Official Luthiers Forum!

Ok, when you're onto your 45th guitar you'll have built up a few tools.

I have cut a binding channel freehand cos I don't have a bearing cutter yet.......

I've just bent my first set of sides outside of the guitar building class I'm doing.

I don't have a $200 bending iron or a fox bender.

I DO have a steam wallpaper stripper.......



and it works a treat!!!!!
here's my current project, a mini dread shaped mandolin in spruce/walnut



Anyone else admit to unusual ways around a lack of the correct equipment?

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

[QUOTE=martinedwards]
Anyone else admit to unusual ways around a lack of the correct equipment?[/QUOTE]

Geez, I thought that was a basic requirement for lutherie?

If it works, use it. That's close to a motto around here.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Martin,

Way to use the ol' noggin! Luthiers have to be creative, and some of us more than others...that would include me. It seems like I am not building guitars, but fixing mistakes. Creative tool usage is starting to be second nature.

Good job.

Jeff

Well, you don't need a 200 bending iron. You can use a regular thick gas-type pipe, and heat it from the back side with a basic propane torch. Of course, you have to take special precautions because it's a fire hazard, and you want to avoid the pipe's exit...but I've seen it done very, very successfully.

And by the way, I really like the little dread shaped mandolin.

_________________
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Please post more pic's of the mandolin when your done. I would really love to see it. I love things out of the norm like this.

Good job, Martin, and welcome to the OLF. I think you're the first from Ireland. My son is visiting Ireland right now, but I think this is his last night there.

Anyway, ingenious use of the available tool.


Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Martin
Welcome!
I second, on the desire to see your mandolin finished.
But I am more interested In how it will sound.
I started building Flat topped(domed) mandolins in the
Early 90's A-Models. My first Guitar shaped ones
came soon after. The first two I built where deep
sides at 2 1/4" 1-maple and 1-mahogony.
Both where bass dominate. Here's a picture of a
proto-type I hope to offer in 07, still a touch bass
heavy, but louder than a carved top. 1 11/16" sides.



Good luck with your build. It is looking great.
I would love if you could share details.(size,scale).
Tom

I've never seen a Mando-naught/Dreadolin before, it looks great! Good bending idea too!

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

May I get into HUGE trouble and say that Martin has only been into Luthiery since late 2005? Amazing, huh?


*turns heel and scarpers*


Tom Morici, Your mando guitar is fantastic. It reminds me a little of Django Reinhardt's designs.

Sam Price38886.1687152778

Nice one Tom, that little giutmando is beautiful!!!

Sadly, Sam is right about my inexperience, but that is the mother of invention eh?

Noah was a first time boat builder, but Harland & Woolf had built loads of ships before the Titanic, right?

As for the Mandonaught (I like the name.... I was thinking frigate, but mandonaught is better!!!) Scale length is whatever stewmac cut thier fingerboards at..... 12 3/4" or so I think....

the walnut was scrounged from a local shopfitter for free, the spruce top is half a AA classical top from SM. Neck will be another bit of the scrounged stuff..... Maybe oak? EIR fingerboard, tuners & tailpiece from SM, Bone bridge from Inlaidartist on Evilbay/

As for only starting recently, yes it's true, Since December I've thrown together a fretless bass, hollow acoustic Les Paul, two carved pine topped mandos (one now in Sam's hands) a guitar shaped mando, a resonator and now I'm waiting for the postman so I can finish the mandonaught.......





the Les Paul is used weekly in church.
the carved top mando I'm learning on (Sam has the lefty one)
the other guitar shaped one still needs the frets tidied and the reso's neck delaminated when I hammered in the tuner ferrules.,.... ah well, 5 out of six aint bad!!! and it's all experience ofcourse!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Martin, if it works it's the right tool! You've got some pretty good builders up in Norther Ireland, maybe George will take you on as his machine shop boss.

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

In my estimation, all the best luthiers come from Northern Ireland..

Must be in the genes...

Martin, it's great to see all the guitars you have made altogether, you have progressed in your ability with great speed, and I LOVE the quote about Noah and Harland and Woolf!!!

Nice looking stuff - the thin-line reso looks really cool, and I dig the look of the guit-mando's, Martin & Tom. Martin, you have been pretty busy, eh?

Well, it beats teaching!!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Martin-

I tend to love any instruments that don't conform to the norm and yours are great. Build more please.

_________________
John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

Colin mentioned George.......

His dad (George Lowden Sr.) is a "coffee Crony" of my Father in law.

he has handled my #3, the right-handed carved top mando and really liked it.

but then just because his son is a Master Luthier doesn't mean that George Sr knows a soundhole from a hole in the ground right!!

and Sam, I don't were Genes when I'm luthing (hey!! I made up a word!!) cos I have to dress professionally as a teacher!!

_________________
My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Martin, the very fact that George Lowden's Daddy handled your mandolin could mean a conversation about you at the dinner table when George and his wife are round for Sunday lunch...



[quote]and Sam, I don't were Genes when I'm luthing (hey!! I made up a word!!) cos I have to dress professionally as a teacher!![/QUOTE]

*canned laughter*

Hey, that's "Purfle" and "Luthing" to put in the dictionary!!

BTW, a sound sample of that Mandonaught (Dreadolin is funny too..) would be appreciate when she's finished.

Martin,

That's very creative work! Tell us how you use the wallpaper steamer to bend your sides. Steam first, then clamp to a mold? Steam and clamp simultaneously? Something else?

BTW, if the new one is a "mandonaught," then the old one has to be a "mand000lin!" A bit harder to pronounce, though.

Martin, you are just very resourceful my friend, as Michael McBroom said, if it works for you, use it!

Great looking mandonaught and instruments and i too am looking forward to hear them all!

Cheers

Serge