DanKnowles - Posted - 01/07/2010:  19:56:09

Shaun, David, Jeff & Brad Thanks for your information about Pegheads, I've gone ahead and ordered a set with ebony knobs, that I can inlay. I'm really looking forward seeing them. Your comments have certainly helped settle my mind.

John & Glenn, I'll have to order a stick, try it out ans let you know, but if Grit has his name on it... it's good stuff.

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/07/2010:  20:22:12

I told some one that I'd post some photos of my scrimshaw style tools. Here they are. These are relatively simple tools. Sharp pointed steel in a wooden handle. Each of these makes a different cut, though the difference is subtle.



I continued engraving today starting with the child. As a side note the model for this one is my grandson Keaton... he thinks it's funny to be on the banjo. I didn't get any good photos of me working on him, but here is one with the filler on it and not yet wiped. I am continually filling my work so I can check progress.



The next figure I worked on was the figure closest to the nut. This model is the great West Tennessee fiddler Danny Conger. I play with Danny in a Civil War reenacting band called Southern Suns. Here I am using one of my scrimshaw tools to scratch details in his face, hair and hat.



Here I'm wiping Danny clean!



Here it is at the end of the engraving session.

Stringbean45 - Posted - 01/07/2010:  22:49:11

Gee Whiz Dan,
Shows how much I know about making a fine banjo. I thought you were through with the inlay, when you glued it on the peghead, and fingerboard. Didn't know you were going to put faces, and hair on them. I would have been so happy with them the way they were, I would't have dreamed about scratching on them lol.
Beautiful work, and can't wait to see what you are going to do next. Had withdrawal systems while you were sick, checking the progress every day. Glad you are feeling better, and back at it. I don't know what all us Ebony Banjo junkies are going to do when this project is finished. We might have to try some of your tricks, and techiniques on some of our own projects even.
Don

dubtom - Posted - 01/08/2010:  04:15:38

Your attention to detail and skill are astounding Dan,your a true artist. I'm gobsmacked every time I check this thread out.

DEmery - Posted - 01/08/2010:  16:06:08

Dan, I continue to watch the progress and the texture provided by engraving and color is super. I will continue to watch as you work down the neck toward the steam boats, wheel, and other artifacts in your sights. David

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/08/2010:  19:38:30

Don,
They say when you got an itch scratch it! This sucker sure itches.

Tommy
Thanks for your kind comment...I like that word "Gobsmacked'.

David,
Thanks for watchin', I appreciate your comments, always.

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/08/2010:  20:21:14

Tonight after a very busy day in the studio and at the shop, I excitedly got home and started working on the Lady.



Using a pencil (#2) I drew in some basic shapes.



Next using my scratching tool I set to work shadowing and detailing the various shapes.





Here I am darkening the background. I realize it doesn't look like it's getting darker, but when I fill those scratches, it will.





After a couple of hours of work I'm beginning to find that I'm beginning to loose focus... so I do what any sensible banjo person would do, go on the hangout.



Here is where I stopped for the evening. There is a lot of refining and detail work left to do on her. Maybe I can knock it out tomorrow when I'm fresher.

jbalch - Posted - 01/09/2010:  06:41:27

More great work Dan!

bordertownbrown - Posted - 01/09/2010:  07:15:43

Dan, I just want to know how you keep those fingernails? Hardly a day goes by without me breaking or sanding one down on the belt sander, especially in this cold and dry weather.

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 01/09/2010:  07:23:11

Dan, this is the best thread that I have seen on banjo building/inlaying since becoming a member.... awsome work!

"Those who never try... never will!"

Stringbean45 - Posted - 01/09/2010:  08:50:23

Hey Dan,
Yep, I've had several banjo that were itching to be worked on, but I never tried to scratch one of them. If I could scratch as good as you can though, I might have tried it.
Don

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/09/2010:  19:12:58

Thanks to all of you for you comments...
Richard,
About these nails... for the last 15 o so years I have been wearing acrylic nails. Presently I have two of them done at Designs Unlimited, a beauty shop next door to my business. These are the best thing I've found for my style of playing guitar and banjo.

