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Hi there guys, some more advancement piccys to show ya all!

Arnt, i remade my template and included the "button" this time, thanks coach!



Quite a few templates or patterns



Using my new template, i've redone the body mold





Hey, Who's this weird lookin' fellow?



Back to business!



Making of the spreaders again



An attempt at making a neck block template, i think i'll practice a bit more with wood instead!



Back to the spreaders, i drilled 3/16" holes inside the eye hooks holes to include nuts and bolts to keep the spreaders in tightly as per Siminoff's pics.





Glued some legs underneath the body mold again



And finished the spreaders



Et voila!



Thanks for watching!

SergeSerge Poirier38964.9695717593

I'm impressed, Serge. Very professional looking templates.
Wow!!

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Thanks Ron, except for the f-hpole to the right in the first pic, another duh moment but i will remedy that by making one f-hole template out of wood, should be easier to work with.

Hey bud, nice cutting board

Looks great.

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Very impressive, indeed!!!

It appears that you're taking a measured and methodical approach, Serge. Nice templates! Keep posting on this as you progress...we'll be sure to learn as you teach.

Oh, and BTW...I like your latest pic with the Cheshire Cat grin. Even more photogenic than the Corn Flakes rabid dog shot!

What a mug, little bro!!! ROFLMAO...Excuse me now while I change into some dry pants

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Serge -- I love these pictures!

Those spreaders look really cool -- I didn't realize you needed something like that to clamp the ribs into the mold -- am I getting this right?

Question -- In the second picture you show 4 templates sitting on a table. I recognize the headstock template and the neck template, what are the others for?

Serge will you be collecting all these pictures and organizing them into a documentation of your build? It'll make for a great file for other mando builders.

That's a great "mug" shot...like it

Thanks Rod, JJ and Anthony!

Thanks Rod, that was the last piece of a former table top! Scroungy Serge

Thanks JJ, my wife had the same reaction, she's off to makin' laundry! Will keep posting pics bro!

Tnk you too Anthony! well, i could have made the spreaders a bit differently but that's how i saw it in the book, i found it very easy to make that way!

In the second pic, the top left one is for the neck contours at fret 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The 3rd one, after the headstock is for the scroll to carve on the top plate and the bottom one is the fretboard.

Yes, i take many many pics of a whole build, i like to look back at it and at a quick glance, i can remember the good work i've done as well as the DUH moments, i'm a bit lazy with reading and writing, would you believe me? To document a whole build though, i would have to retrieve all the progress threads i have made but otherwise, i think it would be feasible in a timely fashion if i ever find the time! Thanks Bro!

Nice work Serge. You pic's of this mando inspired me to buy Siminoff's book. Maybe it's just wishfull thinking but hopefully some day I'll find some time to build one.

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Nice going Serge, don't you just love making templates and jigs!

The headblock template is a prefect candidate for the cardboard / CA method I mentioned earlier, it is a pretty complex shape to make in acrylic with a band saw. And you still have to make the arching templates...

I would cut the points off the internal spreaders, the blocks that will be glued in here later can be inserted to keep the sides in their right position when you put the freshly bent sides in the mold. Your spreaders probably are on the large side in the scroll area too, it can be difficult to remove them once the sides are in if they are too big. From the pictures I suspect there will be a conflict for space between the headblock and your spreaders. Check out the pictures of Siminoff's spreaders, mine are pretty much that size and work well.

One more thing: I don't know how thick your spreaders are, but make sure they are no thicker than the height of the sides between the linings you plan to use; unlike on guitars, there is not much room here, and you will want to keep your spreaders in place as long as possible to make sure the sides are firmly secured to the form all the way around. If they are too thick, there will not be enough room for the linings.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks Bob and Arnt!

Bob, i look forward to your build, i'm sure you will love it too!

Arnt, will follow your advice on the cardboard and spreaders, gotta go to work Dang!Thanks coach, will catch ya later today!

Serge

Serge,
Have you heard of or heard Adam Stiffey-incredible Mando artist?

Serge, those are very professional looking templates! I wonder if you'll be giving Craig H. and Tracy a run for their money soon.    

I like how you are photo archiving this build. I will have to do that for my next build as well.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Ok, a little break from work!

Yes Arnt, sure is a lot of templates and jigs to build huh?

I heard you for the points and the scroll, wil remove the points and the part of the scroll that will be in conflict with the haedblock! My spreaders are 1" thick, is that too much?

Thanks again Arnt!

Bob J, no, i never heard of him, i'll do a search on him, thanks! Unless you have a link to share bud?

Thanks Joe, i would not dare try to beat Craig and Tracy, i just can't wait for the templates and jigs to be done so the real fun begins!

Serge,
Last name Steffy or Steffly

Hey bud, looking great! I'm glad you're making all of those... I hate making jigs and ... ahh... I'll be wanting to make a mando too!!!

Keep up the good work, my friend. Now hurry up so I can borrow those jigs!!!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Good lookin' jigs Serge,You're getting good at this!
Is that fella with the double goggles related to your beer drinking alien? .....Great Photos'

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Thanks Bob!

Thanks Alain and Dave!

Alain, i think i'm closer to making the soundbox, the real fun will start soon! It will be a pleasure to lend you anything ya need bro!

Thanks Dave, don't know who that strange fellow might be!

Serge

Lookin' good Serge! So why not make a 3-pointer too?!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Looking beautiful as usual Sergio!
Cheers
Charlie

Thanks Don and Charlie!

tHANKS Don buddy! What do you mean , are there any 3 pointers in F5'S??? oh i get it, you'd like me to innovate?

Thanks Charlie buddy, nice to see ya postin' again my friend! So bud, your jigs almost done?

No, not innovate, I believe some were made with 3 points instead of two. At least that's what I was told. Might not have been an F-5 then....

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

That could have been an early 1900's style Gibson, the F5 was introduced in 1922 I think. Here's a (refinished) F2 form the "Mandolin archive"

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks Don and Arnt!

Arnt, cool looking mandolin, have you ever buit an F2?

Serge thanks for the explanation.

Documenting a build takes an inordinate amount of time. One suggestion if I may is to create a seperate folder on your computer of all your mando pics and number them in sequence. If ever you get the inclination in time you can assemble all the pictures in a powerpoint presentation and annotate as you go.

I've done that for part of an archtop build and are the pictures I use when trying to explain something like how to "Route F holes" or my binding process or plate carving. The other reason I do it is it serves as build notebook which many have recommended doing here. It becomes a great reference tool. I don't know about your memory -- I build so few instruments that sometimes it feels like I have to relearn certain tasks.