Look, it’s 300 posts in and you’ve shared no progress just spilled blood and chat. Nothing wrong with that but, have you actually done anything other than beating on a piece of poplar with caveman tools after well meaning folks have offered insight as to taking steps to learn the woodworking skills which need to be developed?
Taking a hammer and chisel to a piece of wood is all well and good but, have you learned to make anything? If you are trying to level and smooth a piece of poplar needs a plane not a chisel, the right tool for the job will help with blood loss and quality workmanship.
How much more encouragement do you need to start showing your progress? Have you made a box? Have you practiced any forms of joinery? Even sanding something level is a start.
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
Perhaps the best course of action, Pranav, is to work on whatever you are doing and come back here with questions that show that you are following some sensible path. As you may have noticed, many of the knowledgeable people here are not posting any more and you may lose the other ones who are still here.
Why would you put mandocello strings on a piccolo body? Ask your Physics teacher what he or she thinks. Have yiu ever looked at mandocello strings? The lowest ones are considerably thicker than guitar strings.
So far every time we tell you to stick to the mainstream methods and standards you want to veer off into outer limits. Very strange. Build a mandolin of mandolin size and put mandolin strings on it.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
PVW----perhaps accessing Youtube and typing in "How to build a mandolin" would give you a huge assortment of videos that would point you in the right direction and would motivate you to take action and enable you to quit dithering. I am starting to think that the time you have spent posting nonsense in previous posts is nothing more than "cat fishing".....you seem to be garnering a lot of attention but have little to show as far as producing a mandolin. It reminds me of a girl I knew in high school who wanted to be asked to be in the play so she could say "no." I am 100% supportive of you if you actually get on the stick and start building. If it was easy---everyone could do it.
Why don’t you share your plan? I would think you would have a list of the tasks and have the steps arranged in order before you started beating on some wood. Did you make a full sized layout so you could make the parts to match? If you don’t have a plan you’re just wasting everyone’s time
Hopefully you won’t get hurt, again.
Not all the clams are at the beach
Arrow Manouche
Arrow Jazzbo
Arrow G
Clark 2 point
Gibson F5L
Gibson A-4
Ratliff CountryBoy A
I was thinking this was a really long set up for April Fool's Day, but here it is the 3rd...
Here's how you do it --
Steve
Wow! Amazing video, Steve, thanks for posting! Who says you need a fancy vise or clamps? This guy never heard of StewMac! Reminds me of the old expression, "making a way out of no way!"
That guy has had a lot of practice to do what he does with what he has. Simply amazing.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
Great video! Just about convinced me to quit machine sanding the top and back overhang and start using a machete.
I've used my trusty medium sized bowie knife quite often for initial neck shaping and even trimming back overhang when the maple was not too cooperative... Works pretty well but can do quite a damage if you miss the target. These days I try to cut with saw as close as possible to the "line" so no tools of mass destruction are needed.
Adrian
Ten days and not a peep!? Have we all been taken in by Pranav?
Or has this thread been a figment of our collective imagination?
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
Timothy, I fear you may be reopening Pandora's box. I only hope there have been no more trips to the casualty department (or ER, as you folks across the Atlantic call it, I believe.
I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. - Eric Morecambe
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOldBores
You know John, I thought that as soon as I posted the note!
I’d prefer to think the guy is trying to make a box or glue two pieces of something together!
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
OK, I am new here and don't want to annoy people right out of the gate, just looking through the Build and Repair section for build threads. I thought I would read this one as I did something similar but on the guitar side of life. I did read the first ten pages but then decided to see where things are currently and decided to skip some of the middle. No offense to any that stuck it out (and I commend you) but I don't have the patience.
That all said and done I do have some woodworking experience and did a hack build with hand tools and questionable materials. While a short scale nylon guitar does not have the stress of a mandolin I managed to make a playable instrument out of a 2"x4", a fence board and a bit of maple for the fretboard and the bridge. While I would not really recommend anyone using the same wood (although the 2x4 was a good piece of wood) there may be a few ideas that Pranav might be able to use.
https://forum.canadianwoodworking.co...yone-can-build
Printer2, That's a pretty neat job you did there - and really helpful.
Although I really wish you guys would stop removing all my good excuses for not building...
I don't know if Pranav is still reading this thread, but there are two things not visible in your thread on the shoestring guitar and thatm of course, is your patience and woodworking experience. A rank amateur needs to gain those attributes to do what you did, whether it was with low cost wood or AAAA quality.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Very ingenious ways to build, you also have something Pranav doesn't have, tools. I especially liked the way you cut the sound hole and flattened the saddle slot. Being able to improvise tools to do what you need is a valuable gift to have.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
The bigger point here is that someone is actually building. It's easy to talk about it, harder to execute the build. Nice work printer2.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
And that is the nice thing of forums like this one, a wealth of experience available. Yes there is knowing how much to give and take with the tools and wood, you are only going to get that by working with your hands. But throughout the thread I read a lot of good suggestions that might have seen the OP a ways farther along.
It is one thing to know you built something with your bare hands but your first time out you probably will not get a visually great instrument or quite the sound you want. But then again I have seen people's instruments that look fantastic first time out. I am handy and my first guitar was pretty good but had its flaws, darn you wood bindings.
Now if I were to go the limited tool route in building a mandolin I would spring for a hand drill at least. Using a bit and a depth stop should make carving out the top and back much easier than hammering away at a piece of wood. Going to have to drill holes for the tuners anyway. Otherwise I think I could build a mandolin with no more than I used in my budget guitar build. One thing I do like to tell people wanting to build a guitar is to build a ukulele first. Not as big a project and if it has a few things that could be done better your next build will probably see those corrected. A mandolin seems like it might have a little less latitude for error if you want a reasonable instrument.
I do want to build one myself but the reason I am here is I saw a Rogue for sale yesterday and picked it up. I have too many guitars I need to finish than to start a new project, the few bucks I paid for the Rogue was worth it even though I can tell it is not as rich a sounding instrument as can be. My first dip in the mandolin pond, I'll build one at some point in time.
Hey everybody, it's been a while. I kind of put a hold on this project and I don't plan to get back to it until I have the stuff I need to do a good job. In the meantime, I will continue watching videos, reading, and looking at the forums. Thanks for the help though. I can't wait to get back on this project.
Bookmarks