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Here, while waiting for my SJ plans, i decided to make the templates since i have Michael's body mold given by Andy Zimmer. Thanks again to both of you!

cutting the templates on the bandsaw



I applied a water base finish to the templates just as a protection since it's very thin



2 templates done, one for the body and one for the side bending machine that is reduced to 0.082" for the thickness of the sides





trimmed the excess with my trusty PC 7310



That's where i stopped building and started a huge clean up of the shop or let's say the beginning of another shop makeover, i'll post pics when i'm done with that also

Cheers

SergeSerge Poirier38998.1925115741

Serge -- thanks for the great pictures! Between the mando and this one you've been pretty busy with jigs.

The OLF SJ sure is a sweet looking shape. As Hesh asked, what combo of woods will you be using?

Looking good there Serge. Glad you had something to keep you busy while you wait.

So, what plans do you have for the shop makeover?

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Aoibeann

Looking good, Serge! Anxious to follow your progress.


Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Way to go Serge I will watch with keen interest as this one developers also.

Thanks for posting,

Cheers

Kim

Thanks for posting, Serge. You're getting really good at this jig building stuff! I'm much too slooooooowwwww.

Thanks everyone for the great positive vibes you're sending me!

Thanks Hesh and Anthony, no 3 will be made with a red cedar top from Shane and a white ash back and sides from BobC, the bindings will be ebony and the purfs will be rope, both from my pal Russell Rose, for the neck, i plan on using Jatoba, a nice plank that my great bud Alain gave me recently, it should make an awesome lookin' one and it will be made for my Godfather Norman.

Here are a couple of pics of the combo:







Here is the jatoba plank, near the drum of my drum sander



Thanks Lillian, i plan on bringing back the drum sander in the middle of the shop with other power tools on wheels, i need more place to wak around and also, i want to throw out some pieces of scrap that have been in the shop for too long!

Thanks Ron, Kim and Carlton!

Carlton, you just need me to crack the whip of encouragement, go ahead my friend grab those tools and make some dust bud!

Right on! That is going to be a fantastic looking gitter, my friend!

So it's Jatoba, eh? Cool!

No time to be bored at the Poirier shop then...

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

Hey hey, Thanks bro!

Yup, Jatoba it is, i found that out when going through my pile of thin veneers from Lee Valley, there was only one sample of it and it had the name on it which is rare ! I think this wood will be plenty stiff for a neck, i'll also try to cut some bindings out of it and share with ya my good friend!

    White ash with cedar and ebony bindings, that's unusual. I've always liked ash! This is going to look cool! I had a Tele in white ash I always liked it!

    You still on the Mando?

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Hey Serge, if I may make a suggestion about the Jatoba.

before you get it to close to the final width (headstock max width I'd say) rip it down the middle, clean up those two inside edges and glue them back together but flip one piece end for end. This will help counter if the neck wants to warp in the future. One side will twist one way and the other side will tend to twist another, this way they theoretically counter twist eachother and don't twist at all, theoretically

That's a nice looking piece of cedar you got there. I love cedar.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Thanks Billy and Rod!

Billy, gotta pic of the Tele please? Yes, i'm still on mandos as well, i'll probably be building 6 instruments simultaneously this coming winter, 4 mandos and 2 guitars! I know, some would say i'm CRAZY!

Rod, you're right, great idea and it should leave me with more Jatoba to use for bindings or headplate veneers also or rosette wood! Thanks bro!

Serge

Serge, that's a neat combo of woods and it should really great. What are you thinking of doing for the rosette?

Four mando's - wow - I admire your moxy. That's gonna be a lot of woodchips flyin when you carve those 8 plates.

Cool Serge. There is something about making things that just makes me all tingly. Especially something that will make music. I am sure you agree.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Looking good, Serge!

You are making 4 mandolins?! Yes, you ARE crazy!

Seriously, I'm not sure it is such a great idea, it would not be for me anyways. There is usually so much room for improvement between one instrument and the next, and especially since these are your first mandos, you may not know about the problem areas until you have finished the first one (or batch in your case). You may end up making 4 of the same errors instead of making the 4th mando 4 times as nice as the first one, if you see what I mean! I would be kicking myself the 4th time I was finishing a new mandolin that had the same error!

Of course, there will probably be improvements between the 4 instruments when you build batches too, and you may save time compared to making each one individually, but for me this would be less important.

Not trying to take away your enthusiasm, Serge, you may see thing differently!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks again for the encouragement guys!

Thanks Hesh, i think it will look good with the jatoba neck!

Thanks Anthony, i don't know for sure anout the rosette, i might go with a bit of rope purfling in there with a piece of Jatoba but i'll know when i'm there.

Steve, you're so right, i feel that the magic is back in the shop when i'm building, it's a strong drug!

Arnt, i am very Crazy! As i mentionned earlier, this one is intended to see if i can do it so it is sort of a dummy mando before making the right moves on my wood of choice but if it turns out good or acceptable after a first try, i'm gonna keep it! The spruce top comes from a 10" wide 10' long plank that cost me $10 so if i scrap it, i got some more of that spruce to practice on. I might build simultaneously but you know how it is with predictions and plans? They change with time so i might end up building one at a time for the first 2 and build simultaneously for the next 2!

     Are you sure you're crazy! Have you tried prozac? If it cures your luthiery, perhaps you are!

A sacrificial Mando?? I think that's a real good idea!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I tried better stuff that made me laugh for days Mon!

Thanks good ole pal!

Looking forward to seeing progress pictures of the white ash guitar.
Keep us posted.

Thanks Mike! Sure will!