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- Part 1 - Preparation
- Part 2 - Support Blocks
- Part 3 - Jig
- Part 4 - Bending Sides
- Part 5 - Neck & Soundboards
- Part 6 - Glueing Sides
I described in Part 1 how I prepared for my F5 mandolin build. Using the help of expert luthier Lies Muller who runs her Muziek & Ambacht workshop in Utrecht, the Netherlands, I will build my first instrument ever. I attend a workshop once a month under Lies' supervision and using her tools as well.
I already bought some tools myself; a 16mm Bahco chisel, and a 12-220 series Stanley block plane for most of the woodwork. I already had a Stanley dovetail saw, a hammer, and some wood clamps in various sizes. My brother in law surprised me with a free rusty Black & Decker Workmate, which has proved quite indispensable. My new block plane needed some sharpening, because it was quite dull out of the box; a bit of wetting did the trick.
Having sorted my tools out I cut an inner template to use as a jig to mold the sides (rims) around. Since the maple sides are to be glued to mahogany blocks, I started to cut the tail, neck joint and both "fin" blocks first. Because of the grain of the mahogany, which should be in the back-to-front direction, we glued 3 pieces of mahogany together to create one big, quartersawn piece to cut the neck joint block.
Below the neck joint block in the workmate, glue has dried and planing the top flush with my brand new block plane!
Below my jig and the roughly cut mahogany blocks. Note that I left enough spare material for final shaping. When clamping the neck joint block I used extra pieces of wood to avoid too much pressure on the glued surfaces.
Below the Stewart McDonald building plan with the roughly cut blocks in place where they will eventually wind up. Watching building videos and reading websites, I am contemplating building an outer jig as well; next time I will be finishing the mahogany blocks to their final shape, and I will start bending the sides (rims) out of flamed maple. The "fins" will be adorned with bone (?) or ivoroid "point protectors" which will in turn align and become an integral part with the binding.
So tune in next time for the next step in building my F5 style mandolin! I am already contemplating the headstock inlay, for now I'm thinking of the traditional "flowerpot" design.
Until the next episode!
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