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1st dulcimer

I;ve been follow CBN for over a year now,. Finally joined up last week. I 've been making 3 string CBG, some solid bodys and now dulcimers. 1st one went to my mother.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Arnold Kelly on December 25, 2012 at 5:26pm

Looks great! Gonna have to try and build one myself. :)

Permalink Reply by Tom Walters on January 1, 2013 at 4:27am

Very cool build! Did you make the box? May I ask the measurements of the box, the neck and the VSL?

Thanks

Tom

Permalink Reply by Battmann on January 1, 2013 at 1:52pm

yes , I made the box. just lumber from box store( Menards here). the top and bottom are 1/4 aspen. its a piece of 1/4 x6 x36. I give it a slight taper. 4 1/2 at the top and keep the 5 1/2 at the bottom..cut the length to 27 inches,. the 2 sides are 1/4 x 2 oak cut to a length of 27inches. the end pieces are 1x2 oak. top piece cut to 4.5 and the bottom cut to 5inches so that the 5 1/2 inch top fits. I dont even bother cutting angle in these 2 piece. glue up and clamp. remeber to make sure the bottom doesnt excede the width of the top.I use a VSL of 24 but have found the sweet spot to be slightly longer.my neck length is 27 from the nut( positioned at the front of the box)to the end of the box. so its 19 inched from the nut the to pick cut out area( 4.5 inches there) then the nut at 24 , the 3 more inches to the end., use small screews to hold the strings but have recently found the scallop style tailepiece work great and look good also. Hope this helps

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on January 1, 2013 at 6:22am

That really looks nice, great workmanship. Clean design.

Some specs like box size and scale length would be nice to know.

-Rand.

Permalink Reply by Battmann on January 1, 2013 at 1:53pm

rand moore , I just answered your question in the previous reply. let me know if you nned more info.,

Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on January 1, 2013 at 2:13pm

Thanks, Battmann,

I was going to say the VSL looked to be 24", but that was just a guess, and I couldn't be sure from the photo.

I zoomed in on your photo, and the woodworking even looks nicer. Did you use a router to shape the edges of your sound box? I think its a nice touch. I see you also used nails for fret markers. And are those white nylon (plastic) bolts you used for the nut and bridge? They're white, so they don't look like metal ones I've used.

Again, a very nice build.

-Rand.

Permalink Reply by Battmann on January 1, 2013 at 2:47pm

Thanks, RandYes, I used a router to shape the edges but not becasue I wanted to. I make the frame then glue on the top then trim it down on the band saw. then i was taking a belkt sander to it. I decied to try a flush trim router bit but it keeps tearing up the aspen ,. so I got lucky was able to save it using a roundover bit.I dont use nails , I have a cheap woodburner tool. and just burn the dots in. turns out ok. Yes I use the nylon toilet bowl bolts, menards has 2 kinds, I us ethe ones with the coarser lloking threads. works good plus they super glue in. .I just posted a photo of a dulcimer strummer with one of those mandolin scalllop style tail pieces. works great on looped strings. Bruce

Permalink Reply by Rooster Reaves on January 2, 2013 at 8:29am