Hey Dr. Dave, I was fortunate to find a salad bowl very close to 10" diameter which is a standard drum head size. This is a regular plastic drum head in what's called Rennaisance finish which is meant to look more like some kind of skin. I've made other Salad Bowl banjos and ukes using calfskin. The advantage there is that you can use any size and you don't need to purchase tensioning hoops or hardware. The disadvantage is that natural skin is quite prone to loosen up in damp weather or to split when left in your favorite chair  by the woodstove.  As to tins, I haven't used a lunch box yet but it should be similar to any other tin box. The only sharp edges I get is when cutting an opening for the neck extension. It usually is covered by the neck but sometimes I'll file the sharp edges a little.  Good luck!

Oh ok, well, that really looks nice the water decal technique. Will try to remember that info. Thanks. Lonman

Thanks Dave for the invite.

Hey good Dr, thanks for the comment!

I dont have any unusual information to reveal on the history, I just try to make sense of the timing and regions where various stuff seems to have "melted" together.

Much isnt really firmly known but by stories and word of mouth, so sometimes you just have to use your imagination to put things together.

One interesting observation I have noted, is that about the time the guitar started to become more popular in early Americanna, it appears that there were cases (often the lady of the house) being taught to play stuff like Vestapol on their parlor guitar, and the "help" absorbing some of the lessons and stylings and taking them back to their family members where they were adapted into their music, and perhaps this is how some of the regional styles developed.

Thanks for your interest!

Thank you Dr. Dave for joining my group. Feel free to add to the discussions or ask questions. Please check out my instructional video CDs:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/njmikeb/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Enjoy your practice, Keni Lee

Hi, thanks for the friend add, and comment on Llanddwyn : -)