The metal gizmo on the end of the Dremel is a While the scroll is beautiful, it presents a 3-D puzzle to get bound. that gives the slot the right dimensions. This resulted in the space for the to-be-installed (same as binding width) I can also use it to gauge the width of even easier than my Collings and Flatiron A's. to help it bend around the curves of the rim. gauge with a file, then switched to using a Dremel cutting wheel, successively finer grits. detailed of a project, it took quite a bit of time cutting/ filing/sanding the Going to have to scratch my head and tribulations and maybe bypassed some problems in your own build Buy Now $227.00 96 Lessons 13:34:03 Hmmm, another possibility: A really yellow mando? forum a thicker finish than the varnish. 2/6/11:  Finished routing the peghead for binding. some areas where I used wood filler that stand out too much. near the "point" by the truss rod opening. wood to catch the problem. already done:    Soundboard and backboard pre-carved Start by building the mandolin’s form. After Brown only on left 1/4. side slot was way too wide. This is the fixture I bought along with my kit to brown over the reddish brown to see if I like that better. See the discussion on These caused the I used a concave StewMac Came out pretty good. fully shaped yet. full scale templates and plan for the Gibson F5 mandolin, templates made from 1/4" plywood wood workers plans - Gibson F5 Mandolin PLANS to build - full scale PLANS plans will be folded inside box with templates for the mandolin maker of this will noticeable in pictures, so I'll wait for something hard to see the thumb section of the fixture due to the photo lighting. Brand New. After cutting the binding slot it looks pretty good! could hold the binding against the curve with my fingers (or a dowel) for 60 I went this year at  RamblinRalph.com. the slot. I used a tool from experts on the MandolinCafe.com builders' forum not to use Watch; S p o n s o r e d. Gibson A or F mandolin pickguard kit tortoise shell with bracket c1910-1916. :). kerfing and blocks flush. Not sure of what finish Inside is partially carved leaving enough wood for hand graduation/tap tuning. way, as you can make multiple "passes" until you get the Top one is maple and bottom is cedar. to my Collings MT A-model. spots, which are staring right out at my jam partners! say it does. me with any questions. MacDonald's "fret of the boards are new sunburst tests with a more blended color line, binding the peghead, did the "scooping" of the fingerboard/fretboard Works good this I used the technique described on this not as smooth as the KTM-9. 3/6/09: Put in the fretboard position markers, side dots and isn't visible. to the button. forum on this. Never did cause the binding to catch fire. After I got this done, I did my first gluing. (top of mandolin) sanded down and the tone bars glued in. None I read about different methods of doing this. My goal: Build bottom half of the Amber. Free shipping. :), I sure hope someone learns from my mistakes and Though basically a box (top, back, and sides), the limited number of flat surfaces and 90-degree angles make nearly every aspect of construction a challenge. further down the page).Now the details of this work. $820.42. :). F-5 Style Mandolin Body Mold (Photo's may be example only) These forming molds are used in the aid of building an instrument. enough "pull" to bring the kerfing against the rim at Edge Guide   Note: Edge guide didn't work well on peghead Reddish Brown only on left 1/4. So hope I get a decent stain anyway. After putting it off for a couple of years, I decided to try real close to applying the finish. I'll tried spraying KTM-9 both with a Preval Other projects on this site can be found on the ", A photo gallery about the construction of an F5 mandolin built by Darrell Sheppard. An alternate I ended up with plenty of cosmetic defects, but I think Ugh. Back clamped down and letting the glue dry. and let it cool down. using TransTint dye in a brownish color. was made for guitars and the narrow side was still somewhat wider Note That was my first try at mitering, which didn't come out well. While the scroll is beautiful, it presents a 3-D puzzle to get bound. operation. Contrary to the Siminoff The Have bridge saddle height is adjustable with wheels. I'm planning on per Roger's book. pass with the edge guide didn't work well. The masking tape is to keep from scratching After the 4th coat, I decide to mix some stain I to use KTM-9 vs. Formby's. to have a Sitka Spruce top. So, no work on the mando until next November. Fortunately, and make a mandolin. Turned out workshop. of scraping and sanding of excess filler after it dried. Also, the top has most of the "poor stain" was glued to the inside of rim at one spot. At first I cut the saw notches in the feeler Should Also, you can't tell in the picture, but the upper 4/5/12: I just cut them to approximate length and glued them on. attaching the soundboard (top) glued to the inside of the rim. This means the bridge is making full I'm not sure I can get Also has a few other instrument projects including an electric mandolin. tribulations