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sides . You want the braces to be hidden inside the sides, so
make your saw-cut about 1/8" inside of those pencil lines .
The braces will fall into the notches in the kerfed lining and
butt up to the sides .
With the kerfed lining notched accurately, the top will snap
into place . Before gluing, dry-clamp to check the fit and trim
the notches or brace ends if needed .
Gluing method 1: Clamps
Spread Titebond glue on the tops of the linings and neck/tail
blocks . Place a clamp at each end first, then clamp around
the perimeter . Use as many clamps per side as you can fit,
and remember to use scrap wood cauls to protect the surface
from the clamps . Spool clamps are ideal for gluing tops and
backs . They’re inexpensive, and designed for this job .
Spool clamps can be made using 8" all thread rods, wing nuts,
drilled wooden spools and cork or leather lining pads .
When all the clamps are on, re-clamp the neck and tail block .
Remove their clamps and reapply them, being sure that their
wooden cauls are spreading the pressure across the entire
block . If you have extra clamps, use two — especially on the
larger neck block .
Gluing method 2: Weights
Using the pressure of weights is an alternative to clamping .
Place the top face-down on a ring of wood scraps left over
from shaping the back . These equal-thickness scraps raise
the rim of the mandolin to accommodate the arch of the top .
Check to see that each scrap is positioned to make contact
with the perimeter of the mandolin . Apply glue and place
the side assembly in position . Lay two boards across the rim
lengthwise and lay your weight onto these boards . Look
carefully for a bit of glue squeeze-out to show that pressure
is applied at all points .
Glue the top on
Level the pearl dots, and the fretboard surface, with a
smooth mill file . Then sand it using a scrap wood sanding
block with 150-, then 220-grit paper . File and sand the side
dots flush also .
Level the fretboard
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