ThickShag - I'm A Musician, I'm A Programmer: Building An F5 Style Mandolin - Part 4

Sunday, January 18, 2009

I described in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 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.

Welcome back! I've been away from blogging for the holidays and then some, but: I made progress! As you may recall, the last project was making the outer jig, and I was busy planing the flamed maple strips to a thickness of 1,5 mm. During my last day at the workshop, I bent the side panels on a bending iron using some water. I didn't use side bending straps, just my hands; be careful with the heat though.

Make sure your strips are of sufficient length to make the parts, always use more than you need. It's easier to cut than to add! Move your parts from bending iron to jig, adjust so the parts "accept" their new shape. Don't put too much water on it, and not too much strain. The wood will tell you what it can do. A bit of a toasted smell is good. Do little increments at a time, practise on a piece of scrapwood.

Here are some pictures of my progress: (blog continues below)

a planed maple strip, 4 cm high, 1,5 mm thick

1,5 mm thick

top part

detail top part

bottom right part

central bottom part

it all fits in the jig; notice the new holes in the tips of the fins

headstock template out of stirdy binder plastic.

bought and got some tools

At the moment I am preparing a big piece of flamed maple for the neck. Because it is too short, and too narrow, I have to add some scrap bits to the bottom, to form the tip of the headstock, and to the sides, to form the left and right bits of the headstock. The neck is clamped in, and not yet ready for it's closeup..

I also worked on the violin. I got a little piece of ebony from a retired luthier, and I couldn't really work on it, because I couldn't get it snugly clamped in the workmate. But now I bought a cheap chinese steel vise, excellent for clamping smaller bits. I cut a nut from the piece, leaving plenty extra material for final shaping, because I don't really know the proper dimensions, still looking for them.

the finished nut in place..

..with room to spare for final shaping

Stay tuned for part 5 in which I will be fitting the sides and support blocks, glueing them together, work on the neck and headstock, glueing and shaping the front and back soundboards!