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Been busy the last few days but did get in to start cleaning out the binding channels in preparation for gluing the binding in. The channels don't always come out the right size. In this case I want 0.060" but in some places they were closer to 0.050" so I use a flat file with a safe edge and carefully bring them to the correct size. A piece of scrap fiber binding that is exactly 60 thou is used as a gauge. I read something recently what someone said about this job that hits the mark: it takes what it takes

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

The file is not much use in the inside curves. For these I use a razor blade with a slight edge turned on it. If you look close you can see the shavings.


Haven't made much progress lately because I've been building an addition on to the shop - unfortunately no extra square footage (cause I could really use it) but a stone walkway up to the house. My wife has wanted me to put one in for a long time to reduce the various unmentionables that I track into the house walking back up in the dark Glad it's finished, there's about 2500 lbs of stone in that thing and it will probably be a week or two before I'm back to normal. At least my project manager seems to approve


Now that the binding channels are ready, I was able to get the bindings bent. Hopefully I can get them in later today.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Nice walkway! I like the gentle curve around the tree. To me it says"I usually think about instruments, but just happen to be building a walkway".

Great job with the heel, by the way. To use the razor blade as scraper, do you file/burnish it like a scraper blade?

Thanks Zach, I like curves when I do landscape stuff but if I never make another rock walkway that will be fine with me.

I burnish the razor blades somewhat like you would a card scraper. I use a 45 to 60 degree angle with an old screwdriver. For finer work I use less pressure on the screwdriver.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Got the binding installed but still need to scrape it level. Binding is Amazon rosewood and it took me as much or more time to do this mandolin than it would for a guitar body. But at least it is done and I think it will go well with the color scheme we've selected - dark red translucent top and a deep honey back/sides/ neck. I put a wash coat of shellac on the top and around the binding channels then used tape, rubber bands, and clamps to get everything tight before gluing with CA. Next step is to scrape them level and then even out the reveal all the way around.




Also did some work on the pick guard, it attaches to the mandolin with two 1/8" pins that are sandwiched between the pick guard and a piece of wood about 3/8" wide that glues to the bottom. Both pieces are routed for the 1/8" stock, I'm using brass in this case because I had some laying around. Here I've done the layout for the routing, it's easier to see than it looks in the photo. I'll finish that and get everything fitting correctly before I do the final shaping on the narrow piece.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

We all have our favorite tools for doing different tasks. Here are two of mine for cleaning up the bindings. First is that miniature block plane, I use it to knock the edge down off the top of the bindings. I used to use a standard low angle block plane but I like this little one better for this task.


Second is the Carruth scraper. Once you figure out how to sharpen them well they are hard to beat.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thats looking good. Hope I can hit a lick on mine Everyone is out of school and out of town so I'm getting back in the shop this weekend

I remember those days. Hard to get in the shop with all the kids activities! I think you'll enjoy the mandolin project although it's been more work than I expected. I'm hoping to have strings on this one by the next meeting, either way I'll bring it with me.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

You're building a very handsome mandolin, Steve. I like the way you're working your way over or around the various little hurdles that have come up. Extra-nice save on the heel trim, by the way!

Patrick

Thanks Patrick. I'm trying to think 3 steps ahead so I don't get myself boxed in with some of these unanticipated opportunities

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Pick guard is routed and ready to glue together. This will probably make more sense than the earlier photo.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

No photos today but I did finish the pick guard and started on the fretboard. I'm using the 13.875" scale and slotted the board with the same 0.024" blade that I use for guitar boards. I also installed 5mm Paua dots for the markers.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I use a pretty standard setup to cut my fret slots.


Got the board slotted and Paua dots in. Put them in the correct locations this time


I used brads to locate the fret board since I want to fret the board off of the neck and didn't want to leave any frets out; for guitars I use 1/16" pins in two slots and pull them after the fret board is glued on. Rough cut bone nut is there for spacing.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Fret board trimmed to shape.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I've been spending a lot of time scraping bindings and doing a few other things in the shop so didn't have much to show but got started on the fret board extension.

