I’ve made some progress on the mold that I’ll use to form the bowl of the lute. As one would expect, having a benchtop disc sander is an incredible time saver! There was a slight delay as the first disc sander did not have a level table, it only affixed to the sander on one side. I was able to return it unused, and purchase a different sander (and a square!) to ensure that the disc sander table would be level.
Due to misinterpreting the instrument schematics, I made the spine of the form/mold too large and the base slightly too small. The spine can certainly be sanded down further, but I’ll need to create a new base for peace of mind. To paraphrase the luthier that created these plans, more time spent now will pay off later. I must keep forcing myself to be patient and not rush, I knew this was not going to be a quick project!
In the interim, a local luthier was able to cut the wood that will form the ribs, and it came out absolutely fantastic! With my limited tool set and even more limited experience, he saved me so much time and likely injury. He also lent me a lovely mandolin that he picked up from a local market to use as a study aide, so I’ll have fun researching that. Mandolins have such a lovely sound and feel like a younger sibling to the lutes I love so much.