aj_fuller - Posted - 09/14/2010:  06:22:43

Dan,

FANTASTIC to have a new post on this project, and glad to hear that your other activities are going well too!

All that hand sawing (especially on a blank that thick) looks like a real chore. A bit of research indicates that steam-powered tools were in use in the early 1800's, and since most power plants use steam to run the turbines and generators, we would probably be willing to cut you some slack by calling your band saw a "steam powered implement", just to save your strength for the rest of the process!

Welcome back, and thanks again for posting!
A.J.

Tackhead - Posted - 09/14/2010:  06:59:06

Great stuff, Dan. Thanks. My education continues

~John

Jonnycake White - Posted - 09/14/2010:  08:54:31

You know, most of those cabinet makers and carpenters had apprentices to do the rough work. Young guys in the prime of muscle development, ya see. Years ago I read the philosophy of one hand builder. He uses power tools for the jobs that a master craftsman would have had his apprentice do in 1850. Then he does the finish work with hand planes, etc. By the time the instrument is done, there's no wood surface that will have been touched by a power tool blade.

Ronnie - Posted - 09/14/2010:  09:08:09

You could set up a water wheel in a convenient creek and power up your saws,etc. like James Ashborn did!!

Viper - Posted - 09/14/2010:  09:53:47

I'm half tempted to offer up my right arm to help saw out necks, but then I wouldn't be able to play my banjo for a month. That hard work will be worth it!

trapdoor2 - Posted - 09/14/2010:  11:32:07

Whew! All dat sweat is gonna worp dat neck, yew betcha.

I'll bet that Spanish Cedar makes the shop smell wonderful. I would need a cigar afterwards.

Steven M - Posted - 09/14/2010:  13:18:31

Thank the heavens you are back, I was getting withdrawal symptoms!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/14/2010:  17:32:53

I'm glad to be back folks.
That was one tough job! I'm glad y'all think the band saw is OK to use...I was worried that I might not get up the nerve to do the rest. I'd hate for you to worry so.

Ah yes mark the shop smells great! That neck smells wonderful too!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/14/2010:  17:59:33

I'M BLANK...
but I'm truing!

OK the work continues...
today I'll be truing up the Spanish Cedar neck blank. It was cut somewhat oversize with the handsaws and needs to be brought closer to its final size. As I have told more than on apprentice, each step is not perfect only gradually perfecting.

First I loaded up the blank in my vice. I will be flattening the aria above the 5th. string hump.



The pattern is put on the top so I can remark the shape.



Using my Grandads old Bailey #4 bench plane I go to work.



laying out a true line so I get it right.



Above the hump...





The peghead is trued...





Now the hump...





This is a little ole pocket plane that just works great for this.

DEmery - Posted - 09/15/2010:  04:26:05

Dan it is good to see you back and the wood shavings hitting the floor. The lines on this Jacobs will be very nice. As the neck is shaped and bought to finish I know it will be a player. David E.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/16/2010:  11:01:36

PLANIN' AIN'T PLAIN

Here we are back continuing to plane the neck blank to shape...

I'm using my bloc plane to finish shaping around the 5th. string bump.




Next I start truing the fingerboard surface.





Now I'm marking the nut location. This will allow me to make the peghead angle correct.



Using a razor knife I cut the nut slot.



And chisel it clean.



Using the pattern I find the peghead angle.



Checking the angle.



Planing it true.




Checking for true... it's almost there.

DEmery - Posted - 09/16/2010:  17:37:51

Dan that is nice cedar. I enjoy following the steps taken to inch your way from board to banjo neck. Look forward to having #1 of the 1850 banjos on my wall. David E.

Edited by - DEmery on 09/16/2010 17:38:33

Paul R - Posted - 09/16/2010:  18:28:57

Dan, you're a very patient man. The process is obviously as important to you as the finished work of art.

Seeing the wood and all those sharp tools, I expected to see your hands a mass of splinters, scars, and cuts. Practice makes safer? Or just always careful? Definitely meticulous.

