The Rim

Gluing on the Sides

Add I used the same system to glue the sides to the blocks as I did to hold them on after bending. I again had to use cauls to hold the sides securely to the head block and a long clamp to hold the bottom of the sides tight to the tail block. The rubber band system was especially helpful for positioning the sides accurately when gluing, even without an extra pair of hands. I used epoxy for this glue-up since the joints weren’t pulling up as tight as I wanted. The joints were much better than on my last mandolin and wood glue would likely have worked, but I wanted to play it safe. I didn’t get the joint between the side halves at the tail of the instrument as tight as I had wanted, but knew I would be covering that joint up with a piece of binding later.

AddHere is the rim after the glue had dried.

Trimming the Sides

Add I used a low angle plane to carve the sides even with the mould and blocks. A thumb plane may also work for this task. I had already removed the block connecting the head block to the main form for easy access to the top of the sides. This is one of the times when this method of holding these parts together is a bit awkward. It would be better to keep the block in place and keep everything securely connected, but I had to remove it since it was in the way.

The Finished Rim

Add At this point, I knocked the rim free of the mould and sanded the top and back surfaces flush with a belt sander while it was turned off.

AddThis is the form ready for use with the next mandolin I decide to make with this pattern.