By the way the fingerboards you sent me out of "Texas Ebony" are very nice. They look a lot like macassar ebony and have a great tap tone. I would bet this could be a fine material for guitars sides and backs. Have you ever bent any of this? I imagine your banjos made from this would sound great! I hope to be fortunate enough to someday hear one.

maryzcox - Posted - 01/09/2010:  19:30:43

Dan--so beautiful!
Best wishes,
Mary Z. Cox
maryzcox.com

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/09/2010:  19:41:10

It seams that tonight I must admit a mistake. I hope this won't be to disappointing to y'all.

Here it is.

The head on the 1st. fret 'Twain" figure moved out of alignment during the inlaying process. I've been thinking for some time how I was going to rectify the problem. When I run into something like this I usually wait a while, giving the issue thought.

I don't know if you ever have these random thoughts like I do... Have you ever wondered about the difference between giving and keeping thought?

Did that make you forget about my problem here? No? oh well back at it. Here is what I did.

Using a tiny chisel I cut a small channel along the back of the shoulder to the neck and another one on the from of the neck, between the neck and the collar. I cut and fit a piece of tiny brass wire in each channel.



Next using a diamond file, I filed the brass nearly flush with the fingerboard.



Then I sanded the surface, starting with 220 and going to 800



Here is how it looked when I finished for the day. I'm thinking about how I wish to enlarge his hair and make it look more wild, more like Samuel Clements.

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/09/2010:  19:42:05

Thanks Mary....

jbalch - Posted - 01/10/2010:  05:38:16

Nice save Dan!

Samuel Clemens? Oh I get it. "River boat race..." "Duh"

My Bad!....I thought that was Paul McCartney:
(Just kidding)

Edited by - jbalch on 01/10/2010 05:47:27

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 01/10/2010:  05:56:06

It takes a true craftsman and artist to take a mistake and turn it into something better!

dbrooks - Posted - 01/10/2010:  07:10:34

With Banjomkr's reference to craftsman and artist, I thought I'd post this quote from St. Francis of Assisi that McPherson Guitars uses in their ad in the Fretboard Journal:

He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist.

I saw that quote a week or so ago and actually thought it was kind of lame compared with the inspiration and artistry displayed in Dan's work here. I thought it was like textbook knowledge vs. knowledge based on experience. But maybe I was being too harsh.

At any rate, it seemed like a good time to share the quote.

David
David

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 01/10/2010:  10:08:36

There was an article on actor Harrison Ford in today's PARADE in the newspaper. He said, "When I was a carpenter, I once worked with a Russian lady architect, I would tell her, 'Look, I'm terribly sorry, but I want to change that a half inch,' and she would say, 'No limit for better.' I think that is a worthy credo. You keep on going until you get it as close to being right as the time and patience of others will allow."

Neat comment from a fine actor!
Looks like Dan's motto would be "No limit for the best!"

fearsomecritter - Posted - 01/10/2010:  10:33:36

Thanks for sharing your process. Fascinating stuff and the results are a treat for the eye. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/10/2010:  12:30:25

John,
Actually it was John Lennon but I couldn't fix him in 1870... Not that Twain was there for the race either.

David & Marvin
I really like those quotes... I'll have to put them on my shop wall to remind me.

Greg,
I'll try to keep it coming...

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/10/2010:  13:50:30

Today I'd like to do something different.

A short time ago Bill Rickard sent me one of his new Titanium White Lady tone rings to try out. So as any self respecting banjo aholic would do... I tore into my Pharoah banjo and tried it out. That night I went into the recording studio and recorded this track:

banjohangout.ws/banjohangout.o...12010.mp3

The track was recorded without any compression and with no effect on it, I just wanted folks to hear the sound of this banjo. The song is Money to Spend and is from my new Old-Time country music opera called 1934 or the Phantom of the Operaa.

Then today I tore the ole' Pharoah apart again and this time I removed the brass sleeve that is the outside of the tone ring. Then I re-installed just the brass rod and the inner titanium scalloped section. I would have turned the scalloped part up side down and not used the brass rod but I needed the rod for height. Then I went into the studio and made these recordings. They are short clips in three different styles: Classical, three finger and clawhammer. Like the earlier recording no effect was used.

