Mando on the bench

[darren]

been tinkering around with the Graham McDonald plans for the flat-top/flat-back mando:


also last weekend i got to ressurect this old Encore banjo; needed strings, neck alignment, top tightened and the cobwebs swept out. It actually cleaned up pretty nice - but that is one heavy instrument. it was fun to have around for a few days at least.

[tippie53]

nice projects indeed

That's an interesting go-bar setup you're using.

-tommy

[darren]

Yah, its more of a press than a go bar deck. But it works for me, one brace at a time - not in that big of a hurry yet.

[JLT]

been tinkering around with the Graham McDonald plans for the flat-top/flat-back mando:

Interesting bracing pattern on that mando. I've never seen an X-brace for the back, just ladder bracing.

And what would you call the front bracing ... an "H-brace"?

I'm drawing out plans for a mandola now, with a 17-1/4" scale length. I was going to use the bracing scheme for Dan Kwalek's octave mando, but now I'm intrigued. Let me know how it works out.

[darren]

jlt, I'm using the patterns right off the plan for once. :)

McDonald says the x allows the back to approximate the section of the 15ft sphere easier than ladder bracing. I'm going with it. Though, I don't know why he doesn't recommend the same x for the top.

I have His plans for a bouzouki that show a lattice-braced top and pinned bridge, which I plan on trying in the near future. I still have my baritone to build, plus a nylon cross-over, several mandolins, and on and on. Having the banjo around got me thinking about a building a small nylon strung open back model... i'm hopless. So who knows when the zouki will show up. :)

share some pics when you get into the project, i'd love to see them.

[darren]

BTW Dan Pennington was very generous in offering some tips on getting the Encore back playable. Thanks Dan!

[darren]

Humidity has not been my friend lately... so a little inspiration to get me moving on the mando again:



May actually have a completed box to show this week.

Darren, If yours is an indoor shop, reasonably sealed off from the weather, you may want to look into the Frigidaire dehumidifier.
Even through this wet and humid spring in the Northeast, my shop sits at 40% RH.

-tommy

[darren]

Tommy, a dehumidifier may be in my future, we'll see. I just have to pick and choose when i do what i do, at the moment.
the fretboard is glued on and the body ready for porefill (the B/S are aspen and have no real pores to speak of but I'll put a coat or two of zpoxy on just to pop the grain a bit.

as you can see the fretboard is clamped on and we'll be carving the neck in a day or two and be ready to start the finishing process. now things really slow down... :)