depending on the number in work. I usually boil several in a big pot at a time since it is time consuming and done in my outdoor kitchen that requires considerable transfer...

Dave Cohen is correct that power tools should be pretty far down the list of required tools. They speed up work but without very precise measurements and good finishing touches with gouge, chisel,...

For Red Spruce, the top likely can be thinned to 0.090 but I suggest leaving it at least 0.110 until braced and tested for tuning, then scrape selectively to achieve the desired resonance. When I...

When one uses wood for bindings, boiling them is essential to nearly eliminate cracking at sharp bends. I regularly line archtop guitar F-holes with wood binding with little other than attention to...

I am not a fan of finger planes though I own several. Even with a razor sharp blade, you must thrust firmly, particularly in maple, to get a smooth cut. On more than one occasion that resulted in a...

I am nearly certain that Eastman developed the adhesive under a government contract. In early 1961 the Air Force mandated using "Eastman 910" adhesive to stabilize all components on B-52 electronics....

I suggest removing as much of the truss rod as possible and installing a section of carbon fiber rod using thick super glue. If the pieces are clean and fit together closely (no missing pieces) use...

Some builders use a thin composite material called "Ebonite" on the back of headstocks. At one time, I believe Siminoff carried it. Never used it so don't know how it looks or responds to lacquer....

I really like that one in the lower photo. Very original and neat looking.