uncle.fogey - Posted - 04/13/2012:  11:49:09

This is the re-do of a thread a started last week.  I hope I can do it better this time.

As I said last time around,

I am working on the design of a resonator banjo that can play bluegrass, or anything else, for that matter.  I'n going to make it relatively easy to remove the resonator by using a "bracket band - and- plate" design.  Take off the plate, and "presto-changeo" you have a regular openback.'

I will go through this in stages, maybe not in this order:

(1) a steam-bent cherry - beech rim

(2) different tone ring designs, which will be compared

(3) a black cherry neck

(4) inlays and bindings made from Corian

(5) a brass bracket band with integral brackets

(6) a brass tension hoop

(7) brass hooks and brackets

(8) a brass resonator flange

(9) a black cherry resonator with a beech- cherry rim

(10) a red maple bridge

(11) a tailpiece and armrest of my own design

(11) putting it all together and setting it up, then sound files.

I'm attempting to do this with a minimum,if any, of exotic imported materials and dangerous stuff.

Here's an exploded view of parts I'll be making, some of the parts in this picture are under construction:

And the neck:

Some of this stuff might look vague, because it's just parts in progress.

I will also make a tailpiece and armrest.

aeroweenie - Posted - 04/13/2012:  11:59:48

Excellent, thanks for giving this another try!  I will be following the thread(s) with great interest.

Dexter - Posted - 04/13/2012:  12:10:10

Very nice.....It will be fun for "extreme rookie" banjo builders like me to see your project through with you.......thanks, Rick

XXXris - Posted - 04/13/2012:  12:57:03

Great, looking forward to it....

Emiel - Posted - 04/13/2012:  13:00:17

Great! Will be interesting.

Steven M - Posted - 04/13/2012:  13:25:41

yeah, looking forward to this one as well.

hskrfn - Posted - 04/13/2012:  14:28:56

Thanks for going to the trouble. I'm a fan of your site and banjos. Does the corian bend or do binding around 5th string side in two pieces?
Bill

uncle.fogey - Posted - 04/13/2012:  14:54:01

quote:

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Originally posted by hskrfn

Thanks for going to the trouble. I'm a fan of your site and banjos. Does the corian bend or do binding around 5th string side in two pieces?

Bill

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If you heat it, it will bend into tight radii. You would have to do that to use it on the side of a fingerboard or for peghead binding.

Dave1climber - Posted - 04/13/2012:  18:08:05

Ken

Many thanks for re doing this project.

Dave

uncle.fogey - Posted - 04/14/2012:  09:56:23

quote:

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Originally posted by hskrfn

Thanks for going to the trouble. I'm a fan of your site and banjos. Does the corian bend or do binding around 5th string side in two pieces?

Bill

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Bill,

Here's a picture of a strip of Corian .060" thick, bent into a pretty tortured contour by heating it with a heat gun until it got droopy, and pressing it into a form.  This would allow a very sharp 5th string bend, and it stays put - much easier than nitrocellulose.

Ken

paco_rumblefish - Posted - 04/14/2012:  13:17:35

This looks like great stuff! I just started kicking around the idea of building an openback.
Thanks for taking the time to post this information -- I know it must be time consuming.
Count me in on a copy of a book (if that's still the plan) . Heck, I'd drive the the three hours to pick it up and see the shop.
Thanks again.
Zac

uncle.fogey - Posted - 04/14/2012:  13:32:30

quote:

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Originally posted by paco_rumblefish

This looks like great stuff! I just started kicking around the idea of building an openback.

Thanks for taking the time to post this information -- I know it must be time consuming.

Count me in on a copy of a book (if that's still the plan) . Heck, I'd drive the the three hours to pick it up and see the shop.

Thanks again.

Zac

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Believe it or not, I know where Brookville is.  We bought truckloads of charcoal there twice from a place that makes natural wood charcoal.  A fascinating place near an old mill and a big chimney stack in a grassy field.

You're always welcome to visit if you're in the area.  I have made openback banjos for two people recently, one in New York, one in Michigan, who both came here to pick them up.