Street Address

Long Beach, CA

Phone Number

Hand Crafted Tools For The Art Of Sound

Hand Crafted Tools for the Art of Sound

Toth Mandolin (Belle) Construction

April 10, 2016 Sam Montooth

First Goal: Neck Block and Sides

First Goal: Neck Block and Sides

Working neck Block on Band Saw (Safety Glasses Please!)

Working neck Block on Band Saw (Safety Glasses Please!)

Getting there

Fine shaping of neck block

Fine shaping of neck block

Finish work on neck block

Finish work on neck block

Guilted Maple side - Fresh from the band saw. 6 years in the rafters. Old school surface sanding

Guilted Maple side - Fresh from the band saw. 6 years in the rafters. Old school surface sanding

To a consistant 3/16"

To a consistant 3/16"

Water trough

Dive

Submerged for 6 hours

Submerged for 6 hours

Getting general shape over a hot pipe (not too fast - not too slow)

Getting general shape over a hot pipe (not too fast - not too slow)

Reapplying the side jig

Reapplying the side jig

On your mark, get set, ....

On your mark, get set, ....

Leave for a week

Leave for a week

Sides and neck block meet in a patter jig

Sides and neck block meet in a patter jig

Side (rim) fitted to neck block

Side (rim) fitted to neck block

Tah-Dah!

Purfling joint wood glued to rim

Purfling joint wood glued to rim

Expansion jig to square up rim in pattern jig

Expansion jig to square up rim in pattern jig

Some glue, some weight, some time

Some glue, some weight, some time

German Spruce (top wood) - 6 years in my rafters, quarter saw

German Spruce (top wood) - 6 years in my rafters, quarter saw

Straight grain oriented in a "V" for strength

Straight grain oriented in a "V" for strength

Sanding glue surface to 90

Sanding glue surface to 90

Traditional glue-up: A flat surface, pressed together, weight on top

Traditional glue-up: A flat surface, pressed together, weight on top

A little of the Peak

A little of the Peak

One flat side

Flatness (Sweet!)

Flatness (Sweet!)

Out of the pattern jig - General trace of top plate (Make sure it's not reversed!)

Out of the pattern jig - General trace of top plate (Make sure it's not reversed!)

Bottom purfling and first sight of modified tail block

Bottom purfling and first sight of modified tail block

Top plate glued - (Check out the plans)

Top plate glued - (Check out the plans)

Elevations

Elevations

Hobbing off the wood (Fingers, careful!)

Hobbing off the wood (Fingers, careful!)

More hobbing

There is nothing like soft Spruce - Straight grain and a sharp finger plane

There is nothing like soft Spruce - Straight grain and a sharp finger plane

"Bit of Heaven"

"Bit of Heaven"

Arch elevations

Arch elevations

Elevation holes inside arch

Elevation holes inside arch

Disking to the bottom of holes

Disking to the bottom of holes

Basically there

Basically there

20/100's" Rim, 7/100's" F hole area, 20/100's" under bridge (My favorite photo)

20/100's" Rim, 7/100's" F hole area, 20/100's" under bridge (My favorite photo)

Modified (Toth) F holes

Modified (Toth) F holes

Finish work

Bass and treble balancing

Bass and treble balancing

Ready to mate

Fresh glue (reversable)

Fresh glue (reversable)

High anxiety clamping - The most stress inducing part of building

High anxiety clamping - The most stress inducing part of building

Curly Maple - Single piece neck

Curly Maple - Single piece neck

Truss rod jig

Truss rod alignment

Truss rod alignment

Start the channel (Got's to be straight!)

Start the channel (Got's to be straight!)

Start the channel (Got's to be straight!)

Start the channel (Got's to be straight!)

Good fit

Good fit

Ebony fingerboard

Ebony fingerboard

Pattern powder

Pattern powder

Spray varnish powder

Spray varnish powder

Pattern to rout

Pattern to rout

Fingerboard lines atop covered truss rod

Fingerboard lines atop covered truss rod

Router pattern

Pieces fitted (cleaned and radius sanded)

Pieces fitted (cleaned and radius sanded)

Clean up (leaf at octave)

Clean up (leaf at octave)

Head stock - veneer (Curly Maple, truss rod access)

Head stock - veneer (Curly Maple, truss rod access)

Toth Logo cut out with jeweler saw

Toth logo

Neck carving jig

Neck carving jig

Fun with files

Fun with files

Jig

Binding on head stock

Binding on head stock

Razors are great spacers

Razors are great spacers

Toth F holes

Finally getting whole - Lines coming together

Finally getting whole - Lines coming together

A mistake turns into a special flurish

A mistake turns into a special flurish

Love this photo

Love this photo

Binding on upper bout (#!*?@)

Binding on upper bout (#!*?@)

Getting there

The pieces face each other (bottom plate?)

