MIMF

If it works for me, it will work for anyone willing to do as I did. Go to the hardware store and check the dates on it. If it's well under a year old like mine is then it's good. I tested it and it dried glass hard just like HHG. I guess it's easier to know it's fresh when you make it yourself in a ...

I believed all this "malarkey and switched to HHG for many years. I've recently switched back. If you buy fresh, look at the date, it works fine long term. I have a violin I reattached the top with it 30+ years ago. I still play it and there have been zero problems. It's hide glue and so much easier...

Awesome, you just gave me an idea for some cracked EIR. A tele is on my list and an EIR top would be perfect for it.

I don't think I would try any of that with shell. Got me thinking about turning wooden ones on the lathe and slicing them off. Use some nice figured wood.

Very interesting and thanks for sharing your experience.

This is where a nice thickness sander comes into play. I find I use mine quite a bit and bringing a guitar top or back from 1/4 to 1/8 is no issue at all. I tried doing it with hand planes because I love using them but for backs and tops, my thickness sander is my favorite tool.

You can always remove some material from it and add it back on with tape in the future if you found it doesn't work. Personally I can't imagine working that precise and would prefer to leave some wood for adjustment. I have always cut mine with a hand saw so I really don't know a thing about doing i...

I can't get past the tool wall. There's a guitar?

I spent some time doing the math and cutting a circle from cardboard and making a hole about 3/8" from the center. Low and behold, I've drawn a nice arch. Thank you. In the past I've used templates or just eyeballed my mandolin tops. I'll give this a try next time and see how it lines up with my tem...

I made this repair with thin CA. As much as I wanted to use something else, this crack was just to tight. My question is, would you go further in an attempt to hide the line.? I obviously did a better job of aligning the wood towards the lower bout. Tint some CA?
Repaired

Whoa, I love this. Thanks so much for sharing your design.

Well worth the time. That's a beauty.

I agree with Barry. But, I have no experience with electric mandolins and you are probably partial to that bridge after all the work you did. Make one and change it and see.

I really like the outcome. You have me thinking

I find buying luthier tools and wood to be like crack. I have a rather large order coming from SM today. I'm so excited!!

Brent, where can I see your tops? I would love to buy some based solely on tone as you select it. I don't need any right now but hopefully I'll get to guitar number 3 someday.

IMO the 12-fret 000 or 14 fret OM size (15" wide lower bout) is god's size for the steel string guitar, especially for fingerstyle. I would also try to get away from scalloped bracing and lean toward 'straight' or 'tapered' bracing. Scalloped emphasizes bass and 'punch', where straight bracing, and...

Well, since I started this thread, a lot has changed. Screw the hand tools, I bought a bandsaw and a Supermax 19-38 drum sander. Got the sander on sale while it was out of stock and now it's 150.00 more. Yay for me. But I'm still waiting for it.

I've done it a time or two

And this has what to do with hand-planing?

I no longer own a thickness planer and hope I never do again. I'm now finding it so easy to do with hand planes and I derive a lot of pleasure from the dust and noise free environment. Of course I still have and use a tablesaw.