My first mandolin build.

[Sasquatch]

I began my luthier journey a few months ago by starting my first mandolin. Since I own 2 F5's & having a longtime desire to have one, I decided on building an Oval F. Using the Siminoff plans for the F2/F4. Made my own templates, rim form etc. Ordered wood from Old Standard Wood in Fulton MO. Using Red Spruce & Red Maple. Have top nearly done, rib set ready and back roughed out for final dimensions. Neck is rough cut & truss rod pocket routed as well.
It was suggested to me from a friend in the SAW group that I post in this forum. Any feedback would be great. I have much to learn but am enjoying the ride!
Here are a few pics of the process.

[billhay4]

Looking good. You don't believe in starting slow, do you?
Bill

[Denny Gies]

Wow, you should be proud.

[Eric C.]

Looking good! FYI, regular glasses are not a good substitute for safety goggles. Mine never really prevented sawdust, etc. getting past the small lenses and irritating my eyes building cabinets and such.

[F-2 Dave]

Looking really good. I envy people with the talent and patience to build. Just curious though, are you going to put 'The Sasquatch' on the peg head?

[Brly]

Off to a good start! I went down the same route. Beware, you will soon find yourself buying up all the pretty wood you come across...
Ben

[Bluetickhound]

Looks really good and Ben is totally correct.... if you don't watch out you'll find yourself looking at every piece of wood you see thinking..."Hmmmmm...." I know I do... I saw on Spruce's site that he has a Doug fir high school bleacher plank, perfectly quartersawn (and complete with chewing gum stuck to it) for sale so at least I'm not the only one....

[Sasquatch]

F2 Dave- The answer is yes on the peghead. I finalized the lettering design last night actually. My logo inlay will be of a sketch I drew. The sketch is that of a walking sasquatch. Making it with some bloodwood veneer I bought from RC Tonewoods. I chose this wood for 2 reasons. It represents my Savior's atoning blood and it should reflect a 'squatch's' red hue. It will contrast greatly inlayed in black ebony. At least I hope so! I will post a pic shortly.
BTW, I have found myself doing the wood thing. Matter of fact, I have some huge pieces of cherry that were given to me that I am trying to saw into wedges for drying.
Thanks to all for the encouraging words.

[F-2 Dave]

Very cool. Can't wait to see it.

[Pete Jenner]

It represents my Savior's atoning blood

Bloody hell!

Nice job so far on the mandolin.

[Sasquatch]

Pete. I just mentioned my reasoning for the use of bloodwood. You obviously mentioned your view. Not going there on this forum. Not the place. We'll stick to the mandolins. That cool?
Thanks for the compliment. And I agree with your sig....especially in the mando world. I seem to know less evrytime I pick one up, whether playing or building!

[StuartGold]

Great job. Really looking forward to seeing the completed project. I am currently working on my first scratch build (an F4/5 hybred with an oval hole and 15 frets to the neck) just wondering how the specs that you received from Siminoff compared to the standard F5 top thickness specs. I took this image from your post and added a light red shaded area that I am particularly interested in. What are the recommend thickness around the oval and under the bridge? Are you planning to use a transverse brace or X" bracing. anyway, great job so far......... Stuart

[Sasquatch]

Stuart- The area you highlighted is an interesting subject. Matter of fact, an hour before writing this I was carving this very area on my top. Siminoff's prints are 'targets' based on several F4 tops measured by him over the years. The center suggestion is .210. Then every 5/8" the dimensions change as suspected and follow the loop type pattern pictured above. From .210 to .205 to .195 to .185 to .165 to .138. Minimum area is .120. Again, merely suggestions or targets.
I was going to do X-bracing but decided to go original. I actually spoke to Roger Siminoff on the phone about this. He is all for trying different bracing but gave good reasons to stay with the traditional brace. I plan on doing one in the future with a X-brace. I have a pattern drawn up that I may use.
Have you seen McClannahan Mandolins website? He does awesome stuff with X-braces in old Gibson F2/4's.
Thanks for the kind words.

[Rob Grant]

[QUOTE=Sasquatch;1311612]Pete. I just mentioned my reasoning for the use of bloodwood. You obviously mentioned your view. Not going there on this forum. Not the place. We'll stick to the mandolins. That cool?


Me thinks there might just be a tad bit of misinterpretation of our Oz vernacular concerning Pete's initial response.<g>

[Sasquatch]

Rob- I made an assumption. My apologies to my mando friends of the Oz vernacular.
BTW, I have been on your website before and really enjoyed browsing through the pics. Your mandolins look amazing. I am especially drawn to the finish of the 'Black Pearl. I am considering doing my F4 with a black top and red mahogany sides and back. Similar to the early Gibsons. I have grown to love black on mandos. Last week I was fortunate enough to play a mid 30's black finished Gibson F12. Sadly the fellow had scraped the top to the bare wood! Other than that sounded awesome.
Any pointers about black finish on spruce you are willing to share with a novice?

[JEStanek]

Looks very good. Can't wait to see it all finished.

Jamie

[Rob Grant]

Sasquatch,

No worries 'ol son, no offense taken at all; no apologies necessary.

Now, about that "blacktop" mandolin. I did the black top on the "Black Pearl" as a means of covering up a cosmetic fault that came up in the last stages of graduation. It was very successful, but now I'm having trouble prying the instrument from the hands of my mando playing missus' (my "test pilot").<g>

The black was created by spraying the top with a flat black automotive primer and then hitting it with a clear coat of "Estapol" ( an aussie brand of polyurethane). Normally I use French polish for a clear coat on my mandolins, but FP wouldn't lay down properly over the black primer surface for some reason. I'm pretty satisfied with the results... so is the wife!<g>

[Russ Donahue]

I am very envious.

[High Lonesome Valley]

Pete. I just mentioned my reasoning for the use of bloodwood. You obviously mentioned your view.

Bloodwood. There I said it, that's final, I'm not changing my mind.

Really great build, Sasquatch. What brand chisels, if any?

I saw the head repairman at Martin Inc. take a circular sander on a drill, just like yours, to shave down THE Lester Flatt guitar bridge, the Beverly Hillibillies one, with no masking on the top, no lie. When I asked if I could touch it, he said "No, nobody but me is allowed to touch it", then proceeded to hand me the guitar.

Nothing like your own blood, sweat and tears to make a hand-built instrument to sound sweet.

[Bluetickhound]

In my case, emphasis on the sweat!! It gets hot in the garage... especially in August!

[Sasquatch]

Outside of top is where I want it so I am doing the final dimension targets on the inside. As the second pic shows, I am producing more chips than Frito-Lay!
Also, sharing my name plate design. As suspected by so some already, it is my nickname. Not revealing the logo....yet anyways!!

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Rob Grant]

"Also, sharing my name plate design. As suspected by some already, it is my nickname. Not revealing the logo....yet anyways!!"

Just curious... based on shoe size???<G>

[Sasquatch]

Mr. Grant,

My brother-in-law tagged me with the 'Squatch' name. It stuck. I am told by some I have a strange gait that reminds them of the sasquatch's walking on videos seen on Youtube and such. I do have big feet too and a big noggin' to boot that perhaps contributes to the signet. Either way, I decided not to fight it but rather embrace it. When I decided to wade into mandolin building, the obvious choice for a name & logo simply had to involve the mythical creature. Just found out that there were reports of a few sightings here in our county in Indiana. The 'Blue Clay Falls Monster' it was called then. Hmmn......I'm thinking an instrumental named after this.