Another View

I liked this view!

Its Finished

Actually, it was finished a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't got round to posting the photo until today. It makes a great noise!

Hanging around

The dulcimer is now ready to finish off with Tru-oil. I have put up a sort of gallows in the garage to hang it up for the finishing process. I've tried to make it nice and strong, given what happened with the mandolin! The new pegs (rosewood) arrived and I'm happy that I've made the right decision to use them rather than the (plastic!) adjustable ones. I have had to order a peg shaver though.

Looking ahead, I've been thinking about the next instruments. Currently I'm minded to attack the obsession as follows:

1. Finish off the restoration of the mandolin banjo (I've already cut out the new wood to replace the stuff that went moldy).

2. Make the 'Microlin'. This will be an electronic practice instrument with a built in amplifier - the electronics will be a challenge but I've bought the bits and a beginners electronics starter kit.

3. F-mandolin - So far I've made the mould.

4. Octave mandolin in walnut (following the John Troughton book). Maybe two - why not!

Nearly there...

Well, nearly there. I've added the bindings and made the nut and bridge for each end. I strung up one side for a bit of a test. The sound was very pleasing - louder than I thought, with quite a rich tone. The next step is to clean everything up and apply the finish - I will be using Tru Oil as I did for the mandolin. I'm also not entirely happy with the pegs (they are adjustable), and I may get some plain wooden (ebony) ones.

Close-up

In close-up. I should also mention that the mandolin banjo is a bit stalled. Basically the wood bending went well but I left the pieces to dry in an old biscuit tin. Unfortunately, there must have been some mold spores present as the wood turned into a multicoloured fungus garden! Back to the ordering catalogue I suppose.

Happy New Year

At last a bit of progress - the twin fretboards are made and glued to the top (which now sports some 'f' holes).

Birthday presents

Thank you, first of all, to my Sister & Family who gave me some wood (little did they know it!). The flamed maple veneer will be used for the bottom of the mandolin banjo pot, and the maple strips will be bent into hoops to form the sides. The thin strip is edge banding.

I made a bit of progress this evening - I have started on the mould for the pot (wheels of plywood glued together) and I also made a peghead veneer (as the original was painted!) out of ebony and glued it onto the neck.

My own family have equiped me with a new router which I need to make a table for...more projects and the porch still isn't finished.

Fitting the new goatskin

I have now fitted a new skin. This turned out to be quite straightforward and after I'd soaked the skin for half an hour I had it fitted, stretched and drying in only a few minutes. It sounds good when you tap it, but I hope it doesn't crack while it's drying out.

Dulcimer Fretboard

Just to mention that the dulcimer is still creeping forward - this is the second fretboard being glued up.

...is now in bits

It really was a wreck. I have disassembled it and removed the worn brass frets, which I will replace with modern nickel-silver fretwire. I have also ordered a new skin - it will need soaking and stretch fitting which sounds like fun!

My New Mandolin Banjo

It's a bit of a wreck...did I mention that the nut needs replacing too!

Getting going again

I have to admit that progress has been extremely slow. However, after my decision to do a lot less inlay work, things have started up again. I bought two more fretboard blanks, this time in Indian rosewood, and I have now started working on the fretboards themselves.

So as to become even more distracted, I have also bought an old mandolin banjo on ebay, and it's a bit of a wreck. It needs a new skin, a new pot, a new bridge, new tuners and the frets need replacing! There will be very little of the original left when I've done with it.

more lack of progress

Still no progress, but I have now decided to scale back on the inlays. I think that this is what's really holding me back. So, I just need to get round to buying two more rosewood fretboards and then there can be no excuses! On a related note, I made my first e-bay purchase yesterday, a battered-looking mandolin banjo - I hope it arrives.

Holiday Blog

It's been ages since I last posted anything, and there has been very little progress on the dulcimer. The soundboard now fits, but I haven't started on the fretboards yet. I ended up buying some santos rosewood but I don't really like it so I will buy some bits of Indian instead.

I am currently on holiday in Skiathos which I recommend. There is some great walking, and I've heard some fine bouzeki playing in a couple of tavernas. I have just finished reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance' which I have been hankering after reading for ages. I was not disappointed - it was fantastic and I hope it will influence my woodworking positively

out but late

Out of the mould

Well, it's out of the mould, and I've trimmed the overlapping edges of the bottom, and cleaned up the ends. All together, I'm very pleased - it's starting to look like an instrument, and the wood has a certain resonance when I tap it. The next step is to make the two fretboards and fit the top - I really don't think I will get it ready by the 5th July, but you never know.

Gluing The Back On

The weeks are flying by, so I was quite pleased to have the Bank Holiday to try and make a bit of progress. I fitted the back and glued it into place - I had to wrestle a bit with the peg-heads, so I used epoxy resin to glue these to the back, and Titebond for the rest of it.

Starting to come together

The Easter holidays have allowed me to sneak off into the garage and at last I seem to be getting somewhere. I have wrestled the bent sides into the mould and glued the whole thing up. I have also made some kerfed linings (a first for me), and you can see them in the picture, held in by part of my clothes peg collection. The next job will be to fit the back.

A Twist in the Tale

Nothing to do with musical instruments, but congratulations to my Dad (and my Mum) on the publication of some of my Dad's poems in his book: "A Twist in the Tale". The ISBN is 0-9552614-0-6, it is £6.95, but I don't know yet how it will be sold and distributed. I think it's fantastic!

Bending the sides

At last a bit of progress - I've prepared and bent the sides - here is one drying in the mould. And 94 days to go...