First is a short clawhammer clip of Sally Ann.


banjohangout.ws/banjohangout.o...12010.mp3

The second is a short section of The Sunflower Dance a classical banjo piece that I learned from my ole' buddy Marc Smith in Huntsville, AL.

banjohangout.ws/banjohangout.o...12010.mp3

The next is a 3 finger clip I've called Parade Breakdown...

banjohangout.ws/banjohangout.o...12010.mp3

The last one is called Debora's Song. Unlike the earlier tunes there is effect all over this one. Also unlike the earlier ones it has other instruments accompanying the banjo. In fact there is a Mando-cello, Flute, piano and a Hammond B-3 organ here. I wrote this one for my wife.

banjohangout.ws/banjohangout.o...12010.mp3

I am very interested in what y'all think of the sound of this tone ring. So I won't effect your opinions of this tone ring, I will wait a few days and then I'll add my comments.

jbalch - Posted - 01/10/2010:  18:33:16

Dan:

The new music clips are truly beautiful. You could have played those tunes on a tin can with a mop handle neck and they would be amazing.

I’d say the banjo has a dry sound. The tone is fat....and concentrated in the middle range. It doesn’t seem to have an overly big bass sound...or too much bright, ringing high-end. There is plenty of note separation and not too much sustain.

From what you have told me in the past, I think Pharaoh has a thick, block rim made of maple. What kind of tone ring does it normally have?

Edited by - jbalch on 01/10/2010 18:34:20

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/10/2010:  19:59:30

John,
Thanks for the compliment, from you that is outstanding praise. I'd love to hear how you'd sound with this banjo in your competent hands.

You are nearly right about the Pharoah. It has a 3/4 thick bent maple rim and has for years sported a off the shelf Stu-Mac White Lady ring.

Bagpussfrog - Posted - 01/11/2010:  03:12:10

Dan, I love the clips, Particularly Debora's song, which is really lovely.

The tone ring sounds great, and what I like is how versatile it is, working nicely with all the tunes you played.

trapdoor2 - Posted - 01/11/2010:  07:19:49

I'm with John, first descriptor that came into my mind was "dry". I did notice that it seems to have a lot of sustain. The sound isn't 'warm'...it is 'hot', crisp and definitely midrange.

I would have a lot of trouble telling this banjo from a resonated BG banjo in a "double-blind" test. Of course, I'm a firm believer in the 80/20 rule...80% player, 20% banjo. Certainly in your hands it is chimerical...you give it that voodo you do do so well. Great playing, naturally. I'm gonna have to learn the 2nd Banjo part to Sunflower Dance and come up for a visit...you planning on coming to 'Breaking Up Winter' this year?

About 20 yrs ago, I would have chosen this sound for myself...now I'm definitely in the "muddy and dark, soft and squishy" category. I guess I'll reserve the Titanium for my bicycles!

Edited by - trapdoor2 on 01/11/2010 07:21:33

Bastertone - Posted - 01/11/2010:  14:56:25

Dan, great clips. I have a titanium ring on my nechville and there is a similarity to the tone. Very clear, great note separation, and a clear set of pleasant upper register overtones that I haven't heard in any of my other banjos. I still hear good midrange but you seem to be getting those same upper register harmonics or overtones.
Nice


Ed

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/11/2010:  18:25:29

Shaun, Marc & Edmund,
Thanks for your comments on the Titanium ring. And for those kinf mentions of my playing.

Edmund
I didn't realize that Tom was building with a titanium ring. He has to be one of the most creative builders out there.

Marc,
I'm planning on trying to get up to breaking up Winter on that Sat. It'd be fun to try and duet Sunflower.

Tomorrow I'll post on the New Ebony once again, as I step back and revisit Mark Twain.

Bastertone - Posted - 01/11/2010:  20:14:06

Dan,
I put it in myself. My stepson is an aircraft mechanic and he happened upon a damaged jet engine that happened to have close to an 11" diameter. he brought me the parts and I cut a ring off with a plasma cutter and set it into on of my nechvilles. Like i said it sounds great but different than the others, similar to your sound files.
Tom has played it and liked it. I also put one of Bills tubaphone rings in a Nechville frame and it also sounds terrific.

Bob Robert - Posted - 01/12/2010:  04:55:27

Regarding the inlay: phenomenal!