The pieces face each other (bottom plate?)

The pieces face each other (bottom plate?)

The pieces face each other (bottom plate?)

Tuning top pate G# (not slotted peg neck joint)

Tuning top pate G# (not slotted peg neck joint)

Pressing frets

Pressing frets

Sanding and pressing frets

Sanding and pressing frets

Fingerboard extension

Fingerboard extension

Fingerboard extension

Fingerboard extension

Piezo pickups and jack in back plate

Piezo pickups and jack in back plate

Toth approach to jack and volume

Toth approach to jack and volume

Solder

Get electronics in before back goes on

Get electronics in before back goes on

Maple back plate carved, fresh glue ready to go

Maple back plate carved, fresh glue ready to go

Stressful clamps

Stressful clamps

The clamps!

Neck to body glue up

Neck to body glue up

Bridge fitting (green is sand paper, floating bridge)

Bridge fitting (green is sand paper, floating bridge)

Shooting the nitrocellulose

Shooting the nitrocellulose

Taped and ready for 30 coats

Taped and ready for 30 coats

Comes to life

First Goal: Neck Block and Sides

Working neck Block on Band Saw (Safety Glasses Please!)

Getting there

Fine shaping of neck block

Finish work on neck block

Guilted Maple side - Fresh from the band saw. 6 years in the rafters. Old school surface sanding

To a consistant 3/16"

Water trough

Dive

Submerged for 6 hours

Getting general shape over a hot pipe (not too fast - not too slow)

Reapplying the side jig

On your mark, get set, ....

Leave for a week

Sides and neck block meet in a patter jig

Side (rim) fitted to neck block

Tah-Dah!

Purfling joint wood glued to rim

Expansion jig to square up rim in pattern jig

Some glue, some weight, some time

German Spruce (top wood) - 6 years in my rafters, quarter saw

Straight grain oriented in a "V" for strength

Sanding glue surface to 90

Traditional glue-up: A flat surface, pressed together, weight on top

A little of the Peak

One flat side

Flatness (Sweet!)

Out of the pattern jig - General trace of top plate (Make sure it's not reversed!)

Bottom purfling and first sight of modified tail block

Top plate glued - (Check out the plans)

Elevations

Elevations

Hobbing off the wood (Fingers, careful!)

More hobbing

There is nothing like soft Spruce - Straight grain and a sharp finger plane

"Bit of Heaven"

Arch elevations

Elevation holes inside arch

Disking to the bottom of holes

Basically there

Modified (Toth) F holes

Finish work

Bass and treble balancing

Ready to mate

Fresh glue (reversable)

High anxiety clamping - The most stress inducing part of building

Curly Maple - Single piece neck

Truss rod jig

Truss rod alignment

Start the channel (Got's to be straight!)

Start the channel (Got's to be straight!)

Pattern powder

Pattern powder

Spray varnish powder

Pattern to rout

Fingerboard lines atop covered truss rod

Router pattern

Pieces fitted (cleaned and radius sanded)

Clean up (leaf at octave)

Head stock - veneer (Curly Maple, truss rod access)

Neck carving jig

Fun with files

Fun with files

Jig

Binding on head stock

Razors are great spacers

Toth F holes

Finally getting whole - Lines coming together

A mistake turns into a special flurish

Love this photo

Binding on upper bout (#!*?@)

Getting there

The pieces face each other (bottom plate?)

The pieces face each other (bottom plate?)

Tuning top pate G# (not slotted peg neck joint)

Pressing frets

Pressing frets

Sanding and pressing frets

Fingerboard extension

Fingerboard extension

Piezo pickups and jack in back plate

Toth approach to jack and volume

Solder

Get electronics in before back goes on

Maple back plate carved, fresh glue ready to go

Stressful clamps

The clamps!

Neck to body glue up

Bridge fitting (green is sand paper, floating bridge)

Shooting the nitrocellulose