Let's Build A Mandolin (Page 8a)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8a 9 10 11 11a 11b 12 12a 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Last Modified - Oct 2011(©Alan Dunwell 2011)
In Page 8 we were cutting the the headstock but without any angle to the profile. Doing it that way is a lot easier and I think cleaner looking. But the Loars tended to have an angle cut so many folks expect or request that to get that funky "Loar look".
In order to get the angle right we need to get the fretboard surface level. You can see I have a small wedge shaped piece double-stick taped under the headstock. I thickness a block under the heel till it is all true along and across the fretboard. The template is used this time to layout on the face side and the hole is drilled straight through which makes it angled relative to the face of the headstock.
Then I attach a nice large surface to my bandsaw, what one guy referred to as my "dance hall attachment for the Delta band saw". With the blocks still attached to the neck and using an 1/8" blade I cut just outside the line. Last of all I take it to the oscillation spindle sander (Did I mention how much I like that tool?) and bring it down just to the line.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8a 9 10 11 11a 11b 12 12a 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20