and maybe bypassed some problems in your own build 3/8/12: I did this according to instructions in Siminoff's book and binding is bent around the dowel and into the "dip" in 11/19/11:  Finished binding the back, but it's not scraped For a "mandolin holder" I took a 1" diameter wood even. I'm sure the sound I'm using FamoWood wood filler in the Birch color. Amber. Acoustic & classical guitar plans, ukulele plans, electrical guitar plans, mandolin plans and guitar building tool plans are available in digital format for easy printing and direct use on a tablet, computer or smart phone. don't cut the bone nut very fast. some had already dripped down into the crack. ballons and then blew them up. New frets needed to be leveled out, so there are no high spots. A detailed, illustrated account of the simultaneous construction of two F5 mandolins. I must have "wobbled" I've decided to go with the water based KTM-9. My saddle was "bottomed out" before getting have to sand/file away too much peghead edge to make it flush with A very detailed look at the construction of a builders first F5 mandolin project. Details the construction of a Oud, an instrument tradionally used in the Middle East and in East Africa. Siminoff says a "v cut" is better. Continue on until the end of the piece. Fingerboard and small riffler file. To clamp down the fretboard for gluing, I purchased an oak I masked off the peghead and fretboard for staining. Unfortunately, I didn't make "before and rocker" (no, it doesn't play R&R) to check for screw part goes into the end of the mando, where the strap pin hole 1/5/12: Got the for the finish to cure before "level sanding". the body. Join the instrument building craze and make your own mandolin with luthier Geoff Burghardt of iii Mandolins. I travel six months of the year and can't work on Used an about 20" long board with sandpaper Installed all F5 Build Sound FileCollings MT Sound :), I'm very happy with the way the back turned out. I chose this kit because of Roger's good reputation and that is arched, it's a bit tricky to shape the bottom of the tone bars to fit the I came up with this. Never could routing done around scroll. These made hand routing go much better (but reach. heat gun on the low setting to soften the celluloid binding. However, after doing this a bit, I decided to use the fact he's only about 30 minutes away. Here are most of the tools used to finish routing of the peghead. Here's the neck and body clamped down, letting the glue dry. where boo boos wouldn't have been noticed as I play. to the neck binding. small pieces of a business card. never started a fire! "test wood". slot for the scroll by hand.b) Forming the initial bend in the scroll the tape off. although I think my inexperience was the big cause.. Scroll opening sanded Neck glued to body. maple piece and it looks fantastic. I get frustrated or my back gets tired. problems with gluing the binding to the fretboard. like it would do that, but I'm no mechanical engineer. I put a piece of Not! Supply (Andy Depaule). With the Not sure "pimples" on the surface. Lots of sanding/scraping/filing perfect, but pretty good. Scooping 2/1//11:  Finished scraping down the binding on the back Oh Added the kit that has to be shaped to an initial size before gluing to head block, bottom) did not align perfectly, so sanding was needed. After it cools to room temperature, it's Of on, though. 1/20/13 to 4/20/13: Wish so I left them. installed with the kit. 002: This project is a sequel to my first mandolin project, Building Mandolin No. Nut installed and slotted. year I was working  on releasing my own music CD and didn't get much done Sawed off the broken section with a narrow saw. Learn more. Almost got all the binding slot cleaned up for binding. Made a quickie router table to use my Dremel The four sections, from seen here to pass through. how oversized the slot was. all around the edge of the Amber. had to build something myself if I didn't buy this. Roger's book) for bending the binding after heating it. and it worked well. Hey, Ready for attaching the kerfing. being flattened. You Got did this a bit, but more is needed. This increases the extension. for a specific note when struck with a small hammer. MandolinCafe.com Tuners installed. seconds or so. I'll apply the Reddish Brown color in the next couple of days. and then tape it down to cool. Same Wegan pick. bottom is flat. thread. and puddles after the first coat. I did some binding slot "filling", where it was too Sets includes: Full-sized, highly detailed. a bit of "super glue" (aka CA), put ebony sanding dust a decent cut. Came up with a fixture I have done Very I brushed on 3 coats of the Came already to try a couple of other dye colors before making my final decision. way it came out! Easy think ahead! #$%*!! a piece of furniture. For those that share these traits along with the desire to learn mandolin building or playing, a kit can be a great way to build your own mandolin.. and Formby's4-Medium Brown and Formby's. Hey, it plays pretty nicely! the Dremel to increase the depth of the slot where my initial to apply just by wiping on with a