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Thread: Mandocello build thread

  1. #401
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Sorry John, I must have missed that line! You clearly stated what you use! Duh!!
    This is so cool to watch.
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  2. #402
    NY Naturalist BradKlein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by sunburst View Post
    I more recently discovered that some black ink that I bought for refilling printer cartridges (an experiment that didn't work out) is some seriously black stuff!
    I presume the experiment didn't work out because although you could feed a 'black-top' mandolin into the auxiliary paper tray of the printer, it always jammed. Oh well. Worth a try...
    BradKlein
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  4. #403
    Adrian Minarovic
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I have a quill somewhere in my shop. Must find it. I've always used sharpened toothpick for tiny places. I also found out that using alcohol dyes for touchup can eat into varnish so I dip q-tip into stain, let it dry and then use drop of water to activate the q-tip and color the spot. (OK I'll admit, my wife always wonders why I have brown spots on my tongue when I get back from finish touchup :-)...)

    Quote Originally Posted by sunburst View Post
    I more recently discovered that some black ink that I bought for refilling printer cartridges (an experiment that didn't work out) is some seriously black stuff! I started using it to black truss rod pockets rather than painting them.
    I've used black toner powder (for copiers) with good results for blackening fingerboards (maple boards on violins) or headstocks.
    Last edited by HoGo; Sep-29-2017 at 4:44am.
    Adrian

  5. #404
    Adrian Minarovic
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by BradKlein View Post
    I presume the experiment didn't work out because although you could feed a 'black-top' mandolin into the auxiliary paper tray of the printer, it always jammed. Oh well. Worth a try...
    One has to do this before the top is attached to body and preferably flat-top (but don't use the drawer but side-feed) :-)
    Adrian

  6. #405
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I've sprayed and sanded the little finish touch-up area enough to wait out the finish cure, and since my materials and technique seem to have raised some curiosity I managed to get a snap shot that shows the result. I had to get the reflections away from the area and overexpose the bindings to get the color to show in the picture. I'll even post a "before" picture next to it to point out where the touch-up is located. I can't see the touch-up in the picture or in person.
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  8. #406
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Looks great, John!
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  9. #407
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    ...and sanding...
    Another sanding report. The mandocello is sanded to 1500 grit and it's ready for me to see if I can buff through. Finger's crossed.
    The floor is sanded to 100 grit and is nearly ready for finish.
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  11. #408
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    The 'cello survived the buffing wheels with no disasters and no buff-throughs. A little hand rubbing and the finish has a high gloss.
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    We used to say "you can read the wattage of the light bulb in the reflection!" when we wanted to describe a high gloss finish. Well, it looks like LED light bulbs don't have a wattage printed on them so well have to think of something else. If you can read backwards, however, you can read the warning in the bench lamp that tries to keep me from hurting myself by using a bulb with a wattage too high!
    Click image for larger version. 

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  12. #409
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Starting on the fret work.
    I masked the fingerboard to keep the finish off of it. Now that the finish is done, the masking tape needs to be removed. Rather than just peeling it off, I cut the finish around the edges of the tape so that the danger of peeling finish off of the instrument is nearly completely eliminated.
    I deliberately left the fret ends rather steep at the edge of the 'board (at the binding)...
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    ...so that I can now file the fret ends to a better angle and in the process cut the finish down to the corners of the bindings.
    I used an emery board to file the corner in the curve.
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    I also filed the corner of the peghead overlay where it meets the nut slot.
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  13. #410
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    With the finish cut all the way around the edge of the masking tape, I pulled it off to leave the fingerboard looking like this. It is pretty clean, hardly any leaks of dyes or finish.
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    The little bit of color and lacquer that leaked at the frets is easily scraped off with an exacto blade.
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  14. #411
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Nice!
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  15. #412
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I've already done this before finishing, but I checked the frets for level once more before proceeding.
    I made this "fret rocker" from a yard sale adjustable square. I checked for rockers and tapped down any high frets that I found.
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  16. #413
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I worked the frets in two sections; from 1 to 12 and from 13 to 24. My drop-off that I established beyond the 12 fret is the reason for that.
    After using the fret rocker to get the frets as level as I could, all it took was this 400 grit diamond sharpening "stone" to completely level the frets from 1 to 12.
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    As usual, the frets on the extender are not quite so level because of the difficulty of tapping frets on that bouncy, unsupported area. I used a leveling file for a few strokes before moving on the the diamond stone.
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    Here are the tools I used to level the frets.
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  17. #414
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    After leveling, the frets have a small flat area at the top.
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    I used this Gurian style crowning file to reestablish the crown on each fret...
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    ...then finished the ends of the frets using a couple of safe edge files followed by polishing with 0000 steel wool.
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  19. #415
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    "I ain't got the words" -Texas Jack Vermillion.
    John that is truly a thing of beauty, and it's owner will have a joy to behold and enjoy for a lifetime!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  20. #416
    Registered User tree's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Time for some strings!
    Clark Beavans

