Hand-Carving a Mandolin Back

[@twokool4skool129]

Had a heart attack when you started to drill the underside. That's impressive you can judge the depth by eye without overshooting.

[@kevinwalsh1400]

just spent the last hour checking out your site and fb ,,,you've a great hand ...and eye...and ear...keep it country!

[@madgeniusmusic]

Very cool, I look forward to seeing the rest of the build.

[@davidsims1329]

Great job

[@mandoman3042]

This looks interesting, however explaining what you are doing at each phase and the things to beware of and the tools being used would be helpful

[@WyattWilkie]

It's just a non-verbal video of me carving a mandolin back. Not trying to make a tutorial.

[@johnautry6851]

Please tell me about the plane and that killer table.

[@WyattWilkie]

Hi, it's made from parts you can get at home depot. Not too complicated but would take awhile to explain it all.

[@johnautry6851]

@@WyattWilkie Photo would be cool, just to see what's under there. I'm guessing a vise and some other stuff. You have it mounted securely to floor. Picture worth a thousand words, Yeah? NICE WORK!

[@WyattWilkie]

@@johnautry6851 hi John, if you email me I can send a couple photos

[@margaretnicholson7481]

Where can I get a mold like yours?

[@wyattwilkie1209]

Margaret Nicholson you'll have to make one. It's well worth it and not very difficult.

[@mikeglockler1134]

Do you have a drawing of your mold ? Awesome work !

[@WyattWilkie]

@@mikeglockler1134 no but it's simple to make using materials that are all readily available at most hardware stores.

[@robertshorthill4153]

@@WyattWilkie I would make a template for the shape in half the final shape, trace one side onto a mold then flip it over for the other side, making a symmetrical mold based on a center line. This is how A models are made, I believe. Fs are different, of course. I worked at Flatiron for several years and they had a bunch of molds based on the same pattern. I don't think there was any variations for the different models, or very little. An A junior was the same for an A artist in shape -- symmetrical top and back. And tops and backs were done on a duplicarver in those days. Pretty much all the same parts, exception being the species of wood ( flame maple for higher end mandos, lesser maple for the cheaper models -- backs, that is). Then the process would be repeated for the insides of backs and top. Tops were all quality spruce. It was a pretty crude way of doing these parts but it worked well enough without a CNC. I don't how they are made in China now and overall quality of the Flatiron models is a disappointment, compared to what we made in the early '90s. Doing this by hand like this is labor intensive, but it can be called "handmade", which it should be. Thanks for the demo, my friend. Brings back memories, as does Jerry Rosa's work -- all hand built. Bob in Montana.

[@WyattWilkie]

@@robertshorthill4153 thanks Bob! I still carve all my mandolins like this and archtop guitars too. 22 years now. Some people think it's dumb. It's one of my great pleasures in life.

[@kevinwalsh1400]

hand?

[@WyattWilkie]

Kevin Walsh No?

[@davidsims1329]

Great job