It's too bad the wider world doesn't see this. It seems that a lot of people think that instruments just sort of appear, like processed food in the supermarket - there's no connection between the creation and the consumer. I often had students look at the inlays on my instruments and call them "stickers".

Paul

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/16/2010:  18:54:10

DAVID,
That cedar is quite a joy to work with and it smells very nice too. As I was working today with it was a true pleasure. Watching the shavings and seeing the wood just glow after being stroked with the plane. The day when it joins "Abe" should be soon.

Paul,
Thank you for your kind comments. I have had my own share of accidents. The worst being as I was turning a banjo rim on the lathe, I was attacked by an1 1/2" ironwood sliver. It found its way deep into my wrist. It required a $3000 surgary to extract. That was one expensive banjo pot! One of my Dads sayings was "Sharp tools are safe tools". Because less pressure is need with sharp tools, one is safer.

When I look at life, I see that there is only one thing that we truly own. That thing is time and we hold it only fleetingly. Therefor each step, each breath, each moment should be of the utmost importance.

I always find it interesting when folks ask me how I managed to paint such pretty pictures on my instruments.

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 09/17/2010:  02:53:36

Dan, it also takes a sharp mind and a steady hand which you surely exibit in your work!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/17/2010:  18:11:57

Marvin
Thank you that means a lot coming from one with your great tallents.

Slingerland - Posted - 09/17/2010:  22:57:12

Thanks again for sharing. It is always a pleasure to read your posts.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/18/2010:  18:46:29

HOW THICK IS THICK?

Continuing with the planing work, today I'll be thickness the peg head and dimensioning the back of the neck in preparation for the carving and shaping of the neck. Although I am showing only one neck I am building 7 of these instruments. Someone asked me why 7? I don't know, ah... 7 come 11... Just a heads up, some of these banjos are already spoken for but I will be offering some of these for sale here through the Hangout classifieds.

On to the work.

Here I'm checking the thickness of the peghead. These are quite thin, under 1/2 inch. Many modern peg heads are around 5/8" thick. This one is not there yet.



Planing it down.





After thicknessing the peg head we move on to the transition between the neck and peg head. I'm bringing this on down with a hand cut 1/2 round rasp. I shooting for under 3/4". This is per the original. It is much thinner than most modern banjo necks.




Checking thickness.



Here I'm beginning the truing the back of the neck.



Here I'm checking the back of the neck for flatness. It must be flat and true from the peg head transition to the heel transition. I've got more work to do.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/19/2010:  18:19:02

CARVING DAY

Today we start the neck carving....

First the blank is mounted on my neck carving fixture. This is just some MDF glued together and cut so it will fit the fingerboard & peghead profile. My normal peghead angle is much greater than the Jacobs but I still felt that I could get away without making a new fixture.

Here the neck is clamped in place.



I have a ancient spokeshave that I usually use for this step, but one of my Grandsons helped me clean the shop and it vanished or rather the iron has vanished. This is really disconcerting because I have used this tool to do this job for years and years. I found this tool almost 20 years ago in a antique store in Vineland, Ontario. I hope I find where he stuck that iron. A cutting tool without a cutter is useless.

So I've changed horses in the middle of the stream. I'll use this horse shoe rasp, it does a great job too.







Then using a cabinet scraper I clean and refine the shapes.



A handplane helps round things out.



Putting the pattern back on the neck I'll mark the locations for the tuners. Normally I'd do this and drill the holes before I carve the neck, but I slipped up and now I'll have to be real careful about blowout.

DEmery - Posted - 09/19/2010:  18:40:15

Dan the neck is really taking a beautiful line. Sorry you misplaced the ancient cutting tool. I recall on a similar clean up a few months back your truss rod cover got misplaced from Othello. Somehow it reappeared. Surely the tool will magically reappear. By the way, have you taken on a Noah complex? Looks like the birds have started to gather on your shoulder. David E.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/20/2010:  18:41:56

David,
I'm gonna keep on looking. The bird is Anakin a Africian Grey Parrot who used to live on the River Explorer. That is one very neat bird. He had a large vocabulary which included nearly all the word one would expect from a seafarer. Best of all though was that he was housebroke. Yes housebroke. Mike would set him on the edge of a trashcan and say, "Pinch one off." Low and behold he would.

