Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by spencer on February 2, 2009 at 7:23am

hmm, i'll have to start checking out construction/industrial dumpsters. I'm totally interested in making a banjo, but because i cant bend wood, i thought about hallowing out something like this

http://cgi.ebay.com/XXL-BLACK-WALNUT-WOOD-TURNING-BOWL-BLANK-LATHE-...|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

but instead for now, I just bought a few tambourines for the pot, make a 3 string dulcijo and I'll give em to the kids.

is there a good substitute for a fret hammer and file or are they so inexpensive that you might as well get em?

Mark Werner said:

Working here at "Wash U" as I do, I find a lot of scrap around here from the constant construction and renovation projects. Big commercial dumpsters have furnished me with all sorts of stuff, from the 1/8" hardwood plywood I used for my banjo top to bits and pieces of moulding which make good reinforcing "kerfs" to scraps of hardwood furniture and cabinetry material.
I'm working on a resonator guitar now, and the neck is a piece of solid oak I found on the art department's scrap heap.
Already nicely tapered and just the right size....

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wade on February 2, 2009 at 4:23pm

Is that basically what 2X4 lumber for studs? I wonder if studs would work. Hmmmmmm.....


tinyguitars said:

It's amazing how much of a difference laminating, or glueing wood together, makes!
I used plain ol southern yellow pine in this neck:

It was made from four pieces. Back of the neck was actually bookmatched, sepererate fretboard and heel were glued on also. This neck was stiffer than anything I've done. You could not bend it while playing like I've done with every other guitar I've ever played. Of course it was over 1 1/2 thick at the heel!! heheehee
Mark Werner said:

If you want to pick through a lot of lumber, Ideally you'd want to find a piece that's entirely "quarter sawn", that is, the grain will be at right angles to the way the strings lay.
Hard to find such nice chunks, though, unless you're in a position to rip 'em yourself. As Tinyguitars says, usually you get a piece with some of the grain more exposed, and the softer rings can be a problem. Had a bit of this with the neck I'm working on right now; used a sanding block to get the high parts level. On my mandola, I built up a neck blank by gluing two 1" Maple boards with a 1/4" oak piece in between. Made for a very stiff piece of lumber...Hasn't shown any warping with all those eight strings.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page