new top F hole repair

[Jim Hilburn]

As far as fixing mistakes goes it kind of depends on if your selling it or not.

[j. condino]

If you want to keep that top, you can always oversize the f holes and then bind them.

Many think a well done blacktop is a beautiful work of art. I made my first one this year after 350+ instruments, by choice, and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it.

[Bob Schmidt]

Thanks everyone. I do plan on trying to improve the repair, but will use the top reguardless. I plan on picking up another back and side set to build for this top, and have ordered a new piece for another top.
I don't plan to sell either one, but will probably give one to someone to beat on to see how it holds up. This is all instructive and the skills needed for both building and repair are valuable. I hope one will turn out to be a good OM to use.
It seems the only way to get a sense of what the finished top should sound like is to keep notes and see how the finished instruments sound, so 2 instruments are better then one. I will try both carving and a jewelers saw on the next attempt to see which I am most comfortable with.

[sunburst]

...It seems the only way to get a sense of what the finished top should sound like is to keep notes and see how the finished instruments sound, so 2 instruments are better then one. I will try both carving and a jewelers saw on the next attempt to see which I am most comfortable with..

By all means take notes and write down a lot of stuff even if it seems trivial or if you think you'll remember so you don't have to write it down. I have notes going back about 35 years, however, and just about the only use I get from them is looking up past builds to see what materials were used, who it was for, what style etc.. My early notes had a bunch of worthless info about tone bar shapes and sizes, tap notes attempted and stuff like that. That info is of no use to me now.
Later I started recording stuff like arch heights and plate weights. That is info I can use to some extent.
Don't expect any patterns to emerge from two mandolins. It may take double digits for that to start to happen.

[Walt]

There is more than few Stradivari violins with knots, pitch pockets or other defects in tops or backs. They get rarely pictured or showcased so the "mystery" of perfect Strad won't be damaged on public... some folks have millions in it.

Speaking of...someone just posted this pretty cool picture of a Guarneri violin on Instagram.

[belbein]

I'm with the "fix it/don't throw it" crowd. I understand why, if I were a professional builder, it's more economical to throw something away and start over. But as a non-professional, what I want is the knowledge that comes from figuring out how to cover up or fix or disguise my mistakes. There isn't anyone I know of, no matter how experienced, who doesn't make mistakes--they're just experienced enough to know how to fix it when they do. I want that knowledge.

So the two instruments on my workbench: one was a bass ukulele build that I converted on the fly to a mandola, and screwed up the neck; the other is an acoustic bass guitar that, when I was just about to close it up, I ended up putting holes in the ribs by means of a distintegrating rotary tool bit. Between them, I've spend a long, long time repairing them. It would have been easier to throw either away. But the skills I've learned from first problem-solving the various problems, and then applying those solutions … those skills are priceless. Like someone above said: if you're building you become an expert at repair.

I'm no expert on anything. Except maybe not panicking when I f*** up yet again.

And PS: that repair looks damn good to me. If you do a thick French polish, it will be invisible. As my wife always tells me: the only one who can see your repairs of your screw ups is you.

[j. condino]

.....It seems the only way to get a sense of what the finished top should sound like is to keep notes and see how the finished instruments sound.....

I has been very well documented here, in several other publications, and at both the Guild of American Luthier's convention and the ASIA convention of a very reliable method to hear exactly what your top will sound like after approx. 12 hours of build time.

[buckhorn]

I've tried several ways to cut out the sound holes but this works best for me.. After tracing the holes out, I will use the smallest brad point drill I have and drill out the hole being careful to leave lots of room from the trace line.. Using a craft knife, I'll trim out the hole always cutting with the grain.. After having a rough hole, I use a dremmel tool with the smallest sanding drum to come up to the trace line.. After the line is reached, I will hand sand to barely take the sharp edge off and eliminate any cracks or chips from happening...