DEmery - Posted - 09/20/2010:  19:26:14

Amazing bird story Dan. My parents tried with 5 children and failed to get such remarkable results. Maybe the command "pinch one off" would have made the difference. David E.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/20/2010:  19:38:49

IS THIS WHAT SHE MEANT?

Yes tonight we drill! Tuner holes that is...
I'll b using my Granddads old egg beater drill to do this. Using these old tools and techniques while they may bring me closer to the original modes of construction, is really being done for me. I'm enjoying going back and using the ways I was taught to work as a child. Perhaps it is a second childhood, I don't know.

Here I'm drilling. It's rather quiet, good exercise and it cuts down on the electric bill!







After drilling the holes are cleaned up using a violin peg tapered remer.



I needed to do a bit of cleanup around the 5th. string bump.



Here is how the neck looks at this point.

Steven M - Posted - 09/21/2010:  12:55:34

That is looking really good. I love the hand tools attitude and I think that is showing in the product.

DEmery - Posted - 09/21/2010:  13:23:42

Dan I really like the thickness and lines from neck to head stock. Most of our more modern projects call for a thicker head stock. This particular design makes for a more delicate appearance. With the thin, bent rim the total weight has to be on the lite side. I can see you doing Uncle Dave tricks with one of these banjos. David E,

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/21/2010:  17:42:03

Steven.
Thank you I really love these hand tools (except that handsaw) and derive a lot of pleasure from working with them.

David,
Ya these banjos are VERY LIGHT! I think that is what contributes to the sweet airy tone of the Jacobs.

Ah don't tell Paul... but the spirit of Uncle Dave has already been with me!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/21/2010:  17:44:01

Steven.
Thank you I really love these hand tools (except that handsaw) and derive a lot of pleasure from working with them.

David,
Ya these banjos are VERY LIGHT! I think that is what contributes to the sweet airy tone of the Jacobs.

Ah don't tell Paul... but the spirit of Uncle Dave has already been with me!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/25/2010:  19:03:59

1850 at the 1850

What a day!

Have you ever wished to travel back in time? Back to an era of mules, oxen and log homes? A slower, quieter time? Today I traveled to such a place. My time machine was my trusty Grand Caravan van. The date headed for was was 1850 and the place was the Homeplace 1850's in Land Between the Lakes, just north of Dover, Tennessee. I went there to forge weld tension hoops with my good friend Jonathan Farrell. It is about a 50 mile drive out to the Homeplace through some of the most beautiful country west-Tennessee can offer.

I guess we need to start with first things first.

Early this morning I went to my shop and rolled some hoops. Here is all of the material ready to rolll and the acoustic rolling machine



First roll.





Laying out for the cut.



I drilled holes for two nails which when bent held the hoop to length.



Inserting the nails.



Cutting off the excess material.



Now we are off and traveling. This is such a great trip I couldn't help but present this next bit as a sort of travelogue. I left Paris and headed north-east on State highway 79. Along the way I crossed the Tennessee River and passed over to the land between the rivers. Soon I arrived in Dover, Tennessee the site of the Civil War battle at Fort Donaldson. This was the battle where U.S. Grant gained his nick name "Unconditional Surrender" . I turned north on the Trace and headed into the Land Between the Lakes.



About 10 miles into LBL I came to this the remains of one of the Iron smelting furnaces. It's said that these furnaces which dotted the Cumberland river, in the years before the Civil War exported around 4 million dollars of Iron per day.



A mile later I arrived at the Homeplace 1850's. This is a working farm of the 1850's replete with buildings, furnishings and tools from the era, All of the farming is done with mules and oxen. All of the folks who work on the farm are passionate historians and are dressed in period cloths. Welcome to the farm.



Here is the tobacco barn. They grow dark-fired chewing tobacco here on the farm and the smoke you see is the tobacco ( which was grown on the farm) being smoke cured . It is smoke cured until all of the green is gone from the leaves.



