SBO22 - Mandola

[ronknor]

You need to patent these immediately and then charge us all licensing fees to make our own Flamingo Clamps!

OMG, I invented something! The square spool clamp! (Dice Clamp?) I have permanently put my stamp on luthiery! I'll be famous!



Let's just call them Flamingo Clamps, okay?

 

[Flamingo21]

I've taken off both cross braces from the top. Why? Because they pulled the top the wrong way, making it slightly concave. Now the braces are off, the top is a little bit convex, which I think is good.

 

[Flamingo21]

Shaping the neck. Not having a band saw, and not being proficient with planes and rasps, I got very creative with the router.

But as you can see, my router skills aren't that great either. All in all, I'm still a beginner.

Many of the mishaps will disappear with further shaping, so I'm not too worried. By the way, I laid it on a green paper bag for contrast, as the neck is virtually the same colour as the workbench.

Tilted headstock:

 

[boxerrider]

Part of learning to use a router is learning all of the different kinds of fences, guides, templates, and jigs that can be used to transform a router from a set of sharp spinning blades into a reliable tool. Another part is learning how the cutter interacts with the wood; reading grain, depth and direction of cut, how fast you feed it. . .
Some things you can learn from watching, and the rest you just need to learn from experience. It looks like you're on the right track!

 

[Flamingo21]

Some things you can learn from watching, and the rest you just need to learn from experience.

Oh yes, I'm definitely learning on both fronts, with every step I take.

Most of my router "jigs" so far, consist of wooden blocks of any size, mostly in pairs, clamped to the workbench in parallel to each other.

For days now, I've been so occupied with making each rig work, that I never thought of taking any photos. Sorry about that, will try to do better.

 

[Flamingo21]

Here's a sample of my clamped rigs. Not for routing this time, but for forstnering through the headstock.

(Is "forstnering" a word?)

 

[ardgedee]

(Is "forstnering" a word?)

It is now.

 

[RichterScale]

Someone needs to start a Luthier's dictionary and sticky it

 

[boxerrider]

Dear Sweet Wife is an English teacher. I take a more functional approach toward the language.
Words are tools you use to get me to understand.
"Forstnering," conveys to me that you are using a forsner bit to bore into something.
If I have received your message as intended, then we have communicated effectively, and forstnering is a word.

 

[WRM]

I've taken off both cross braces from the top. Why? Because they pulled the top the wrong way, making it slightly concave. Now the braces are off, the top is a little bit convex, which I think is good.

After my first attempt didn't come out flat, when gluing the braces to my soundboards, I found it best to use a flat surface - I put the soundboard face down on the floor, positioned the braces with wet glue, then a flat plate on the braces and an Ammo can for weight until the glue set. That kept the soundboards flat and true, as I wasn't looking for concave/convex.

I like how your build is coming along!

 

[Beej]

Agreed on forstnering, otherwise how would you say "I forstnered a hole in his argument". Which implies the holes in his argument were poked cleanly and with precision.

I also would argue that "forstnerd" should also be legal as "one who engages in the practice of drilling with forstner bits with an obsessive or great attention to detail."

 

[Crawforde]

I thought Forstnered was getting overwhelmed by a shallow argument with clean edges
But I get confused a lot in all this heat.

 

[Flamingo21]

Which implies the holes in his argument were poked cleanly and with precision.

Luthier's Corner. Where they poke holes cleanly, and poke fun not-so-cleanly.

 

[Flamingo21]

 

[Max Bogosity]

Also useful as in "Hey buddy, if you don’t like it you can get forstnered!

 

[Flamingo21]

Hey buddy, if you don’t like it you can get forstnered!

Sounds pretty scary, actually.

 

[Flamingo21]

Did a lot more router work on the neck. Many things turned out less than perfect, and that's just the way it is. Like I said, I'm a beginner, so it's to be expected.

But this is different. This was totally avoidable. Hot afternoon, tired, went on for too long.

I want to patch this.

Another view. (The ragged edge just below the mistake is simply a place I haven't yet gotten around to.)

 

[Videojunkie]

Doh!

Make it square and add a contrasting laminate and claim you intended to do it all along!

 

[ronknor]

Did a lot more router work on the neck. Many things turned out less than perfect, and that's just the way it is. Like I said, I'm a beginner, so it's to be expected.

But this is different. This was totally avoidable. Hot afternoon, tired, went on for too long.
View attachment 4770547

I want to patch this.

Another view. (The ragged edge just below the mistake is simply a place I haven't yet gotten around to.)
View attachment 4770548

Looks like a "signature" headstock, to me. Do a small scoop on the other side and patent it.

 

[ardgedee]

It's a tone dimple. Patent it now because everybody will be demanding tone dimples on their headstocks.