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/12/2010:  19:38:15

Well Bob (& every body else) Here's some more.
MARK TWAIN

As I said earlier, my Twain like figure bothered me. John was right he looked more like Paul McCartney than Samuel Clements. I realized, IT"S THE HAIR! So I tried my old ground silver trick....Looks like trash!



Next I went to the library and found a couple of books about Twain, looked at the pictures and then I knew... here is what I did.
I redrew (on the computer) the poor fellas hair and printed several on one page.



I cut out the hair pattern (2 pieces) glued it on two different pieces of pearl and cut them out.



Then using a small carving gouge I dug out the old hair. Then routed the cavity to fit the new hair.



I glued and inlayed the hair/ pearl, filled in all the small voids and leveled the pieces to match the fingerboard. Then I sanded and polished the pearl to 2000 grit.

Here I am drawing my new engraving design on the figure.



Then I began engraving the hair.



As I engrave I periodically check my progress by filling the marks with a permanent marker. Then I wipe off the excess with a paper towel lightly dampened with alcohol.



More scrimshaw...



Moe engraving.



Putting the black filler in the graving marks. I'm still using the oil crayon.



I wiped him off and here he is.

devoall - Posted - 01/12/2010:  21:08:04

Twain looks perfect.

dbrooks - Posted - 01/13/2010:  04:44:03

You're looking especially fine today, Mr. Clemens!

David

Bob Robert - Posted - 01/13/2010:  05:05:47

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles
I cut out the hair pattern (2 pieces) glued it on two different pieces of pearl and cut them out.

---

jbalch - Posted - 01/13/2010:  06:03:23

That is beautiful Dan and perfect for the theme.

But, I kinda liked Paul (or John).

Bagpussfrog - Posted - 01/13/2010:  06:13:28

nice comeback with Twain there, Dan!

Viper - Posted - 01/13/2010:  06:30:17

Mark Twain looks wonderful. Great new hairdo.

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/13/2010:  18:21:17

Thank y'all so much, glad you like Mark! Even if you were wishing for the Beatles. Maybe next time.

Today I did a couple of things to the Ebony banjo's inlay.
I've been wanting to inlay some kind of precious or semi-precious stone into this project. So first I inlayed a opal into the center of the 5th. fret wheel.

Here I'm drilling a hole to inlay the opal into. You might notice the eggbeater drill you can't beat it for this work. It doesn't drill to fast and so it gives me a lot of control.



Here is the opal (on my hand) and the hole to receive it.



A dab of glue, a diamond file and here it is. The photo doesn't really show of the opal.






I wasn't real happy with the way the (2ed. fret)girls face was turning out so I dug out the pearl (that was making up her face). Cut out a new piece of white pearl and inlayed it. The process was just like on Twain's hair.



The model for the girl is Amber, one of the workers at the beauty parlor next door to my shop. I wanted the image to resemble her face (as much as my meager talents would allow.

So here is what I did. Once the new piece of pearl was in, leveled and sanded to 2000 grit then marking for engraving could begin. First I carefully taped a face pattern in its proper place.



Stuck a piece of carbon paper below it.



Using a ball point pen I pressed hard transferring the pattern to the pearl.



Here I have set all the materials that I'll need for the engraving. A photo of her face, a few dollars to pay some little fella to engrave this one for me...




No actually, paper money has some of the finest engraving to be found. I like to look close at the work these master engravers did whenever I have to engrave a face. Although their technique and tools are quite different, I try to make my approach similar. Here is Gandhi's face from a 10 rupee note. Look at the way this engraver used his lines to indicate the faces shape.



Here I'm engraving her face.



Engraving some more.



After I had finished engraving and filling, I carried the neck next door. My model had not seen any of the this work from the day when she let me take her photograph. So when I walked into the beauty shop, Amber was busy teaching a class of girls from the beauty school next door how to do wax or some such. All the nail techs and stylists and all the girls from her class gathered around to see. So I got to show off for a whole bunch of pretty girls. Unfortunately she was the last to peer upon it. When she did see it, she was either pleased or kind, I'm not sure which!

