Workshop and Tools

Here is a picture of my workshop in the back corner of the garden, looking over the fish pond.

Inside the workshop.  This shows about half the workshop.  Tidiness is not one of my strong points!

Often people who are just starting out to make a mandolin, ask what tools are required.  Well you can see what I have below, together with a short description.  This is not everything I have, but does cover all of the most important tools.  This is not meant as any kind of recommendation, or a comprehensive list, but just an example of what I use.

This is my trusty bandsaw.  Probably the most used of all the power tools in the workshop.  It is only a small machine, just big enough to cut tops and backs for mandolas, but that is all I really need.  As you can see, it is an Inca, made in France (expensive), and the picture is correct, not back the front.  Very high quality machine.  Accuracy is really dependant on the quality of the blades.  Best thing I ever did was to buy this machine.

Bending tools.  Home made bending pipes and gas torch, crude but effective.  Used to bend sides and bindings (I use wooden bindings).

Assortment of various clamps.

Dremel, essential tool for every Luthier.

Small drill press.  Essential power tool.  Used for all sorts of drilling.

Dust Extractor.  Essential for keeping dust levels down.  Must have for bandsaws and sanders.  Dust is a constant problem and hazard.

Finger planes.  Must be one of the most useful hand tools.  Used to shape the carved tops and backs and to trim the wooden bindings and soundhole inlays.

Fretsaw.  Used to cut soundholes.

Fretting tools.  From left, good quality steel ruler, dead blow fretting hammer, fret nipper, fret bending tool, fret pulling tool.

More fretting tools.  Fret files, nut files, feeler gauge.

Hand planes, all number 4.  Very much used hand tools.  On the left is my "plastic fantastic"  Stanley plane, used for rough work.  In the centre is my Lie Nielsen (expensive) which is used for fine work and the most difficult jobs such as planing highly figured wood, or very hard wood.  On the right is my vintage Stanley (beautiful plane!  They don't make them like that any more) used for the finest work such as preparing the centre joins.

Various hand tools.  Chisels, screwdrivers and model maker's saw.

Linisher (i.e. belt sander).  Probably a close second behind the bandsaw as the most used power tool.

Palet knife, reamers and Dremel router attachment.

Plate tuning equipment.  High powered speaker, 140W power amp, digital sine wave generator and music instrument tuner.  All home made except for the speaker and tuner.

Angle grinder with Rotary Chisel fitted.  Used to rough carve the tops and backs.

Router table.  Used to route the groove in the neck for the carbon fibre rod.

Safety gear.  Essential for any workshop.

Sanding disk.  Used to sand tops and backs after being shaped with hand planes.

Saw bench.  I do not use this much.  Only used to cut larger pieces of timber and is useful as a bench for fretting fingerboards.  Note the radio/CD player which constantly plays mandolin music to inspire me.

Home made thickness gauge.

Thickness sander.  This is a recent edition to the workshop and I am still discovering how useful it is and should have bought one years ago.  Used to thickness sides, bindings, headstock veneers etc.

Wood lathe.  Used to turn strap pins, and is also used to make parts for other musical instruments (e.g. tuning pegs).

Clothes pegs for gluing linings, violin makers clamps for gluing top and backs to sides, various scrapers.

Woodworking vice, various drills, plugcutter, knives, saws etc.