Inside the tobacco barn.



The tobacco above.



A smokehouse for curing hams.



Lastly for today here is a good shot of Jonathan who is my major contact here at the Homeplace. He will be blacksmithing, forge welding the tension hoops. Tomorrow I'll start following the steps in welding 1850's style.

DEmery - Posted - 09/25/2010:  20:17:52

Dan this was a great addition to the 1850 thread. If the Jacobs style 1850 wasn't interesting enough with all the original period work from your shop - touches like this surely makes the project special. Glad I got dibs on the 1st one. David E.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/26/2010:  08:07:40

David,
This has been special for me too. Thanks for the dibbs.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/26/2010:  09:36:33

WELDING...1850's STYLE

Today we continue into the welding of our 1850 Jacobs reproduction tension hoops. Although we welded three hoops I'll just show one being worked through the process. This was my first experience with forge welding a process which was developed by the Egyptians around five thousand years ago on iron.

First Jonathan inspected all of my joints and said "Dan... they look alright."



Next he showed me a piece of Pig iron ingot that was smelted at the smelter just down the road from the Homeplace (the one in the previous post). He showed me how to identify this material and pointed out the grain in the metal. I never figured grain could be seen with the naked eye but even my half- deef eyes could see it.



Each of the hoops had their joints opened a bit so that later the flux could be added. Then the forge was readied. We will be using hardwood charcoal to fire it.



Here a hoop is readied for the fire.



Charcoal added to the fire.



Now the hoop goes in...



While the hoop warms, flux is placed on a metal plate. This is Borax.



The bellows are pumped adding oxygen to the fire.



After the hoop joint becomes quite hot Borax is added to it.



It is placed back into the fire and heated until the flame changes from a yellow to a green color. I love these sparks!

Steven M - Posted - 09/26/2010:  12:17:44

I am not going to bed until I see what happens next!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/26/2010:  17:52:32

Oh Lord Steven, I hope you haven't stayed up this late!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/26/2010:  18:19:55

MORE 1850'S WELDING

The bellows are pumped forcing oxygen into the fire dramatically increasing the temperature.



Soon the fire changes color yellow to green indicating that the metal is up to temperature. The metal is now near the melting point, it has to be quickly removed. The aria to be welded glows bright white/ yellow/ red Jonathan used a 2 lb. ball peen hammer to drive the joint together.



The metal is pounded until the red color vanishes.



A wire brush is used to remove the fire scale.



As a side note this anvil that Jonathan is using is from the 1850's.

The ring is coated with flux and returned to the forges fire. The bellows are vigorously pumped to increase the heat.





More beating. It is amazing how much effort goes into joining these pieces of metal. Jonathan told me to plan on at least three times in the fire for a good weld. This is so different from today's electric welding. Somehow it seams more satisfying to me.





More flux, then more fire...





Back to the anvil.







Here is proof that I did more than watch...
some might say this photo was a set up though!

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/26/2010:  18:44:39

LAST WELD

During this 2 1/2 hour session of welding we joined three of the hoops and went through two bags of hardwood charcoal. Here are a few more photos of the work.








Throughout the day we had many visitors who watched the work, it was a lot of fun explaining just what craziness was going on. Here you can see a couple...



Each of the welds was ground on a treadle grinder. Unfortunately, for me the treadle part was broken so I spun the grinding wheel with one hand and held the ring with the other.



After we completed the welding work we were treated to homemade chicken and dumplings and chocolate cake. Afterwords I got a lesson on operating a treadle lathe, helped (by watching) with the animals and then headed home. Here is one last Homeplace 1850's shot.



After I left the Homeplace I went bast the LBL buffalo range and they were out where I could see them. Although my photo doesn't show it, there were perhaps 75 or so of the animals grazing and lounging out in the pasture.



On the Trace heading home...






If you are ever fortunate enough to visit our little section of the earth I hope you'll take the time and visit the Land Between the Lakes and my friends over at the HOMEPLACE 1850's.

