Mandolin Coming Along

Well, I've made some progress on the Mandolin. I've done some veneers on the back & top of the headstock and trimmed it to shape using a piece of tool steel sharpened and set in a drill press. My preferred method for doing this. Very safe for the headstock & my fingers.

I've also rough tapered the neck so now it sort of looks like a Mandolin..

Guess I have to break out the go-bar deck next and finish the back .....

It is a really simple method, not fast as it takes many passes but easy and safe

See it does look like a Mandolin

Carving a Mandolin Top

I'm making progress on carving the top for this Sobell/Kay style mandolin..

I confess I used all the tricks to speed up the process like a drill press to set the curve and a safty planer to rough out the shape but still of course finishing it with finger planes...

Figuring out the arch

Lots of wood chips

After a bit of sanding

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...