Construction begins
Over the past week and a half, I started working on the banjo. I started out by prepping the torque converter rim. I started by measuring and drilling the holes for the banjo shoes. Also in the same day I rolled and assembled the tension hoop, and attached the shoes/hooks.
Getting the Inlay Ready
I've spent a lot of time lately collecting knitting needles to slice down into inlay, much like Jenes used. I've been buying up quite bakelite and celluloid knitting needles on ebay. Contrary to popular belief, most knitting needles in the 50's on up were made of bakelite, not celluloid. The hardest part about the inlay is finding 3/4" thick knitting needles that aren't hollow. Jenes use fridge crisper trays as well. The problem is that I need a plastic that will react in the same manner with the finish as the vintage knitting needles and trays did. So I tried bakelite poker chips.....but they aren't the same color. So after a lot of research I found the ABS will do the trick and it comes in 1/2" 5/8" and 3/4" rods. It will end up turning a nice golden color, like the knitting needles. I'm ordering those tonight.
The neck, fingerboard, and tension hoop
I spent this past weekend working on three banjos. I'm currently building one for Martin Metz, Pete Kosky, and the Glenville Banjo. For folk festival banjo, I was able to plane the wood and cut down the center strip. For the wood, I am using West Virginia Black Walnut, which Jenes was famous for using. Since it is extremely hard to find wood that is as straight grained as Jenes cut his, I am going with a laminated neck. I also wanted to stay away from the truss rod. So, I am using black walnut with a wenge center strip for stability. I glued the neck up last night, clamped it, and let it sit for 24 hours. While that was happening I finished up the fingerboard, which is now ready to go.
This evening, I put the finishing touches on the tension hoop. I added the notches for the tension hoop and sanded it nice and smooth.
This evening, I put the finishing touches on the tension hoop. I added the notches for the tension hoop and sanded it nice and smooth.
What's next?
Next up on this build will come Friday. On Friday, I'm going to rough out and begin shaping the neck. I hop to finish shaping the neck, attach the peghead veneer, and glue on the fingerboard before the weekend is finished. Then next week, I aim to inlay and add the frets. The week after that, I hope to do the final sanding (up to 12,000 grit!!!) shape the heel to the rim, attach the dowel stick, and put the clear coat on. I'm still hoping to be finished by May 1st!