Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi all,

When I introduced myself I said that I planned on building a Stew Mac Uke kit to get into the idea of making musical intruments out of wood. The thing is, I really don't want to own a uke especially. What I would love is an open back tenor banjo. I play them at work all the time, but would like to own one too.
I've done a bit of internoid research, and, to be honest, I feel that building a simple "open back" would be much more within my limits than trying to make an acoustic guitar (all those bending forms, radius dishes, go-bar decks!).
So, here is my plan.

1) Buy some walnut and maple. I am going to be using the method of constructing a rim out of solid blocks of wood. (Making three hexagonal layers, and gluing them together in a jig (http://www.songofthegreatlakes.com/rim1.htm)) In theory this sould be ok, as I am reasonably confident I can make accurate joints.

2) After I rough out the circular shape on the bandsaw, I have two options. The first is to mount a doughnut-shaped template to the bottom of the rim, and spend a lot of time with a Robo-Sander on my drill press to get it true. This, however, is likely to raise a load of dust, and not be very neat. I mean, it would work, but it doesn't seem like the best way to go about things. The second route I could take would involve using a lathe. This appeals to me, becasue it means I could make accurate adjustments (and this would be important in fitting the tone ring). It would also mean I could carve chanels in the rim for purfling. It would aslo help with the oil finishing process (this looks really great, I think: http://www.songofthegreatlakes.com/pics/rim/lathe9.jpg)

So, my question really is: what lathe?!

I heard somewhere that a metalworking one is best, I don't know why. Maybe they have a larger capacity, and can handle the 12" diameter f the rim. Any help on this would be geat. Even just some basic specifications I should be looking for in a lathe. Something that's got plenty of depth stops and the like, to help me avoid srcewing things up, would be handy.

I'm sorry to constantly be asking questions, but I've been looking around, and still could use some guidance.

Thanks, and by the way, I hope to contribute to the forum by documenting the build when it happens, for the benfit of anyone in the same prosition as myself in the future.

So, lathes...
Joe

Perhaps this is what I'm after.

http://www.hicklerbanjo.com/page/page/5201024.htm

Don't have an answer on the lathe question, but a good source of info would be over at the Banjo Hangout, particularly in the Banjo Building, Setup, and Repair forum.

http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=12

Although, I'd really like to see some banjo and mando builds, etc, included here at the OLF, too. Just be sure you have thick skin, some of these guys can be brutal in their opinions of the lowly banjo! Most are even afraid to speak or spell the word! So if you see people post things like "b*njo", you know why!

_________________
Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Banjos are much maligned here, but it's all in fun! I think it was John How that did an Indian Head Banjo about a year ago(?). Very, very nice piece of work!

I like seeing banjos posted because good work is good work... seriously can't say I truly care to hear them ! I've made as much fun of banjos as anybody else and still invite... without duress ... any builders to post questions and results here. I think I speak for everybody here!

I've checked out those banjo links and there pretty good too! Who knows, I might just go over to the dark side!

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

What? There's a darker side?

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

No swearing allowed!!!!!!!

Yes, I had noticed the banjo baiting all right. But maybe it's worth thinking seriously about the guitar like this, because, in fairness - and I am a guitar player - it must itself be the commonest of all the instruments. I would even say that it has become the least exotic stringed instrument in existence, today. One composer - I think it was Villa-Lobos- said that the guitar was "a sympony". That was a complete joke.

Sure, we guitarists have of Chopin in Tarrega, but no Beethoven, certainly no Bach, so when we boast of 'classical' guitar, we are, in honesty, deluding ourselves. (Lute doesn't count). On our modern instrument, we usually play music that is 'entertaining', 'charming', but little more.

The guitar is most at risk when it tries to be refined.

