Mandolins in progress

[sunburst]

Everything here looks so neat and clean! Are you sure this is "progress", or are these just demo pieces? Wait until there's a good, photogenic stopping point and then post the pic...
C'mon, people, lets see a mess once in a while!

[Pete Jenner]

Everything here looks so neat and clean! Are you sure this is "progress", or are these just demo pieces? Wait until there's a good, photogenic stopping point and then post the pic...
C'mon, people, lets see a mess once in a while!

Oh a rebellion eh? I'm in.

I could post some really mucky ones.

[Jim Garber]

Yes, that is for the Ugly Side of Luthierie thread.

[JEStanek]

I actually am thankful for that photo, John. So many of our builders post (expertly composed and exposed) photos of immaculate instruments perfectly finished and completely drool worthy (like yours), tis refreshing to see one in progress looking like a work in progress!

[Steve Sorensen]

". . . so, you're saying your mandolins AREN'T available with fingerboards in 'Frog Tape' green with matching frets ? ? ? "

[Pete Jenner]

Here are some more in progress.

[sunburst]

A little scraping, filing and sanding later...


...or was it all just Photoshop?...

[shortymack]

A little scraping, filing and sanding later...


...or was it all just Photoshop?...

More like David Copperfield. Nice work! Now for your next trick.......

[sunburst]

". . . so, you're saying your mandolins AREN'T available with fingerboards in 'Frog Tape' green with matching frets ? ? ? "

What rock have you been under?? Green is soooooo last week!
Here we have a "tarp" blue fingerboard with matching frets. A stunning accent to a soon-to-be stained spruce top.

[Steve Sorensen]

Just for John -- Bench au natural, flat daylight balanced neon lighting and crummy shot layout -- just slapped some strings on this mandola and ready for a test ride.



Ever since I put a mandolin top-down on a screwdriver, that's about as messy as I let it get. My Mom would be so proud . . .

Steve

[Pete Jenner]

Just for John -- Bench au natural, flat daylight balanced neon lighting and crummy shot layout -- just slapped some strings on this mandola and ready for a test ride.



Ever since I put a mandolin top-down on a screwdriver, that's about as messy as I let it get. My Mom would be so proud . . .

Steve

That's a disgrace Steve. The towel isn't even straight.

[Steve Hinde]

Ready to sand and buff then out this weekend.

[rb3868]

that blue one is stunning!

[Steve-o]

Not sure if its dark blue or black, but I agree, "stunning" is the word. Reminds me of Hans Brentrup's "blackburst." Gorgeous flame on the right too.

[Steve Sorensen]

Sprite Two-Point mandola out for a test-ride in the white. For some reason, the Facebook video player squashed the picture . . .





Here's the same mandola after color, scraping the bindings and two coats of varnish --



Interesting birdseye that looks like bubbles meandering up through a soda.

Steve

[Max Girouard]

Big ole pile of wood destined to become a batch of mandolas............

[Mandobar]

batch of mandolas......boy, Max, you are very ambitious.

[Max Girouard]

Joining tops with hide glue. A quick pass over the jointer, then a little hand planing, inspection for a light tight joint then glueing the plates with the rubbed joint technique.

[Marty Jacobson]

Is this ugly enough for you, John?

[sunburst]

Nah, you can do better than that! (...worse than that?)
No glue squeeze-out, no gouges or sanding scratches, no blood spots...

[Sitka]

Martin,

would you mind explaining how you attach your top/back to the sides? I've heard that end grain doesn't make the strongest glue joint. Are you using some sort of support inside other than the end blocks?

Micah

[Max Girouard]

I purchased a CNC a little over a year ago. After 300 hours of learning cad and cam programs as well as machine operation and hold down methods, I'm at the point where if I can think it I can make it. First shot is my outside carving vacuum fixture. Next is the vacuum pump I'm running to pull the plate to the fixture, next the roughing pass, then a "finishing" pass. The jig is switched out to one that will hold the plate upside down and level, and the inside is hogged out. I leave the plates on the thick side to allow for final shaping by hand and hand graduation. This is actually the top profile I'm cutting on a piece of maple that I'll be using for a top secret experiment later in the year.

[Max Girouard]

Next I hand graduate the plate using finger planes followed by a sanding. Then I'll check the plate flexing it and seeing how it feels. I'll then continue on with the scrapers until the plate feels right. I'm not even concerned with graduation numbers at this point, just getting it until it feels right depending on the piece of wood I'm using. Next I'll stick the plate in my tonebar fitting jig I made. I'll cut some bar stock, then band saw it to approximate shape. I then use a bearing and a pencil to get accurate plate profiles drawn on the bar and saw and sand close to shape. Then the bar is loaded into the jig. Pony clamps hold the bar from sliding back and forth and rubber bands provide just enough pressure to hold the bar stock down.

[Max Girouard]

I'll then take some 80 grit stikit, with a paper backing applied and run it under the bar. After a few passes I get close, but not close enough. There can be no gaps at all. The next pic shows the bar after it has been sanded to 220. The plate is also sanded to 220 in just the spot that the tone bar meets. After I'm sure I've got a good fit, I'll rotate the jig to the next tonebar position and repeat. I glue up the tonebars with hot hide glue in a go bar deck. The second to last photo with the go bars just shows a dry fit to ensure I don't have any gaps. The last photo is of my go bar deck with the jig I made to hold the plate upside down and flat along with the go bars, my glue pot and a heat gun to warm the parts prior to glueing.

[Marty Jacobson]

Slick work, Max! Nice fixtures, and great refinement of the Tom Ribbecke tone bar fitting technique.