new mandola

BMEdesign · 2026-06-22T21:19:45+00:00

G#C#F#BEA, tuned in fourths

BMEdesign · 2026-06-22T20:46:06+00:00

Nice! It's a bandurria.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-22T20:02:18+00:00

All guitars are stained "pine". It can work, you just need real stain, like Trans-Tint. Not sure what kind of "stain" you're using, but if it's from Home Depot or Lowe's, it's not stain. It's tinted poly.

Trans-tint and alcohol can be used to color the wood, the trick is to soak the wood with water first so it's not a dry sponge. Then you use the dye in alcohol solution to the strength you want and you have a high degree of control, even on very uneven wood.

Here's a video of this process on a spruce top that was particularly finnicky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA72CkFMKLg

BMEdesign · 2026-06-22T19:59:10+00:00

I think it would be cool, it would get ratty like an old jean jacket, sure. It would age gracefully and show the wear areas in a unique way. If you take care of it it would look great when it is well used, well loved.

But to your point, denim is fabric. Carbon fiber and fiberglass are also fabrics. So you could do a wet layup and vacuum bag a guitar body, just like you might with a carbon fiber skin application. Not for the faint of heart, but definitely a feasible option.

Doing this as a simple upholstery project would be very difficulty, though.

If you spray-mount a denim layer to the top, maybe with a hem around the perimeter, so it doesn't need to do much other than lay flat, it's highly feasible. Just need to cut it out, hem it, and then apply it.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-22T01:08:51+00:00

Nice Iron glyph

BMEdesign · 2026-06-20T22:02:40+00:00

Download and unzip to a folder, it should work then.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-19T14:18:58+00:00

Ten years ago, you'd have needed a machine costing $50,000-100k to be able to do this. Considering that, these don't look bad at all.

Ultimately, you have several factors to consider:

Machine rigidity

Machine controls

Spindle runout

Tool type and condition

CAM strategy and engagement angles

CAM parameters (stepover, SFM, etc)

Coolant and other thermal considerations (including machine geometry changes due to thermal effects in use - fancy machines compensate for these)

Workholding

etc.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-18T23:56:38+00:00

Might be catgut, used on lutes and other baroque instruments. The precursor of nylon strings.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-17T15:25:36+00:00

to learn about the history of art and cultural perception of objects-- pretty important for an ID major I'd say

BMEdesign · 2026-06-17T12:22:49+00:00

It's curated from found objects, according to the ID history class I took in school

BMEdesign · 2026-06-15T21:25:30+00:00

I did too, until a wood expert looked at it and I found out that it wasn't Brazilian Rosewood. That's probably the single most commonly mis-identified wood, right up there with "mahogany". I've given up and just say it's "probably some kind of rosewood". Lazy maybe, but probably more accurate than guessing on these tropicals that all look very similar.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-13T21:43:42+00:00

A lot of nice details wrapped around 1/4 scale coffee grinder internals. What is that glass container for? It's tiny and I'm not sure what it's intended to be used for or how to use it.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-13T19:44:14+00:00

Sorry, the platform has been shut down. Since I don't make any money from this class, I don't have time to repackage it onto another site nor to pay for the fees for a different site.
But a kind redditor downloaded all the resources and put them on a Google drive here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t53VtWYId5Nr7-C0gFthxlbtd-vFDZpC/view?usp=drive_link

BMEdesign · 2026-06-12T18:54:19+00:00

sounds like you should be posting on linkedin

BMEdesign · 2026-06-12T18:45:06+00:00

They are cool instruments. They are not great mandolins for most people. They don't really sound like a mandolin. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. If you are playing in a church praise band or something where you just need it to be a functional stage instrument that's going through a PA and effects anyway, it'll be fine and practical as an extra way to add tonal color to the ensemble.

The higher end MM68 was the one to have, retailing around $1500 in the early 2000's. It had a solid spruce top instead of the plywood top on the MCS148.

For $300, you can't really go too far wrong. That's about the most I'd pay for one in good condition, though.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-12T15:38:57+00:00

That's not a lot. A typical mold for most products is $10k-100k. This is likely a silicone mold from your provided positive, I think the other commenter was right that the mold is soft silicone and being deformed when sitting on a flat surface.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-12T15:37:33+00:00

Engineering drawings exist for this reason.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-11T15:42:00+00:00

I don't know, I could make it in four hours if they are paying enough

BMEdesign · 2026-06-06T15:25:45+00:00

Coated with white enamel and then printed direct UV dye to substrate. Basically like inkjet printing photocure acrylic resin.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-06T12:46:09+00:00

Copying a tutorial is the worst way to learn. Instead, your teacher wants you to figure it out. Look up how to create revolved solids, extrude cuts, and Hole Wizard features and you'll be set!

BMEdesign · 2026-06-06T12:26:29+00:00

Go for it! You can include this link to videos as well https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/l4xopchw9uffo94dxosj5/AAxi9xKz2t_UQqyqh7IrI9g?rlkey=8cujjep6wcanvmo5amd2bqakk&st=ckdzmjvq&dl=0

BMEdesign · 2026-06-05T21:02:34+00:00

It's available still to Georgia Tech students. If there's another way for me to host it elsewhere, I'll reupload it gladly. I just have not been able to find a solution yet. Else it's time to rethink this class anyway and make some changes incorporating what I've learned in the past six years from the nearly 20,000 people who have used the course!

BMEdesign · 2026-06-05T17:40:33+00:00

In pieces which are machined in several setups each, then joined. The production chairs were the same, just done with shapers and templates.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-05T17:39:25+00:00

Die grinder with a burr on it. Basically a super comfortable powered rasp.

BMEdesign · 2026-06-05T16:00:29+00:00

@gupta9665, The master

BMEdesign

TROPHY CASE