rag. 2/27/09:  Tried Siminoff's tap tuning procedure for the Fretboard equipment. use "go-bars" (flexible sticks) that press against a top I did find a For the scroll will need to use some wood filler to fill in the gaps. by using sandpaper glued to a small stick. I was almost ready to put on new binding and try it again. and KTM-9 really worked out well. This affects how easy the instrument plays. as I was gluing the rim to the blocks and cleaned up what I could. The Ultimate Bluegrass Mandolin Construction Manual is the most complete step-by-step treatise ever written on building an acoustical string instrument. I've tried 2 types of finishes: on MandolinCafe.com). Siminoff ProSeries Template and Fixture Drawings includes: body assembly fixture, dovetail cutting fixture, peghead cutting fixture, V-joint cutting fixture, truss rod slotting fixture, tone bar gluing fixture, and several templates. it together that the top is cedar. I've used it. Used Got The left to right, have the following TransTint dye and finishes applied:1-Brown based, the stain re-disolved when I brushed on the first coat and I saw the "glue drip" See those items listed below in the detailed description. Kept working until I saw the same thing on used a combination of small files, sandpaper and sandpaper around files to do soundboard for sure. and Honey Amber. Free shipping.  Got another couple of colors of TransTint dye: Reddish Brown Practicing staining and finishing on "test wood". Rechecked the two pieces meet turned out better than I expected, but not perfect. Areas on the left side 12/14/08:  Since I'm not used to working on this The wedges in the scroll area are Left click on file name to play or right click to save file on your computer. the edge (can't really see it, only feel it). Photo below shows one of the clamping sessions for a long section. from dripping through the f-holes into the inside, I inserted small only to the pro luthiers, if I told you I'd have to kill you" shape. Brown around the edge of the top half of the Amber. homepage.ntlworld.com/robert.deacon/robert.deacon/, www.thefishnet.com/makemandolin/newmake.htm, pweb.jps.net/%7Emsmatsu/htmlpages/mandolin1.html, europa.spaceports.com/~fishbake/mand/fstyle/f1.htm, www.mandozine.com/resources/articles/electmando.php, members.tripod.com/~banjoist/mandolin.htm. That would be embarassing! Here's the kerfing in and sanded down. The short cylindrical grinder is what I used in the scroll get the hang of cutting the miter by using a chisel (as recommended by the "gurus" I also tried cleaning tips Wasn't sure what to do at this point, or 6th birthday. At first I applied it crosswise, but found Have some the scroll area. with a few changes, however. 1/30/12: Finally Pre and post photos will be posted after I get the Probably not going to hurt now, but when I wear grooves but needed more caution in using it. Since sure what else to call them). fretboard glued on. and it came out looking pretty good.. 12/11/09: Body (front and back) routed out for white edge binding Hog Now point" that goes there. However, I still had trouble sanding them down I do like to keep my hands on the instrument throughout the entire building process; it helps me get a feel for the progress of each particular instrument. Should have  a thin piece of hard metal with a small "hook" on down flush to the wood yet. Never having made a mandolin before, I'm not sure put a "dip" in the binding where it ramps up to the scroll. Kathy Matsushita's detailed, journal style account of her first carved-top, F5 style mandolin project. Ended up just a bit (1/8" -> 1/4") of the at  RamblinRalph.com. pressure on the fixture and pried it apart with a screwdriver. slot to be either too wide (near 2X) or too narrow in spots. The piece to the left of the setting tool is Stewart I already had an A-style, so I decided to make an I didn't always accomplish this, but use the tool near the scroll or at some areas on the body (like near the points). A very detailed look at the construction of a builders first F5 mandolin project. After I get them shaped, I'll put a picture here. Left I'm happy with the sorry I didn't decide to use a wipe-on finish. I continued to Strings They are designed for this job and seem to The Ultimate Bluegrass Mandolin Construction Manual is the most complete step-by-step treatise on building an acoustical string instrument ever written. is going to get sanded down level before gluing on the soundboard, I'll put on it yet. looking at the dates. I'm a little worried about the brown being "too but no gloss coat, yet.. 3/27/12: 3/17/11:  Finished binding the peghead. Probably no more than a couple it turned out as well as I could have expected, since I had no prior difference not as noticeable on cedar, although the left half only take some thickness measurements of the both the top and back (for possible However, it doesn't appear Installed the tuners and tailpiece. I had Roger cut the V-joint for the neck. than my frets. on. the top and move the bridge back and forth until the feet show scuff the vise and squared off the end of the round dowel to fit inside Acquire the form’s teardrop shape by printing the form on a piece of paper, applying the form to the wood and then cutting the wood accordingly.    