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DanKnowles - Posted - 10/29/2010: 07:14:24
BRACKET SHOES 1
Oh but it is good to be back working on these 1850's instruments. So today in this installment I'll be starting to make those way to cool star shaped bracket shoes.
First the basic pattern has to be created. For this I used my 1850's version of Correl Draw 12 to create a star shaped pattern that fits the average dimension of the original. Each of the originals was hand cut and the size varried shoe to shoe so I'll make a pattern and allow my hand work to vary size and shape slightly.
Here the pattern is being cut from the printed paper pattern.
Cyno (super glue) is used to glue the pattern to the brass. I'll be cutting the first shoe out of my brass stock and this one (if all works out will become my pattern for the rest of the shoes.
Using a nearly worn out blade on my bandsaw I cut out the pattern shoe.
Please note the backer board or zero clearance plate. This is cut from an old scrap of hard board. It is a finger saver when cutting small pieces. Without it the saw can snatch a piece and pull a finger in for a very quick bite!
trapdoor2 - Posted - 10/29/2010: 11:45:00
Hmmm...well!
I imagine cutting brass using a blade designed for wood would be interesting...and very much require a zero-clearance backer. Even then, I bet it jumps and barks!
The old Sears 'n' Sawbuck bandsaw Dad had was easily converted to metal-cutting by a belt-reduction (which we made from old pulleys and blocks, etc.). We had two belts, one for wood (direct-drive), one for metal (thru the reduction drive) and blades for each. Easy to switch from one to the other. If Dad caught me cutting metal with one of his wood blades...
You going to braze the brackets together? I disremember the originals, I thought they was cast. I guess I could go look up the original thread! 
===Marc
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/01/2010: 18:08:28
SHAPIN' UP & LAYIN' OUT
Back again finishing up the star pattern bracket, I finish bringing it to shape by locking it into my handy dandy trusty luthiers vice and working it thoroughly over slicking it up, removing all of the saw kirf marks from all of the edges by sawing back and forth with a small Nicholson needle file.
I just wondered how long a run-on sentence I could create before I ran out of steam.
The slicked up pattern is then laid on a sheet of brass and scribed and scribed and scribed.
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/01/2010: 19:14:49
NEW BANJO
Here is a new banjo that I recently completed for a client from Nashville Orvil Orr. He is a lawyer and wanted tis instrument to be called Scales of Justice. The request was for a “good banjo” that featured an image of the scales of justice. So with this in mind I put this one together.
“Scales” features :
nicely figured 3 piece silver maple and ebony neck
4 ply backstrap
Leaf heel carving
Custom inlay
1/2” thick rim
Bill Rickard White Ladie tone ring and bracket shoes
Mastertone style brackets
Gotoh tuning machines
Orvil with his new "Scales of Justice", Knowles banjo. 
Edited by - DanKnowles on 11/01/2010 19:20:13
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/04/2010: 06:54:39
SAWIN’ UM OUT
Today I’ll be cutting the star shaped backer plate for the bracket shoes for our 1850’s banjo. There are multiple was to do this job including using a jewelers saw or perhaps a Dremel with cut off wheels, I’ll be using my band saw.
I have laid out around 30 backers on this piece of brass plate, I’ll only show cutting one out though.
Six of them ready for the next step.
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/05/2010: 18:14:36
SUNTANNING THE BRACKET HOLES
(layin' 'um out)
Before I head off into this post I'd like to tell you of a very cool old banj that wondered into my shop (via the U S Post Office) a couple of days ago.
This is a beautifully made Dayton banjo uke ca. 1920's. It came from our buddy Slingerland who is compiling information on these great instruments. Apparently these folks made Banjos in all configurations, 5 string, 4 string, banjo mandolins and banjo guitars and mandolins with a second resonating chamber. The workmanship throughout is impeccable. Most of the hardware appears to be unique to this instrument brand. I may post more about this little beauty later.
The time has come to finish preparing the rim so I can put the banjo together. Here is how I lay out for the bracket shoe drilling. I have used many different techniques including making dedicated drilling fixtures, this seams to work out best when I am making unique bracket spacings. The six shoes will be placed exactly in the same locations as the original. This is how I go about laying out these locations. Although it is not shown here, the drawing is laying on my bench , very close for quick and easy referencing.
First the basic placement of the holes are marked. They are around two inches from the top of the rim.
Masking tape is placed around the rim at this depth.
The depth is re established on the tape..
The tape is marked to depth, all the way around and on the tape. Then a cloth measuring tape is taped to the rim. The placement of each shoe and the dowel stick ins marked from the cloth tape.
The depth of the dowel stick is marked.
Sides are squared.
Here it is….
Slingerland - Posted - 11/05/2010: 18:40:14
Thanks for the plug, Dan! I hope to see a Dayton restoration thread as your time allows it.
