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Been a while.

Summer took my whittling priorities elsewhere, and component delivery is slow these days. String trees was quick, and arrived several weeks ago, but the rest ...

I just received...

So it seems that WAF is significant towards the deciding, not only for me. Consider that if it is relevant to your situation. It makes life a lot easier ...;)

My guitar cases are light grey (painted a worn black case with leftover floor paint, wife hates it, "should be black") and some dark terracotta hue (because that was the color they were made in). ...

Wound strings means the stiff part (string core) is thinner, so you need less compensation. I imagine that there may be issues with intonation. Anyone having experience with this? Just wondering...

Keeping the nut I already made. New support would be required regardless of which material I use, so I play one of my remaining "lazy moment" cards.

Oops! Cut down nut slot too far. Should I have...

Sounds like a stellar plan(e) to me.

Sanity is overrated.

I had a similar situation, but went the easy route. Premade fretboard (made for a concert size uke, so a tad too long), body neck and...

Bought a set of strings today, Ernie Ball Light gauge was all they had. Didn't think much about it.

When I came home I noticed that they are lighter than the GHS lights which are my usual choice....

If it is dim while plugged in, the battery is not the culprit.

LED lamps fade over time.

https://youtu.be/N48_6d4goUc

This is Molly. She rarely visits the work area. She doesn't like the dust.
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The only help she provides is if I get some new timber, she will bark.

Fretboard masked off. 187277
Ready for the file.

Trimming the end. 187278
Hacksaw on fretboard. Scary moment.
Did I take too much?
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And those nut blanks were not blanks (pardon the...

If you practice a lot, you should definitely keep your instrument vertical and with the neck fairly high so your wrist remains fairly straight. A constantly cocked wrist is bad. Finger muscles work...

Fixed bridge pieces and filed down the nut to reasonable action. Playable, and acoustically it sounds like expected.

I'm happy. Now for the electronics. Never got around to digging out that...

Don't worry too much about this. It is most likely a crack in the finish only.Wood will shrink and expand with variations in environment (ambient temperature and humidity). The finish does not easily...

A philosophical view:
Your mandolin was made primarily as a tool to make music. When parts are worn, they are meant to be replaced. It is part of the design.

The mandolin will also be a product...

Strung it up.
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Tuned to mandolin pitch.

Seems to hold fairly well. No signs of material failure yet.

Bridge too low and nut too high, so it's not playable at the moment. Probably needs...

Just thinking...

Would a string tree reduce the torque over the nut? As I see it, the accumulated torque may increase, but a significant part of it would be moved from nut slot to headstock.
...

Another thing which worries me. I tried to make a slight back bow when planing the neck for the fretboard. Now there is a slight forward bow (0.45 mm drop at 7th fret) with no load on the neck. With...

Nailed it: 187199 - Screwed it: 187200

And it is beginning to look right:187201

By no means perfect. note the leaning posts...
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and also the frighteningly thin point at the nut slot.

For alignment of the holes for tuning posts I tried JimCh's procedure with steel tubing, using posts as drill guide. Great idea, but it requires a bit more work to get it right in my case. My cherry...

Small update, starting on the bridge pieces.
One guitar saddle blank and four individual bridge pieces.187104
Jigs are for sissies. No router. A stop collar on the drill bit will do. 187105...

I would not look at slide-on transfers. I have seen them on cheap instruments, but under a liberal coat of laquer which levels the surface. AFAIK, tru-oil does not easily build a noticeable film...

Ultimate guitar does focus on guitar resources, but there are some tabs also for mandolin, bass and ukulele. Some resources are available as "pro tab", which afaik is only accessible through paid...

Refinished with the cheap brand of tung oil. Left on a thin layer for 36 hours before gently wiping down. Still a bit oily/sticky, but left a fairly smooth and even finish.

Rationale: "Oil paint...

Just wish I had done it sooner. With the friendly and helpful attitude commonly found here, I guess I could have avoided a few pitfalls if I did. The main instrument assembly was already done when I...

Good ideas, and useful knowledge. No, I didn't know that. Thanks a lot!