Another week of Finishing Class, where we’ve been spraying lacquer, padding lacquer, brushing shellac, etc. plus some fun neck pocket routing in Repairs Class (we’ve made a mockup electric guitar body, complete with routs for the neck, bridge, and pickups). Very useful skills, and plenty of reading to go along with it.

This weekend has been productive! I’ve been busy organizing and hosting the first-ever SE Tech Swap Meet this Saturday. We had about a dozen vendors, and for four hours we swapped projects and junk fiddles, guitars and banjos. It was a great opportunity to do a spring-cleaning, get rid of unneeded tools, projects and wood. Best of all, I acquired a new favorite instrument!

It is a 1920’s Washburn Soprano Ukulele. It is a lovely instrument, with a lovely voice, and I’m fixing up a sweet hardshell case for it.

Also, I’ve made some headway on the F5 mandolin. The tone bars are in and shaped, the top glued on, the back kerfed, graduated and glued on. I’ve bound the fingerboard, and glued in the position markers as well. Next up will be fretting the fingerboard, binding the headstock, and routing the body for binding. I’m eagerly anticipating the the complicated binding work necessary for the F5 style. Picture to come!