Back To Building

I've been away from instrument building for a while  as I was working on some home improvements and went away on vacation..  Now its time to get back to building things with strings..

Joe who is helping me with the archtop tenor is tied up for a few months so while I'm waiting for him to have some free time I'll move on to the next project..

A Mandolin.. in the Sobell Style but in a body shape the hints at an old Kay Mandolin..

Rosewood and Englemann Spruce with Blood wood trim...

Should be interesting...

Closing the Box & Binding

Everything went well closing the box and after a few modifications to the binding cutter to handle the steep curve of the top the binding channels got cut.

I used CA glue this time for the bindings which worked well for these.. The binding scheme is pretty straight forward and the end wedge is sort of the style I seem to be doing on most these days.. Sort of a picture frame look.

Next is carving the recurve in the top and back.

Clamps, clamps clamps

Three pieces now one

Framed end wedge

All binding done

Making a Fret Board

I opted for a pretty simple fret board, African Blackwood with a black/white binding and abalone dots.. It came together nice & quick..

Getting Ready to Close Things Up!

I'm getting ready to close up the archtop tenor.. the sides have kerfing installed and some side braces. They have also been sanded flat on the top & bottom to receive the top & bottom..

I've also done some work on  the neck so it is all glued together..

Sides (or rims as some say) all ready

Test fitting, some excess to trim 

3 piece neck glued up

Archtop Progress

So the top and back are carved to the point where they can be glued to the rims and have the re-curve carved then. The top has also had the braces shaped & glued on and it has been voiced to the best of my ability..

Today I planed the sides down to 2mm ready for bending.

Looks about right I think

And with the braces on the top

Sides ready to be bent

Wood Shavings

OK working on the back of the arch top is making a pile of shavings.. Going well but time to clean up.

Rough work done on the outside back

Preparing the inside, yes I'm doing it the easy way

And more shavings

OK OK I need to vacuum

Done

Tenor #4 is done.. Whew, always nice when it actually plays and sounds OK, this one seems pretty mellow..  All in all it went pretty good, I know now exactly what not to do on an arm bevel, and I think the new neck joint worked out good..

To Recap:

Top 3000 year old Sitka Spruce from Alaska (dug up during construction)
Back & sides Zircote
Neck Peruvian Walnut
Fretboard & Bridge Ebony
Rosette, Arm Bevel & Bindings Flamed Maple
Schaller tuners
Gold Mother of Pearl inlays
Bone nut & saddle
X-braced
Bolt on removable neck
Finish Royal Lac hard shellac
"Irish" or Octave Mandolin tuning (GDAE)