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Thread: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

  1. #1
    Registered User Jritter3's Avatar
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    Default Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Hello all,

    I have a copy of the full-scale blueprint drawings for an f-style mandolin that come with Roger Siminoffs book, and I also see that you can buy similar plans and drawings on a couple of different websites. My question is, does anyone out there sell digital versions of these drawings?

    On a different note, for those of you that are utilizing some sort of CAD software, what program/s do you use?

  2. #2

    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Plenty of people have CAD files of F-style and A-style instruments. Usually, though, they have developed them for their own use, and don't sell them. Not that they wouldn't, for the right price...
    Also, most luthiers are not serious CAD jockeys, and prefer to make instruments rather than make drawings. A good set of plans can easily take as long to produce than an instrument.
    So most luthiers use Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino, and AutoCAD, or some combination thereof.

    For serious production work using a CNC, a parametric CAD system is essential. SolidWorks, Creo (formerly Pro/E), or Unigraphics NX. Since these programs are expensive, you won't find them in most small shops.

    DraftSight is a free AutoCAD clone. It does everything AutoCAD does, except for 3D. It's a great drafting tool, though, especially if you have previous AutoCAD experience.

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  4. #3

    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    If you just want PDFs (from which I suppose you could produce CAD files with a little effort), these folks have electronic plans for a A3, A5 and F5 style mandolins:

    http://ultimate-guitar-online.ultima...268c1ae446df2d

    I haven't used them to build anything, but I have downloaded and looked over the A5 plan, and it looks reasonably convincing.

  5. #4
    Mostly Harmless Tommcgtx's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    I use AutoCAD Civil 3D for my work, and I've often wondered what plans and or a 3D model of a mandolin would look like.

  6. #5
    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Not what you are looking for but there are some threads about the use of 3D modeling for building or designing mandolins.
    HERE is one and HERE is another and HERE is one more.
    Bill Snyder

  7. #6
    Registered User liestman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Dang, I was hoping this was going to be about digital mandolins! I would be interested in one, for quiet practice with headphones. Oh well.
    John Liestman -
    Eye new ewe wood lye kit!

  8. #7

    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Real digital mandolins aren't much fun to play, or listen to. You can only play two notes: "On" and "Off". Oh, you can play chords, sure.. but you need multiple mandolins to do it. And they're all playing the same note, so the only way you know what chord is being played is by counting them.
    After a full set of that nonsense, a basic pentatonic lick sounds like Maurice Ravel!

  9. #8

    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Quote Originally Posted by liestman View Post
    Dang, I was hoping this was going to be about digital mandolins! I would be interested in one, for quiet practice with headphones. Oh well.
    Just saw the back off a cheap mandolin that comes with a pickup.

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  11. #9

    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson View Post
    Plenty of people have CAD files of F-style and A-style instruments. Usually, though, they have developed them for their own use, and don't sell them. Not that they wouldn't, for the right price...
    Also, most luthiers are not serious CAD jockeys, and prefer to make instruments rather than make drawings. A good set of plans can easily take as long to produce than an instrument.
    So most luthiers use Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino, and AutoCAD, or some combination thereof.

    For serious production work using a CNC, a parametric CAD system is essential. SolidWorks, Creo (formerly Pro/E), or Unigraphics NX. Since these programs are expensive, you won't find them in most small shops.

    DraftSight is a free AutoCAD clone. It does everything AutoCAD does, except for 3D. It's a great drafting tool, though, especially if you have previous AutoCAD experience.
    You can also get actual AutoCAD for free if you are a student, or teacher.

  12. #10

    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Quote Originally Posted by PaniniWar View Post
    You can also get actual AutoCAD for free if you are a student, or teacher.
    That's true -- and while that was also true 5 years ago when we were discussing this, it was a hassle to get acess. Now you just go to the site and download it.
    Today, though, I would never recommend using AutoCAD. That would be like recommending that someone use a steam engine for a machine they're building. If you're starting from scratch, learn Fusion360, which is free even if you aren't a student or educator.

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  14. #11
    Laps, Banjos, & Mandos rudy44's Avatar
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    Default Re: Digital mandolin plans/drawings

    Quote Originally Posted by Jritter3 View Post
    Hello all,

    I have a copy of the full-scale blueprint drawings for an f-style mandolin that come with Roger Siminoffs book, and I also see that you can buy similar plans and drawings on a couple of different websites. My question is, does anyone out there sell digital versions of these drawings?

    On a different note, for those of you that are utilizing some sort of CAD software, what program/s do you use?
    I've used DesignCAD2D for years for all sorts of drawings. I used to produce full size construction prints for musical instruments and used to provide them in pdf form for end users, but had to halt that because my earlier work started to show up on free file sharing sites.
    That's why you don't see many of us who have spent countless hours becoming proficient with CAD drawing openly sharing dxf files that could take many hours of concentrated work to produce.
    rudy44

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