Since I had made a copy of this part of the plans, again I just CA'd some cutouts to my maple block. Depending on what I'm doing I also use fish glue or Titebond but with CA I can hit it with accelerator and it is ready almost instantly.


After I took the top and bottom slices I needed to get the correct angle to rough in the shape of the sides. If you look close you can see that I used double-stick tape to put the bottom slice back on temporarily so I could easily make the cut on the bandsaw. I put the double stick tape on and then give it a few taps with a plastic-headed mallet so the adhesive will grab better. After doing the cut a bit of Naptha separates the blocks.


Rough shaping is done

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Extension is done. Screw is to hold it down while the glue dries.


Got the side dots done too

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Wow, looks like you are down to fretting, making a bridge and nut. Then string it up!
Finally got my F5C stripped down and sanded. Doing the sunburst now...

Your mandolin is looking super good! I really like the wood binding and the joinery looks very good. I was curious about the 9th fret marker. In one post you say " Put them in the correct locations this time". I guess this confused me a little. Why the 9 rather than the 10? Was the 9th a buyers request? Either way is ok for a mandolin but I think the 10 is much more standard.

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http://www.cushmanguitars.com/.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

Hans, glad to hear you have been able to get back in the shop a bit. I've got the bridge so I just need to fret the board, get it glued on and finish the nut.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks Matt! I have been know to put fret markers at odd frets by accident such as the 4th or 8th In this case I just did what I do for guitars Guess I'll check with the future owner and see what he wants. Thanks for pointing that out.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Instruments that are tuned in fifths usually have a 10th fret marker. Tenor guitars come to mind. Some mandolins do have a marker on the 9th but I can't remember the brand. I get mixed up between guitar and mandolin fret markers. In fact, I got so tired of counting up the fretboard checking marker positions, I made a couple of simple cardboard templates, so I could drill with confidence.

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http://www.cushmanguitars.com/.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

Makes sense. A template is a good idea. I may just go ahead and change it otherwise it'll bug me

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I'd change it. Never used to have this problem till I started building guitars again along with mandolins. I keep a photo of a mandolin and guitar fretboard just to make sure. I've done it wrong several times.
To straighten the neck, I made a jig (looks like a cross) out of 2x4 ash that has a longitudinal and cross section cut out and then glued together. The cutout area is padded with cork. The mandolin is clamped with 5 cam clamps to the cross, then (with the mandolin strung to pitch) a block is put under the neck at the nut. Then the strings are removed and the neck is sanded flat lengthwise. Works fine on a radius neck too. Then you can fret it and string it up. Doing this carefully is obviously important. If your T/R is dual action, give it a crank to just snug it up and a little more.
That should get you to fretting.

So today was supposed to be fretting but after looking at some photos of mandolins I had to change that 9th fret marker. Some of the newer builders might be interested in how I'm going to do this. In some earlier fixes I simply drilled out the marker and filled it with an ebony plug - this was on one of my guitars so no big deal and no one but me has ever noticed it. However, this mandolin is not for me so it needs to be an invisible fix.

First I drilled out the side dot - that was easy.
Next I rummaged through my bag of miniature tubing (a good thing to have) and found a piece of brass with an ID of just over 1/16". I used some needle files to cut teeth in the end, chucked it into a dremel tool and cut a couple of plugs each about 3/16" long.


First plug didn't work cause I drilled too fast, it got hot and turned kinda dusty (as it burned up) Next time I drilled slower and in steps. That one worked and I used a razor saw to cut it loose.


Tapped it in and glued it with CA.


The fretboard has some brown in it so fortunately I had a cutoff that will match exactly. I put the cutoff piece on a board with double stick tape and used my cutoff saw to get the right size piece.


Next I took my inlay tool and removed the wood between the 8th and 9th fret. Did that on my homemade downdraft table so kept all that black dust out of my nose.


Glued it together with some of the black CA from StewMac and left it to sit overnight. I've found that CA in ebony glue ups can take a while to cure I think because the wood is so non porous.
We'll see how it came out tomorrow. If it isn't right then I'll make a new fret board.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Hans, since you know where I'm at here, is this something that you typically do with a new mandolin? And yes, the TR is dual action.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"