I Have Always Wanted 2...

...ok I have bitten the bullet and gotten Roger's kit!

Building rim fixture, studying print & book..... OK! now I am nervous.

Any one have experience with Roger's A5 Kit?

Any recommendations, direction, pointers...

TIA
~x

[Darren Kern]

There are folks much more qualified to answer you than I am, I've never built from one of Roger's kits, but I used his book for the kit I did build. If you're going to do binding on the back, I would recommend NOT attaching the neck before the back is glued on. I attached the neck to the top/sides before I glued the back on, and as a new builder, it made routing the back for binding much more difficult for me. I'd think it would be easier if the top, back and sides were together, then the binding channel was routed, and then the neck was attached. The other advice I would give is before you attempt something, spend some time reading about it on this forum. Almost everything you can imagine has been asked here, more than once most of the time.

[Dennis Russell]

I didnt know Siminoff had kits.... Where do I get one or who do I contact,,, Dennis in Yuma, arizona

[Darren Kern]

You can go to http://www.siminoff.net to get to his website. Roger has sold kits for a long time. One thing you might consider an advantage over Stew-Mac is that his kits are completely customizable. You can have it finished to any level you want, and you can use different woods if you want. Roger is a super nice and personable guy that is always willing to help if you give him a call, I would consider that another advantage to going with Roger.

[Antlurz]

Gluing the back on before setting the neck seems to be a great way to have fits getting a good fit on the neck....

...or so it seems to me.

Ron

Hydrilla,

I have been reading this board soooo much my wife thinks Mandolin Cafe is female

I have read a lot about your mandolin building efforts -in fact a lot of your postings of sharing information finally pushed me over the edge to build one --A5 style for now.

Roger, well what a Saint that guy is. After what seems a zillion+ emails I call to get further clarification and find out he is a super nice guy. He really wants to see his customers succeed in building and taking pics along the way to send him.

....well back to the woodshed

~x

[Darren Kern]

Good point Ron. Is it not possible to fit the neck and then attach the back? I thought I remembered Lynn doing it this way on the DIY shows, and it made sense to me. I could be wrong.

.....are you all saying to builfd the body first (rims, end-block, neck-block, soundboard, and back --the fit the nec?

~x (shayne)

[Darren Kern]

If I were you, I'd listen to someone like Ron before I'd listen to a newbie like me I was just saying that it seems like it might be easier to glue the top to the sides, then fit the neck, then remove the neck and glue the back on, then cut the body binding channels, then attach the neck. It might be a bad idea, and all the pros might come on here and say why it's a bad idea. I'm interested in hearing some opinions on this.

xbangerman, I forgot to mention- thanks for the nice comment, I'm glad my blog and posts have been useful to someone.

[Tom C]

The thing I have issue with with the kits is that you still need to make a form. If I can make the form, then I would probably just build the whole mando without a kit.

Tom,

On the one hand I agree, but on the other a kit like Roger's makes it a bit less overwhelming to begin with..... It seems to me (a rank beginner, and sometimes just plain rank) there is so much going on when building something like a mando that every little bit in the beginning helps -both mentally & physically.

~x

[Darren Kern]

I agree- the learning curve was steep enough for me with a kit, if I attempted a from scratch build for my #1, it would've been a disaster.

[dunbarhamlin]

I was on Roger's site the other day (ordered Vega catalog and toys) and noticed that he does offer outside moulds for his kits. Look under Tools and Fixtures

[dunbarhamlin]

outside moulds

He'll even provide a mold if preferred

[Darren Kern]

outside moulds

He'll even provide a mold if preferred

# #

Roger will provide one, but HIGHLY encourges you to build your own... I think part experience and it is really simple / cheap.

Oh no.... molds -I thought they were moles all this time

~x

[dunbarhamlin]

I'd agree unless you're getting a fully serviced kit. I jumped straight in building from scratch to my own plans and for a complete beginner making my molds and bending forms was a great introduction to shaping wood in a part of the project where mistakes can be cheaply and easily replaced.

[Mark Franzke]

The Stew Mac video shows how to fit the neck dry, glue the back on and tap the neck out, while it is clamped up. Then bind the body and put the neck back on. It is definitely easier to do binding this way, but it can be done either way. I think it's easier to get the neck set right by gluing it without the back on.

[Al_G]

If you are using Siminoff's pinned mortise neck joint then the neck has to go on before the back. If you ordered the dovetail option then you have a choice.

-Al

[Antlurz]

Just a quick note about building the form. It's not complicated, however a word of caution. Unless you specified differently when you ordered it, the plates will be cut to finished size. They can be ordered oversize, but won't come that way unless ordered.

Here's my point. When making the mold, I'd suggest getting copies printed of the blueprint, and glue it to the plywood or whatever you are using for a mold body and VERY CAREFULLY cut INSIDE the lines of the outline profile. If you are a bit sloppy and cut outside the lines, the finished rimset will be slightly oversize, and you will have created all sorts of headaches when you glue on the plates.

The body mold is the easiest part of the construction, but it MUST be accurate.

Ron

Al_G.

I am using Siminoff's pinned mortise neck joint.

Please keep the tips / suggestions coming.

p.s. I can't begin to thank everyone for the tips and encouragement on this project. I have been thinking of naming the mandolin some what after my wife, but with a bit of a twist.... Saint Christy's Mandolin (long family (and funny story)) The problem is my wife is saying "I don't think so..." Maybe "we" all can come up with an approriate name from this thread --sort of a group appreciation effort. ...any thoughts?

~x

[Greenmando]

If your wife says no, listen to her. This would probably apply to any other womans name too.

Maybe follow Weber's lead and name it after a local river or mountain.

I am about to order two kits from Roger. A F5 and a F4 kit. I want to order the F4 with maple instead of the mahogany thou. I am going to ask if I can stop by and pick them up, he lives near my parents and I owe them a long over due visit.

[Bill Snyder]

outside moulds

He'll even provide a mold if preferred

Mould is an acceptable spelling.

[Antlurz]

Ooops! Just now realized I spelled it "mold" too.

duh.

Ron