F-5 Style Mandolin build.

[1bad914]

Well, the neck joint is done. Not 100% happy, but I usually am not 100% happy with my builds. I woke up this morning and decided that since it was my first mandolin neck joint, I would use a slightly simpler joint. It is basically a dovetail without the angle from top to bottom. You can install it from the top or the bottom. A straight joint. I cut it close then spent quite awhile dialing it in. It is not as tight as I want, but I can shim it into shape.
Of course I had to do a mock up picture. I am close to closing this up.

 

[Freeman Keller]

I think thats the way violin dovetails are done. I had the advantage of having mine rough shaped by Siminoff's mill so it was just a matter of setting the angle and overstand.

I've had a couple of bowl back mandolins cross my bench with loose dovetails (they are pretty small) and have reset them basically like you do a guitar. Got some photos but I don't think they add anything to what you are doing.

Nice work by the way.

 

[1bad914]

I think thats the way violin dovetails are done. I had the advantage of having mine rough shaped by Siminoff's mill so it was just a matter of setting the angle and overstand.

I've had a couple of bowl back mandolins cross my bench with loose dovetails (they are pretty small) and have reset them basically like you do a guitar. Got some photos but I don't think they add anything to what you are doing.

Nice work by the way.

Thanks. Siminoff mentions this joint in one of the loose papers that was stuffed in the book you sent. I made a mistake by shaping the heel too soon. I should have left it oversized until this point. Lesson Learned.

 

[1bad914]

Close to closing this up. I laid down a coat or two of finish on the inside of the back. I like that it pops the curl a little. You can see it through the F hole. Before the back goes on I need to glue the neck on. I am slow rolling that process, I want to make sure all s copacetic.

 

[1bad914]

A lot happened today. I finally dialed in the design in cad for the fretboard and carved it. It took 7 iterations to get it right, some of it my fault, some of it shortcomings in the software (Easel), but I am happy with the outcome. It is made to install .060 binding on the side.

I also glued the neck on, it is hard to see in the picture, but it is sitting on a glue up fixture that helps set the neck angle. Clamp the neck down flat, set a cradle under the body that holds it level side to side and keeps the height 1/2 inch off the board that the neck is clamped to.

After that dried a couple of hours I glued the back on. Yikes. Looks like a mandolin in just one day. Lol

 

[1bad914]

Worked on sanding the edges of the back down with the oss. Then built a fixture for holding the mandolin while I router the edges flush. I will also use it for routing the binding channel.

 

[1bad914]

I am also going to start looking at finishing options. I know many love the traditional turd brown color of most F5 style mandolins, not sure I can do that. I will start trying different color options soon. Most likely it will not be traditional. Sorry purist.

 

[RogerC]

I am also going to start looking at finishing options. I know many love the traditional turd brown color of most F5 style mandolins, not sure I can do that. I will start trying different color options soon. Most likely it will not be traditional. Sorry purist.

Search the forum for DPP. That was popular here for a while, and it would certainly fit your criteria of not being traditional. Right, @Jupiter ?

 

[Freeman Keller]

I sat in a seminar by James Condino at a GAL conference where he demonstrated is hand applied staining techniques, some very traditional and some not

j. condino luthier of mandolin, guitar, & double bass

condino.com

 

[Jupiter]

Search the forum for DPP. That was popular here for a while, and it would certainly fit your criteria of not being traditional. Right, @Jupiter ?

Well it was popular to TALK about it, though not many were actually produced

 

[1bad914]

Search the forum for DPP. That was popular here for a while, and it would certainly fit your criteria of not being traditional. Right, @Jupiter ?

I am not far from pink. Thinking black dye to make the curl pop, sand it back and then apply red dye. I have tested it before and it looks really good. That is definitely not traditional. Lol

 

[10orgtr]

+1 on a red F-5!
Cheers,
Woody

 

[1bad914]

Here are a couple of options. None of these have any clear in them. I want to play around with the black and red, maybe add black to the blue. The black and red needs more red.

 

[Jupiter]

I think that red/black would be demonic

 

[1bad914]

I cannot really show you how much detail work one of these takes. I spent 5 hours filing the scroll and sanding this to 150 grit. At least 3 hours invested in the scroll filing. The top and back scroll have to match the center block scroll. They were close, but not close enough. I used a few different needle files to make everything match.
I also glued the binding on the fretboard. Binding on the body next.

 

[Freeman Keller]

Gives you some idea why the good new ones go for the prices they do and the vintage ones are literally priceless.

Yours is coming along nicely and your workmanship has been stellar.

ps - I used to joke that mine was one forth the size of a guitar and four times the work.

 

[Jupiter]

Man I would not want to be the guy routing that body for binding…

 

[1bad914]

Man I would not want to be the guy routing that body for binding…

You can do the main body with a router. The scroll is all by hand. This will be fun.

 

[1bad914]

Gives you some idea why the good new ones go for the prices they do and the vintage ones are literally priceless.

Yours is coming along nicely and your workmanship has been stellar.

ps - I used to joke that mine was one forth the size of a guitar and four times the work.

That quote is very apropos.

 

[1bad914]

The cut for the bwbw purfling. That is as far as I can go with a machine. I will make the cut for the binding on the top and back, then cry myself to sleep every night thinking about doing the rest by hand. Lol