How did people make things before they had 3D printers?

“How did people make things before they had 3D printers, Grandpa?” is a question that one day, young Jacob might ask me and I’ll dust off a rusty tool box and show him a bunch of archaic saws, chisels and files...........

..............Mark, a new client, came over to the workshop on Friday to discuss his mandolin commission and as I said to him, "I’m very proud that everything is made by hand within these 4 walls."

And this batch of freshly made tailpieces illustrates that; there is at least 30 hours of hand work here, not a sniff of a CNC machine!

“Same but different” is the best way to describe these tailpieces; each one designed to complement its mandolin.

The rosewood one is Alan’s Standard; he’s opted to upgrade from a “Gibson” style and this will match the rosewood fret board and head overlay.  

The ebony one will match the ebony fret board and bindings on David’s Standard Plus, and he requested that his initial be somewhere on the instrument. The shape of these two tailpieces also echos the head design.

And this one is for Jeff’s twin-point; he has opted for an F style head and the curves here will complement that too.