Decided I would try to build a tackhead, but was thinking maybe I should build a gourd banjo first, after bidding (and actually winning) a few gourds for cheap on Ebay. First off, those buggers are hard to cut the tops off of, and once you do, the smell will make you wished you hadn't.
I was also lucky to find some neck blanks at the local Lee Valley in a discount bin. They were about 2 3/4 inch square of regular maple for $10-15 each. Quartersawn too! What a bonus.
Went out and bought a handplane, and took a little break to figure out how to use it, and sharpen the heck out of the blade. (Here is the best info I ran across was using sandpaper to get your plane Scary Sharp)
The photo above is of the neck after cleaning up one side. It's pretty darned flat and really doesn't need to be sanding, because if your blade is sharp, it leaves the surface like glass.
1 comment:
Really well set up blog. I'm considering fashioning my own banjo and am looking around for ideas and direction. It's difficult to ask people how they do it because, for many, it's their livelihood. I'm happy for the internet and the great blogs and journals kept of the trials and errors of people like you. I'll look forward to beginning my own project, I hope this can happen within the next month or so... Thank you.
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