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Thread: Mandocello build thread

  1. #51
    Registered User AaronVW's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Looks great! Now I'm getting the itch to start building again....

  2. #52
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    A little decidedly non-glamorous work with some plywood scraps, and I have my carving cradle mostly done. I did a little wood wasting on the top with the Saf-T-Planer so that I don't have to carve away as much spruce with my aching fingers. No particular plan, just continuing the angle of the wedge-shaped halves of the top all the way around to remove wood with no worries of cutting too deep. I'll carve the arch by eye later.
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  4. #53
    Registered User Mandoborg's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Anyone else notice no matter how many of these things you build, you still enjoy watching build threads ?? It's what's so great about lutherie !! Thanks for posting this stuff John, and dispensing so much good advice on here. One tip that i'm sure you're aware of that i got a long time ago was , if you get some sides that are particularly hard to bend, take a piece of clean, white-t shirt , a soak it in some water, ring it out and drop it right on the pipe. That helped me tremendously and i use it every-time i bend no matter what wood or figure now just out of habit. I use a clean piece every-time so nothing accidentally gets in/on the wood,and just that little bit of steaming cloth between the wood and the iron seems to keep me from scorching.

    Jim
    Last edited by Mandoborg; Mar-02-2014 at 9:56pm.

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  6. #54
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Good advice, Jim. Actually, I had been bending rosewood and mahogany most recently, so some of the marks weren't so much scorch marks as they were cooked-in residue from the "junk" on the bending iron. I scrubbed it with a wire brush before starting, but still...
    This maple (at just under .080") wanted to bend at a temperature that seemed to be about half a degree hotter than when scorch marks started showing up. I didn't think about the wet rag trick... should have tried it.

  7. #55

    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    This is a great thread, thanks for posing all these great pictures. I have built a few brass instruments, but never built anything out of wood. I have nothing but respect for craftsmen of all sorts. Very impressive.

  8. #56
    Resonate globally Pete Jenner's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by sunburst View Post
    this will probably be a long term project (I'm busy with a lot of other things and the customer wants plenty of time to get the money together to pay the balance on completion, so it could be a year or more before it's done), and there could be considerable periods of time when there is no progress to report, but here goes anyway.
    Really?
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    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete Jenner View Post
    Really?
    You are not getting a bit cynical down there in the Great Southern Lands eh? --heck you should be enjoying SUMMER!!
    Bernie
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  10. #58
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Building an instruments is like building a house in that it looks fast in the early stages. When a house is being framed, it goes from looking like a low cement wall to looking like a house in a few days! Then comes wiring, plumbing, mechanical, flooring, wall treatment, trim, etc. etc., and it looks like the contractor went to the Bahamas with all the bucks he got from framing the house!
    Fear not, this project will slow down (haven't even started the plumbing yet ).

  11. #59
    Resonate globally Pete Jenner's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Bernie Daniel View Post
    You are not getting a bit cynical down there in the Great Southern Lands eh? --heck you should be enjoying SUMMER!!
    I meant that in the best way of course. So far I'm highly impressed and taking copious notes.

    It's freezing here at the moment Bernie. We haven't had much of a summer up here in Bleakheath.

    Looking forward to the plumbing though.
    Last edited by Pete Jenner; Mar-03-2014 at 11:16am.
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  12. #60
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete Jenner View Post
    It's freezing here at the moment Bernie. We haven't had much of a summer up here in Bleakheath.

    Looking forward to the plumbing though.
    No, that can't be with world getting warmer! LOL! This should be a fun project to watch!
    Bernie
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  13. #61
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    In this case it's strictly acoustic, so no electricians required.

  14. #62
    Registered User wildpikr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Bump....
    Mike

    Those who think they should think, like they think others think they should think, need to think out their thinking, I think.

    No envejecemos, maduramos. -Pablo Picasso

  15. #63
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Yep, this is one of those "periods of time when there is no progress to report" that I mentioned at the beginning of this thread. Lots going on around here, hoping for time to do some carving of the top soon...

  16. #64
    working for the mando.... Bluetickhound's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I actually meant to ask you about this build yesterday... Glad to see it got bumped up!
    "A creative man is driven by the the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."

    Rayburn Mandolins
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  17. #65
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    I found a few minutes to do a little work on the 'cello.
    I believe we left off here:
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    I used a couple of planes to waste wood down to the edges of the rough contour lines left by the Saf-T-Planer.
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    With that wood out of the way, I made a preliminary cut for the "re-curve" area to establish a uniform-depth tough around the edge.
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    As you can see, I carved into some color in the wood. No problem, the sunburst will cover it.

  18. #66
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    At this time, I have the center height established and the trough height established, and I've started carving the arch and checking the shape and symmetry using a marking gauge. Here's what I started with, just from eye-balling the arch shape.
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    A little more refining...
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    ...and onward from here. Pretty boring for a while, I'll try to photo some steps along the way to the completed top arch.

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  20. #67
    Resonate globally Pete Jenner's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Yawn... ...just kidding.
    I was thinking about this a few days ago and hoping you would be doing more soon.
    The more I learn, the less I know.

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  21. #68
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Looking very nice indeed.

    John at one point you mentioned a 25" scale but I don't think any other dimensions have been discussed. From the one pic with a mandolin back on top of the mandocello back it looks the box will be about 14 -15 wide and 17 - 18" long? How deep will it be?
    Bernie
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  22. #69
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    The width is about 15 1/8" to 15 1/4" I don't remember the body length right off and I'm not in the shop where I can measure. The depth is still undecided, but it will be under 3". I think I remember thinking of maybe 2 5/8" or so, but I'll have to look back at some earlier work to remember where I was on that.

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  24. #70
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    OK, here's the top after scraping and checking the contours with the marking gauge. It's lying on my down draft sanding table with a side light to allow me to see the contours of the arch.
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    I started out with coarse sandpaper (80 grit because I let myself run out of 60 grit) smoothing the recurve area, just using a folded 1/4sheet of sandpaper, fingers and thumb.
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    I sanded the whole recurve area...
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    Then moved on to a sanding block to smooth out the scraper marks.
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  25. #71
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    To make sure I'm keeping the arch symmetrical, I draw contour lines, using my marking gauge, periodically throughout the carving of the outside of the arch. Here are the lines, and a 12" scale held down to the top. I got this one pretty well centered so I don't have to do much work to get it symmetrical. I'll do some selective sanding to smooth up the curves of the contour lines as I continue to sand, continuing to check with the marking gauge and side lighting.
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  26. #72
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Bernie, the body length is 19 1/4" and the rim depth (preliminary) is currently just over 2 1/2" It might get to be a little less after gluing the linings and re-surfacing for gluing the plates.

  27. #73
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    It's starting to look pretty good, John. We know it will get better too. I'm looking forward to seeing your final steps.

  28. #74
    working for the mando.... Bluetickhound's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    Nice work John. I am about tostart on my plates (or I will be as soon as I can buy or borrow a thickness planer to get my top and back whittled down to size...) and the tip on maintaining symmetry is right on time!
    "A creative man is driven by the the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."

    Rayburn Mandolins
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  29. #75
    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mandocello build thread

    It is going to be a monster that is for sure! Watching that top come to life is just great.

    re post #71: I don't think that I ever knew you could buy those metal engineer's rulers in 12" size (or I'd have one!) -- I have collected three of the 6" ones -- its often handy to have 1/64" markings.
    Bernie
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