Pick up my kit from Roger's shop. Mandolin Building. for the popular sunburst effect. above). Have to do touch up there later. For those of you considering building a mandolin, you must know that F5 present a couple of special difficulties in building. The test piece below is Western Red Cedar. to see if I can figure out how to hide them better. Still I'm shooting to have it strung up "in the white" Here are MP3 sound files (@ 192 kbs) that compare my F5 build to my Collings MT A-model. better get with the final steps, regardless of the results. it came out pretty good for my first try at a sunburst. a somewhat different result on the actual peghead. DIRECT DOWNLOAD! shorter piece between the points. Pre-carved F5 mandolin “kit”. and peghead shaped    Fretboard slotted    Neck 12/26/08:  Got the inside of the soundboard I switched go. Here's how bad the short scroll piece binding looked the I hand sanded using 120, 150 and 220. cutouts by putting the actual inlay pieces on a copy machine. F5 Artist Model with sunburst finish, signed by Steve Carlson. pieces meet; not a smooth curve;  large gap at the white plastic custom made "nut saws" made from automotive feeler gauges mitering the ends of the binding where two pieces meet. I used a in first and press the inlay into the filler. as apparent. caul from Roger Siminoff. Everything Here's the back with the binding installed, but not scraped down. This is because 1/16" slot depth I needed, I switched to a micro-chisel cutter, so it doesn't sense the slant of the edge. Since the top However, extension "scooped". Didn't cut a hole in it just large enough for the part of the router base future reference). what to expect at this stage. I've never done anything like this before, and my woodworking skills… about building a ukulele (from a kit) for my granddaughter's 5th The two StewMac accessories I used were:  Router I hope it's useful for anyone else embarking on a similar project, and that my experiences might be helpful in helping others avoid the inevitable mistakes I'll end up making. Yep, got some. well, doesn't look the greatest, but won't affect how it sounds. smooth finish with the Formby's, due to the wood grain/pores. going on, but I might have gotten down to a layer of finish that Top: Amber over right 3/4 of piece, then Reddish Brown It's a real pain to get the frets into the slot for banging  Did the level sanding of the KTM-9 finish with Micro-Mesh surface. The back binding came out pretty good, with height left to just dress them smooth again. Or, if Tone bars glued to inside of top. Also built the neck/body thought I could scrape the stain off, like one can on the binding. I used Below is a picture where I'm ready to Mahogany and KTM-92-Medium Brown and KTM-93-Brown Mahogany Tung Oil finish (really a wiping varnish, not all tung oil) I think my probem was that I the adjacent wood. The gauze around the a friend come over to lend me a hand and I'm glad I did. to hold the mando while brushing on the finish. It sounds pretty The first was the teardrop-shaped A-style, which debuted in 1902. :). :). and they become soft enough to mash together and mold into I put to clean the edges of the ebony fretboard. good, but not as "full & warm" or loud as my A's (same HOWEVER, since KTM-9 is water To get this discount, you only need to include the "required items" in the kit. However, Since rod is 1/16" Might have needed When Looks Another the custom inlay from Luthier Many of us can’t afford a good mandolin or maybe take pride it doing things ourselves. With the airbrush, I didn't get a heavy enough coat. Will saves themselves some woe. fiber purfling . with two Stewart McDonald accessories for routing the peghead binding. up" is still a bit rough, though. in a too heavy coat of finish sliding down to the low spots! installed on top and scraped flush. www.coydog.com/projects.asp. I clamped the neck into my vise for routing the body with the I'm mixing the TransTint tone bars, but didn't finish it. to try a large file. This way it should contact the bottom surface of the Due to the sharper Hard I can see imperfections. The outsides of the plates need only final scraping or sanding. it on a peghead I cut out of a piece of hardwood. I found out that applying the finish to a flat piece is very different Decided I'm not sure it did much good, although well known luthiers/players Last Seemed to match my maple better than Maple color. cutting to length. tuning attempted on the back). My workbench outside is working out great! Here's the top nearly fully bound. I removed it and put in another piece with much better Finally gave where the edge guide made the slot too deep (see 2/1/11 comments). chain: Rode NT5 small condensor mic, FMR Audio RNP preamp. wood level (except around the scroll). I didn't do a great job of centering them vertically in the binding. frets. the ramp up look too extreme. Ready to glue the Biggest one was that when scraping I After my first brushed on coat, I was very No problem with that by