  21. #417
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I might get the strings today. The need for mandocello strings sort of "snuck" up on me. It's sort of like the bridge; you can't just go out and buy a set. (You don't just go get a mandochello case either. It's currently in a guitar gig bag.)

  22. #418
    NY Naturalist BradKlein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by sunburst View Post
    (You don't just go get a mandochello case either. It's currently in a guitar gig bag.)
    I speak for the entire Cafe, when I say, "we are looking forward to a long and detailed case-building thread to accompany this excellent and illuminating one!"
    BradKlein
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  23. #419
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by BradKlein View Post
    I speak for the entire Cafe, when I say, "we are looking forward to a long and detailed case-building thread to accompany this excellent and illuminating one!"
    You'll probably have to entice Cedar Creek to do that thread... If I can get the dollars together to go that route.
    (I built a mandolin case once. "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.")

  24. #420
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    You know how, when you are almost finished with your first instrument you get really anxious? Can't wait to finish it up and see how it sounds? Work on it for too many hours trying to get done?
    Well, I guess we eventually outgrow that.

    First, I didn't have a set of mandocello strings so I didn't know how to cut the bridge top. I didn't know if there were plain steel strings and wound strings in the set, all wound strings, or what. So I ordered a set of strings and waited for them to show up. While I was waiting, I was working on the house, working on repairs that people have been waiting for and stuff like that, so the mandocello sort of got back burner treatment for a while.

    Finally I get ready to start setting the mandocello up. I found the tuners that I had bought for it, grabbed my box of tailpieces, and...
    I ran out of rhodium (looks like nickel) plated tailpieces to match the nickel plated tuners! It takes a while to get e new batch of tailpieces done, so I started trying to find a good set of gold plated tuners. That's not as easy as it used to be. I was going to use Stewmac's elite tuners, but guess what? They don't sell them for F-style in gold plating... so I dis covered that the Schaller "Grandtune" set is available with gold plating, and ordered a set of those.

    So, with all my hardware in hand I finally got back to work on the 'cello.

  25. #421
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Looks like I left off with the bridge looking like this:
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    I marked the string positions on the bridge top...
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    cut shallow notches at the back edge of the bridge top to position the strings for determining the cut of the bridge for intonation compensation, and bent these little pieces of wire.
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    With these little things, I can put strings on and move the wires until I have good intonation, mark the positions of the wires, then cut for proper intonation.

  26. #422
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    After cutting the bridge top to my marks, sanding and finishing the bridge, I looked like this.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  27. #423
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I'll back up a little bit now.
    Here I am preparing the holes in the peghead for tuner bushings...
    Click image for larger version. 

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    ...and the tuners in place to center-punch for the screw holes... all 10 of them! Yes, that's right, 10 chances to slip with a tool and do damage to the peghead. Some tuners only have 6 screws and that's plenty. At least they used small screws so the holes don't have to be too big and deep (with 10 of them, why not use small screws?), and they used Philips screws so keeping a screw driver from slipping out of a screw is reasonably easy.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Here are the tuners installed.
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  28. #424
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Unlike some of the big names in mandolin building, Schaller didn't offer to send me a set of these tuners to critique, but while I'm at it, here is something else I found that I don't like.
    The posts are too short! I designed my peghead thickness and taper so that the capstan area of tuner posts would all fully extend through the bushings, but just barely. Shorten the post and I end up with less space for winding the strings on the posts closest to the fingerboard. Make one of those strings .074" in diameter, and you get this:
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    I had to remove that string, cut a little off, and re-install it.

  29. #425
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Otherwise, the tuners seem to be pretty well made for factory tuners. The finish and plating is so so, the pearloid buttons (only choice from my source) are just as ugly as the old Schallers (and that's saying something!), and whatever the gear ratio is, I wondered if I would ever get the strings up to pitch, and when I tune the instrument I wonder if the tuner is actually working because I have to turn the tuner so many times before anything starts to happen!
    So anyway, I'm not a fan of the Grandtunes, but they'll do the job.

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