PS those rims look mighty nice!
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/22/2010: 20:00:09
BACK
Well friends after a couple week sabbatical from BHO... I'm back. Thanks for all of you kind enquireries. All is well here at Knowles String Instruments. Yes patina has been gathering on the new 1850's, Ill pass along some photos of that in a day or two.
Now.....
J-HOOK TIME
Tonight I start the making of the J-hooks, brackets, strainers or whatever you wish to call them. These are a fun make. Although I be making a whole wad of these things, here I'll just show you the first 6 going through. These are for the prototype for David Emery's banjo.
Here are three rods of the material I'll be using. It is brass rod that is about .163 thick.
First I stick the rod in my vice, not my vise and certainly not versa... Then lay out the length. I'm marking it with an ultra fine permanent marker. This doesn't have to be perfect good and just close.
Using a hacksaw they are cut to length.
Here is the batch of them.
I got to show this . A friend of mine salvaged from a junk yard this old machine for cutting threads. He rebuilt it, painted and then sold it to me. Not all of it is here but for my purposes it works great! The center shaft not only goes around, but it moves back and forth allowing the clutch to contact one of the wheels at a time. Each of these wheels spins in an opposite direction changing the spinning direction of the clutch. Pressure the work in and it cuts threads, pressure away and out and The work is released. Nifty!
All threaded.
I'm no9t sure what happened to these photos in my pre-edited post...but they are here now. Dan
Edited by - DanKnowles on 11/24/2010 07:16:26
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/24/2010: 06:58:50
BENDING TYME
What an interesting day today has been. Along with the usual work of building and repairing I started out a new guitar building student. He has wonderful hand tool skills and uses a hand plane like he was born to it. In a couple of hours we were able to mill and joint a top set, mill and thickness a back and side set. Many students come to me to develop their tool skills, which is great, but as an instructor it is always wonderful to be able to work with someone who is already an advanced woodworker.
Back to the 1850's J-hook making.
In this post I'll show a rather primitive but effective way of bending these hooks.
I have several vices (not vises although I have my share of these), among them is this old wheel wrights vice I'm told that it is from around the age of our original banjo. I clamp the theaded hook in this vice leaving around 1/4 " exposed. 
Using a large ball-peen hammer I bend the top over. Then I raise it up another 1/4 inch in the vice and continue fully bending it over.
As you might guess, the abuse of the hammer and the pinching of the vice leaves tracks. Using a file I remove most of these.
Lastly I begin the aging process with a small jewelers chasing hammer. It leaves some delicate marks.
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/24/2010: 07:10:12
T-HOOP
Here is how the tension hoops looked today. Lots of rust and pitting, just like I need them to be.
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/24/2010: 15:30:36
AGING
Now is the fun stuff… I get to make these things look old! Considering that sometimes I look in the mirror and feel this way, making the J-hooks look like I feel might not be too hard! Anyway here we go…
Here are the hooks all ready to go.
I use a oxidizing agent from Rio Grande called Midas that works quite well and is the loveliest blue.
It’s tough, just stick the work in this concoction and almost immediately the change begins.
Next a firm rubbing on a paper towel knocks back some of the color.
Now the hook is sanded with 2000 grit sandpaper.
Back in the bath for another dunk.
More rubbing.
Complete
DanKnowles - Posted - 11/25/2010: 19:47:54
FINISH LINE #1
on the neck that is
Well folks tonight we start down the road to finishing the neck for this banjo.
The steps will go (hopefully) like this.
1. Sanding
2. Bleaching
3. Sanding
4. Burnish
5. sizing
6.sanding some more.
7. Burnish some more
8. Spirit varnishing
9. Distressing (There is quite a bunch of steps to this)
First off I'll do a bit of sanding. This is no ones favorite step, but one of the most important. My good buddy Tim May and I were talking one time and he said, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have some little guy who would come in and do all the sanding?"
I've gotten where I don't mind sanding so much any more, It seams meditative somehow.
I scrape the wood whenever possible to a good finish, but this Spanish cedar just acts funky so sanding is my choice. I start with 120 grit then go to 220, 400 and finish with 600. The stuff I use for necks is cloth backed and so conforms to the shape of the neck quite well. If you watch how I use the sanding cloth you will notice how I keep from getting ridges.
Here I am filing the 5th. string bump. I will use several grades of files to do this.
Now sanding.
Here using Oxalic Acid I start the wood bleaching.
After the bleaching the wood has to dry.
Here it is dry and awaiting the next steps. Notice the color change.
BNJOMAKR - Posted - 11/26/2010: 02:56:43
quote:
"Wouldn't it be wonderful to have some little guy who would come in and do all the sanding?"
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