Stringbean45 - Posted - 01/13/2010:  21:58:42

Hey Dan,
I was worried what we were going to do, when this banjo build was finished, but now I'm thinking we are good for awhile. I had no idea of the level of prefection, that you are seeking. I usually can't wait to get a banjo together, and see how it sounds, and if there are things that I don't like on it, change them later. I must say, I admire your paitence, to get it right the first time, something I wish I had more of.
Don

dubtom - Posted - 01/14/2010:  06:28:42

Pleased or kind?? I'd say she should be honored.

Woodturner - Posted - 01/14/2010:  17:59:47

This project is phenomenal. The artistry and detail of the inlay work is jaw-dropping. How lucky we are that Dan is sharing this project with us on the hangout. It's no small task to share a project in this level of detail. Thanks Dan.
-Denton

Edited by - Woodturner on 01/14/2010 18:01:06

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/14/2010:  21:21:59

Don, Tommy & Denton,

Thank you so much! I'm glad you are enjoying this, cause I am too! Denton you ought to come by and see it in the flesh since you were there to help a bit in the beginning.
Dan

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/14/2010:  22:02:17

ROBERT E. LEE

Well folks, I finished engraving this sweet boat today. I started yesterday around 11 AM. and got done this afternoon, I've got around 10 or so hours in this piece. Here we go...

If you wish to see any of these photos in a larger format, go to my homepage and look under photos. For some reason they are much larger there.



Here I am getting ready to start. There is the white pearl with the drawing next to it.



First thing I do is pencil in the major lines. Here it is decks, beams and etc.



Here I draw a bit more, this time using a permanent marker. For some reason my poor ole' eyes were having trouble seeing the pencil lines.



Here I've engraved on the stacks, wheelhouse and a bit of the Texas deck (I put that in for Richard Brown).



Drawing some more heading towards the wheels.



Here I'm engraving some windows.



Here I'm beginning to draw in the lettering on the side of the wheel covers. I've always found it interesting how the side wheelers used covers but stern wheelers almost never. I have seen photos of the Avalon and the Delta Queen (when she was working the Sacramento River trade) with a stern cover.



Here I'm engraving the name. Lettering is some of the most difficult for me.



Here I'm working on the stern. I'm afraid if I don't do good here she'll sink and fall off the fingerboard... maybe even the edge of the map...



The Robert E. Lee

Edited by - DanKnowles on 01/14/2010 22:06:36

Deering_Dude - Posted - 01/15/2010:  05:26:42

Absolutely mesmerized. You're going to hit 10,000 views before you know. Thanks for sharing this amazing project with us?

Quickstep192 - Posted - 01/15/2010:  05:54:16

Stunning! Every time I think this thing can't get more over the top, it does! Thanks for sharing Dan and thanks to your photographer!

bordertownbrown - Posted - 01/15/2010:  06:56:09

Dan, I love the Robert E. Lee, and thanks for the Texas deck!
Richard

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/15/2010:  17:27:17

David, Quickstep & Richard,
Thank you, Y'all make it worth while. I have shot most of the photos although many have been taken by friend Denton Jordan and my grandson Chandan Jayne.

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/15/2010:  18:01:57

Yesterday I was talking with William Moore of Trezevant, Tennessee. William besides being one of the best people on this planet, is a master engraver, airplane mechanic, luthier and bass player (among many other things). Anyway we were discussing engraving techniques and he suggested this contraption. It is a vise for engraving. It is made with a bowling ball, which I bought in a junk store, a base and a drill press vice.



This is how it was made. Using a piece of 1/4" masonite, I cut a 7 1/2" round hole out of a 11" ring. This I glued to an old junk banjo rim. Then I split and glued some surgical tubing to the inside of the ring. The tubing was a failure as it didn't last 15 minutes in usage. Next on my belt sander I flattened one side of the bowling ball. I then mounted the vise on the bowling ball and set the ball in its base.

Tomorrow I think I'll mount a thick skin head on the ring as a gasket/ brace.

Here I've got the neck in it. It's very cool because (of the pattern) I can angle the work quickly any way I want and it will stay where I put it.


Here is the new engraving set up. Magnifying light above the work. After this photo was made I made a little rack to carry my gravers. It fits in the woodworkers vise below.

dbrooks - Posted - 01/15/2010:  18:49:15

I hope you can restore that cheetah bowling ball. That's got to be worth some real bucks!

David