Tom that's just a little note for you and Susan.

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 09/26/2010:  19:10:57

Thanks for the pictures and the descriptions, Dan... it makes me homesick!

SPLogDog - Posted - 09/26/2010:  21:33:33

Reminds me of a job I had doing the same kind of work- that hardwood charcoal is probably a lot nicer to work with then the "lowest bidder" coal we had. I never got to be good at forge welding, the people like Jonathan that can do it reliably are amazing!

Steven M - Posted - 09/27/2010:  00:47:53

Yes i stayed up;)

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/27/2010:  17:50:39

Marvin,
I wish you'd come on down and bring that gorgeous Mini Banjo with you!

Will,
I asked Jonathan about using coal. He said that it would burn hotter, longer and make one h____ of a mess.

Steven,
I'm glad you did. I only hope you didn't suffer to much for doing so.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/27/2010:  18:16:48

WORKIN' THE T-HOOPs

Well after laying yesterday with my feet up (ya right!) Sunday, I came into the shop rearing to work on the 1850's tension hoops.

First thing I grabbed up an old file and went to work on the outside of the hoops weld. I had worked it over pretty good on the grinder still they needed some more shaping.



Next the inside weld became my object of attention. When I was grinding this 1860's hoop the inside was not touched at all and so required a lot of work.





Lastly they were thoroughly sanded. All the scale and staining has to be removed.



After sanding they were cleaned with acetone to remove all residual oils. Then the were washed with acid and after drying and rinsing were placed for several hours in a bath of salt water. This starts the aging of the hoops. I hope to achieve a true 1870's patina.



After bathing, they were placed in a nice warm bed of dampened rock salt. I may let them sleep for several days or weeks in this bed. Hopefully they will awake like Rip Van Winkle, 190 years older.

DEmery - Posted - 09/27/2010:  18:37:42

Dan the final hoop photos look great. The welds cleaned up well. With all this salt I should be able to put the 1850 out back to attract deers in the fall. I hadn't considered salting the hoop down so long to get the age result. David E.

SPLogDog - Posted - 09/27/2010:  20:24:08

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

Will,
I asked Jonathan about using coal. He said that it would burn hotter, longer and make one h____ of a mess.

---

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/27/2010:  21:04:13

David,
Never thought about the deer attraction elements. The salt should not only cause rust but also pitting... I hope...

Will,
I have tried about every kind of abuse that man can devise for aging this stuff. Smoke works on skin , wood & paper but tends to not be permanent on metal. Heat (lots of it) and oil can blacken metal though.

DanKnowles - Posted - 09/28/2010:  18:20:13

MORE JACOBS NECKS

Tonight and for the next few posts I plan on focusing on the six other Jacobs style necks which I am building. I'll try to keep my verbiage to a minimum in these posts. The photos should be able to tell their own tale.

These other neck are of Spanish cedar and walnut. The good folks over at the home place gave me a beautiful 50 year old slab of walnut to make their and other necks from. It is amazing all of the help and support that I've received from these folks.

Here I'm laying out on the slab.

Steven M - Posted - 09/29/2010:  02:12:34

Its amazing how beautiful that wood is once you get past the rough sawn exterior.

fungusgeek - Posted - 09/29/2010:  09:07:33

I have a question about the fore welding.
Didn't the bands get larger circumference/diameter wise?
I would think that pounding on hot metal like that would thin things out and elongate the hoop rendering any previous measurements for 'fit' obsolete.

Slingerland - Posted - 09/29/2010:  09:31:03

Wonderful work! Thanks so much for posting.

frihauf - Posted - 09/29/2010:  12:43:31

I was wondering what to do with my old Resonator. Now I see, I can just use it to soak parts in. :)

Ben

jbalch - Posted - 09/29/2010:  13:33:37

quote:

---

Originally posted by fungusgeek

I have a question about the fore welding.
Didn't the bands get larger circumference/diameter wise?
I would think that pounding on hot metal like that would thin things out and elongate the hoop rendering any previous measurements for 'fit' obsolete.

---