DIY Network

Handmade Mandolin, Part 7: Creating the Neck From "Handmade Music" episode DHMM-106

Andy Leftwich of bluegrass band Kentucky Thunder, and mandolin player for Ricky Skaggs, gets to give the Dudenbostel mandolin a trial run. Based on both tone and appearance, Andy considers this "a great mandolin."

In this episode of DIY's Handmade Music, Lynn Dudenbostel continues with the creation of a handmade mandolin, built in the tradition of a classic Gibson F5. In this segment, he begins work on creating various elements of the mandolin's neck.

Materials:

Cocobolo-wood stock
Tahitian mother-of-pearl
Band saw
Table saw with cross-cut sled
Table router
Template for fret slots
Epoxy glue
Cocobolo sawdust
Brass tubing
Straight-edge
Carpenter's pencil
Safety glasses or goggles

Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when
working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

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Though most vintage mandolins have ebony fingerboards, for unique styling Lynn opted for cocobolo wood for the mandolin built in this series.

Creating the Fingerboard

Thus far Lynn has a completed mandolin body, minus the wood finish. It's now time to shift gears and begin creating the mandolin neck. The neck will be constructed from a variety of woods. For this instrument, Lynn opts to veer a bit from the traditional coarse. Where most vintage mandolins have ebony fingerboards, but for unique styling Lynn has chosen cocobolo wood. For the sake of matching the look, he sticks with cocobolo for the peg-head veneer.

• After roughing-in the fingerboard at the band saw, Lynn tapes a template to the cocobolo stock (figure A) and perfects the shape at the router table (figure B).

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  
• Then, with a shallow cut at the table saw Lynn uses a template with precut fret placements to add fret slots into the fingerboard (figure C).

• With a band saw and drum sander, he gives the fingerboard some final shaping to complete the design (figure D).

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  
• Now, like the mandolin's body, the fingerboard receives some decorative binding around the outside edge (figure E). Just like the body, it also receives two layers with the tortoise shell binding on the outside.

• Using a drill press, Lynn cuts shallow holes into the fingerboard where position markers will be inlayed. The location of each marker is determined by traditional placement, following the pattern of a vintage F5 (figure F).

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  
• Using some fine detail work, Lynn then actually sculpts thin chips of black Tahitian mother-of-pearl until they fit into a brass tube (figure G). Then he slices the tube to create a "button" outlined with brass.

• With the buttons created, he inserts an inlay into each cavity using a filler of epoxy and cocobolo dust (figure H).

  Figure G

  Figure H

  
  

  Figure I

  
  
• This part of the process gets fairly messy, but after a thorough sanding job with a radiused sanding block Lynn has completed a beautiful inlayed fingerboard (figure I).
  

  Figure J

  Creating the Peg-Head Veneer

• The other preliminary detail Lynn fashions for the neck is a peg-head veneer. For that, he goes back to the CNC (computer numerical control) machine used in earlier segments and takes advantage of its precise cutting ability. Once again, with programming information supplied by Lynn, and based on classic patterns, the computerized router cuts a groove into the cocobolo (figure J). It also cuts the holes required for tuners in the exact locations Lynn has specified.
  
• The bit doesn't actually cut out the peg-head shape from the veneer. It leaves a channel that makes binding easier.

• Lynn adds decorative binding to the veneer in two layers along the channel created by the CNC (figure K).

• Using a chisel and furniture scraper, he then brings the profile of the binding down so that it's even with the surface of the cocobolo (figure L).

  Figure K

  Figure L

  
  

  Figure M

In the segment that follows, the neck itself is carved from a solid block of mahogany and made ready to be joined to the mandolin body.

RESOURCES :

Stewart MacDonald's Luthier Supply Shop
Website: www.stewmac.com

Luthier's Mercantile International, Inc.
Website: www.lmii.com

Pioneer Valley Luthier Supply Company
Website: www.pioneervalleyluthier.com

GUESTS :

Lynn Dudenbostel, Luthier
Dudenbostel Stringed Instruments
Knoxville, TN