The banjo is the skin of a dead animal on a ring of violently bent wood. It doesn't feign nobility.

yeeeeeehaaaaaaw

Joe, If you are looking to get started building banjos (I bet you won't be able to stop after one) and are not quite ready to jump into purchasing a lathe and other tools to turn your own pots you may opt to buy a pre-made rim and start with making your own tenor (or other style) neck.

Bill Rickard is making some fine products north of the border. He is making everything from pots, hoops, tone rings, etc, etc... All for open backs and in a style similar to a lot of the great vintage parts.

Here's a link to his site: http://www.banjo-workshop.com

Yes, I had heard of him, and you might well be right about starting with a neck and taking it from there. Aslo, that's to all the above for the other links provided. I think the banjo hangout will prove useful to lurke around. Also, I'm glad nobody takes themselves (or me) too seriously 'round here.

I'll report back some day soon with something a little more interesting.

This is what it leads to.

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Cripple Geek.


(Too much? )

I am in the middle of my first banjo build. It is a long story as to how I got this commission and the person who is paying me to build it knows that I have never built one before. I hired out the rim turning to someone with a lathe, but I have just recently found a way to make a banjo rim using a laminate trimmer and a radius cutting jig. Wish I had found that link first!

Good luck on your build!

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Reguards,

Ken H

I think I'll go the low tech route first: mitre saw, square edge, sandpaper, plane, and one of the Robo Sander's in a drill press. Actualy, low tech would include a laminate trimmer too, which might, come to think of it, mean far less messing around with the Robo sander. I have the basic idea of how I'll get it round: liketrimming a giant rosette, sort of.

Anyway, I think I can handle the rim, so I'm going to order some wood.

Would buying the LMI Peruvian walnut guitar neck blanks (30 x 3 x 1 - and Rock Maple ones) be the way to go? I didn't see any 'banjo' blanks, but essentially I shouldn't imagine them to be any different. Are the LMI's blocks a little thicker than they specify, or are they exactly of the dimensions given? Also, any of the UKers here know where I could get some wood like this a little closer to home (Ireland)?

There's got to be someone out there making banjo neck blanks. How about this one Bluegrass Banjo Neck Blank or this one Old Time Banjo Neck Blank

And if you want a fight about the classical guitar and it's viability as an instrument, take it to http://www.delcamp.net, and you'll get an argument. Over 4500 members and average of 150 to 200 on line all the time, with 10,000 posts a month, and over 25000 topics to choose from from how to file your nails to how do you like your new Hauser.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Ever watch the Romero brothers??????

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Thanks for the links!

Oh I wasn't being serious at all. Sure I use Delcamp all the time for sheet music and stuff.

We still don't have an "Op.131" for guitar. I'll stand by that much. I mean, if you look at the musical content of even the best great classical guitar composers (Tarrega, Arcas, Sor, Giulliani, Mertz, etc.) it's rarely revoltionary stuff. More often than not it is very enjoyable, even beautiful, but basically more "song" than "symphony", if you get me. Still, it sounds great, like the banjo, which is why I play it.

Yes, I have seen the Romero brothers. The guiatar per se, is still not a symphony. (This is pretty close though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG7y_CD9rMg )

Oh, by the way, I thought neck blank meant "blank" (i.e. uncarved) block of wood suitable for carving into the shape of a neck...? Basically, I need some wood to cut up into a banjo rim, and I wa shoping to use guitar or bass neck "blanks" for that purpose, because they are of similar dimensions to those I require. I'll be sawing up whtever I get into little blocks anyway, so whatever the best route to take is, I'll take it! I'll end up with a load of pieces about 2'' X 6'' X 1''. Probably old and unused hardwood furniture would be cheaper than buying the tonewood! But if anyone has a suggestion about where they source their rim tonewoods from, I'd ge glad to hear from you.

OK My understanding of a symphony is a piece written for a large orchestra. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Yes, Yes! It is. It's just that the composer Villa-Lobo once said, "the guitar is a symphony", which I think is a bit of an overstatment, in terms of the humble old six string.

Oh Ok I understand now.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498