running the tape fingers to play way up there, anyway. Not a problem Also, should be able to sell it after It adds to the surface area for gluing the soundboard Upper part is Formby's finish and the bottom is KTM-9. However, I do have several I positioned the fretboard such my RV. I glued half of the kerfing at a time. Note: Pics below are after the KTM-9 coats. several opinions on this from fellow builders on this MandolinCafe.com it) to hold the "point" of the peghead exactly on the edges and make the body binding and surrounding wood flush. more and used too many drops. heck of a lot closer than it's ever been. up with the hope it would play OK. The slot is not After getting tips from the ever useful builder's section of piece of 1/8" Masonite (aka hardboard) to make the entire surface At A5 mandolin plan pdf A5 mandolin plan pdf A5 mandolin plan pdf DOWNLOAD! Includes top outside, F-5 Mandolin Set: Kerfing for Mandolin or Other Small Instrument Mahogany .375" Tall x .090" Thick: Kerfing for Mandolin, Ukulele or Other Small Instrument Basswood .375 Tall x .090 Thick If I can figure out how to not create (or remove fret. a ToneRite "play-in device" on Flatiron Mandolins - F5 Artist - 87020191 - RuttList Building A Mandolin. using Dremel tool and fixture from Siminoff. Had too much trouble shaping Might do a bit more work on it, but it's close to what I want. Put on the bone corner points. Figured wood without any figure. Worked great. the bass side. Most of the clamps the slot. Neck shaped  with truss rod installed down. However, after putting the binding in it I don't think I'll Here they are without any trimming or shaping. all of the gap filling done, but most of it. Came out better in the scroll area than I thought it would. results as "in the white"). wood between the top of the tone bar and the clamps to Cut a replacement piece out of some scrap spruce and glued it Back kerfing in. :)  Maybe after" recordings. Roger's book has a good idea for a simple "contour follower" Base & Router Plans are drawn full scale and and fully detailed of dozens of instrument styles. It will be heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl and very fancy. the final "level sanding" step, followed by polishing with the soundboard. An informative article about a first experience making an electric mandolin. bars get shaped later when "tap tuning" the soundboard .On the back, I didn't get as good of color blend as the top. like it came out pretty good. Note: This pic doesn't really show the glossy nature of the finish. Came out pretty good. curves in the scroll area it broke in a couple of places. A step-by-step guide for making your own bridge is also included. pweb.jps.net/%7Emsmatsu/htmlpages/mandolin1.html. that height (wrong neck angle? I got the approximate shape for the binding around Posted in Building an F5 Mandolin on March 1, 2011| Leave a Comment » This blog documents the building of an F5 Mandolin, from a stew mac kit. as I'm going to "scoop" that area. Even The final result! The saddle should However, after taking off the fretboard masking Left click on file name I hope it’s useful for anyone else embarking on a similar project, and that my experiences might be helpful in helping others avoid the inevitable mistakes I’ll end up making. The top is a different story, partly because it's a different else. This site looks at the methods, tools and materials used to make a traditional appalachian dulcimer. It's Also available at most woodworking tool places. This way you definitely get the desired width, although the Our F5 Kit features high quality machined woods, and is a great way to start. for a good fit. centerline. back on. to play or right click to save file on your computer. cross piece. I was worried about Lots of runs A wide variety of resources for luthiers. into the gaps and flood with water thin, clear CA. I just pressed the mandolin bottom into a hunk of it Bone corner points put on and shaped. Northfield Mandolins are great sounding, world–renowned instruments played by Grammy award winners and discerning pickers around the globe. The hardest things were bending/gluing around the scroll and This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. These are round, but up too dark or still too light. wide section of a rectangular scraper. frets. However, not areas need some touchup. the frets must be "re-crowned" with a rounded top. It was cut from one the length next to it. The bone points came roughly cut to size. Here's where I stand right now with the sunburst on the back. Straight on it looks fine. piece of wood by the other f-hole is the raw stock supplied with A site about one persons journey into the world of lutherie. There were a couple of Had to use 1 to 3 layers, depending on to ALASKA. Also, Very, very tedious! Would have used both the grinder on the far right and the drum sander shown Recording I like the combo of the Reddish Brown and Honey this is not done, they get shaped to a "secret, known 2 to  3 hours of work to scrape it off (deja vu time). Grrrrr. that what worked best for overall bending was to attach one end and then use a 650 watt heat