Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/20/2013:  18:25:27

Dave, Rubicon, Snaps & David,

I thank you for your very kind comments... it makes all the work worthwhile. By the way the voices at the end of the recording are two of my grandsons Keaton & Braden.

Rubicon,

Thank you for the post you started under playing styles, that means a lot to me.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/21/2013:  18:43:57

FILLING

Today I filled the grain on the back and sides of the guitar that I sanded the other day. The filler that I use is quite easy to make up, is cheep and works extremely well. Basically it is sheetrock Joint Compound and tint. It is thinned with water to the consistency of whipping cream. Don't get tempted to taste this stuff!!!

Here I mix it up with a shop made paddle...I always seam to make more than I need...

Yep I found another use for that blue board insolation... it works great! Just drag it with the filler across the grain and pack the filler in... this thing is just the right stiffness.

Rub it in with a piece of cloth and then wipe off as much excess as possible...

After it's dry sand it flat and do it again... and again...and again...

After the final sanding it is sealed with shellac thinned to about a one pound cut,,,

More Soon!

Tylerb1 - Posted - 08/24/2013:  04:51:09

Dan;

The arrangement you played (Over the Rainbow) on the Mandora d'Amore is truly sweet. You are one of the few Masters left. Bob

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/26/2013:  19:14:23

Bob,

Thank you so much.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/26/2013:  19:41:00

BACK FROM "I HAVE A DREAM"

Yep, I've been hangin' out over at Lyndon Smith's "I Have A Dream" post for the past few days... it's been fun revisiting the Othello and Sherry Lynn ebony banjos. The photos John Balch posted of the Ebony Bacon & Day #6 Ne Plus Ultra are worth the view. David Emery's post on the Saint Augustine banjo still beggars me. What wonderfully nice things to say!

Now off to the shop...

Today a lot of work was accomplished and wow does that feel great!

Here is a beautiful D-41 Martin that I did a set up on and made a new bone saddle for.

Pulling the saddle...

This little Baby Taylor received a new Fishman pickup, here I'm drilling for the strap-jack...

Marking the bottom of the saddle so I can see how much material to remove...

Soldering the strap-jack...

This '70's Kalamazoo made Gibson guitar had its bridge pulled and re-glued...

Using a heat lamp to soften the glue... really the lights do work in my shop, I think it's neat the way the camera makes everything look dark when it is pointed right at the light!

There it goes... poped right off!

My friend Tommy Ogle's son Stephen was down from Detroit and popped in to visit me and show some of the new tunes that he is learning... Most notably Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing. I had never thought of it as a banjo tune ... but now I will!

More reel soon!

Dave1climber - Posted - 08/27/2013:  06:20:50

Dan

Good to know that your back at it, and feeling good.

I noticed in the background of the last photo several stringed instruments, are they for sale?  Or are they clients for repair?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/27/2013:  20:38:40

Dave,

Those are mostly a few either unusual or early instruments from my personal collection.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/28/2013:  05:23:43

TUESDAY

Today was a quiet busy day, a lot accomplished in the morning with teaching in the afternoon. Many projects are moving right along and that feels great!

Yesterday's Gibson bridge re-glue has the clamps removed...

Glue cleanup begins. I always spend quite a bit of effort cleaning up glue squeeze out after the bridge is clamped, but this always shoves a bit up under the bridge clamp. This is what I'm getting rid of here... (Bob do ya notice the shirt?!?)

The fingerboard (after cleaning) and bridge are both oiled with Dan's Not So Secret Sauce...

I've been re-finishing this guitar and there are a few spots that need filler before the last coats are sprayed on...

This Washburn is being set up. Most factory nuts are cut way too tall so after the string slots are cut I'll file the top down to where it is supposed to be. Here I'm protecting (hopefully I won't need it) the peghead and fingerboard from my file...

Another set up, on an archtop guitar... I'm adjusting the truss rod...

This old Yamaha 12 strings fingerboard started separating from the rest of the neck. Here I'm checking my clamping...

The clamps are on, glue squeeze out cleaned off...

More soon!

tendogman - Posted - 08/28/2013:  05:39:07

Dan,

Yes, I see it. It looks great. Glad to see that you're all rested up from your last trip.

That was a great recording in the Mandora d'Amore. Thanks for giving me the chance to play it. If you took any pictures of me playing it, please send them to me.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/28/2013:  10:13:03

Bob,

I'll check it out and see...

NEWS FLASH

We are planning a trip to central California in late October. I'm planning on bringing out a couple of banjos so If any of you would like to have me do a house concert while I'm there, please contact me at dan@danknowles.net

taiger - Posted - 08/28/2013:  11:44:27

Where in central california Dan? Do you have a gig lined up?

Bufo Bill - Posted - 08/28/2013:  13:27:42

Dan, you have made my day twice today. Our little Piccolo Gourd Banjo sounded so nice today (dispite my playing), and then a juicy instrument repair post here, it's like Christmas with less gluttony and better weather. Ker-ching!!! Yay.
All the best from Bill. :D

Bufo Bill - Posted - 08/28/2013:  13:28:17

Dan, you have made my day twice today. Our little Piccolo Gourd Banjo sounded so nice today (dispite my playing), and then a juicy instrument repair post here, it's like Christmas with less gluttony and better weather. Ker-ching!!! Yay.
All the best from Bill. :D

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/28/2013:  17:23:05

Tai,

I'll be visiting friends and family in Sacramento, Merced & Modesto. I am tentatively to play a house concert in Modesto on Sat. Oct. 26. Grass Valley isn't that far, I'd be proud to head that way too!

Bill,

Thanks, I'm glad that my post could make your day! On a side note: I am in the planning stages of a winter trip to Germany which would involve a stop in London at the least. I'd be fun to stop and play for friends in England since I'll be passing through.

Steven M - Posted - 08/29/2013:  14:17:19

Let me know about your UK stopover would be great to meet you.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/30/2013:  04:33:38

Steven,

I'll certainly keep you updated if plans head in your direction.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/01/2013:  07:43:27

SUNDAY MORNING

Thunder storms are boppin' along outside this morning as I write todays post. I went outside and opened the chicken house just ahead of the first big rain shower. Coffee is ready, a nice Maui roast and I'm sitting here relaxing before the day really takes off. We are leaving out for Cape Girardeau, Missouri later on this afternoon for two days of performing on the Queen of the Mississippi. It will be a relatively short trip, Cape to Paducah, Kentucky. I'm looking forward to it!

Good lord, I guess this is a catch up post. It has been so busy around the shop the past few of days. So this post will just lightly touch some of the jobs that have come through.

I made up some hide glue for a violin project that I have going. As I have preached before hide glue is one of the finest instrument adhesives known to man. It is fairly easy to prepare, use and if correctly made a very tough, hard glue. It transfers vibration better than any other glue except perhaps cynoacralates.

Here I'm placing the glue granules in the cooking cup...

Adding water to the cooking cup...

Here another cooking cup is in the pot awaiting the water bath to maintain the correct temperature. This pot is a miniature crock pot. With water in it it holds a perfect 150 degrees.

The guitar that I've been spraying finish on is now ready for sanding heading to the final rub out. I'll sand through grits 800, 1000 & 1500 before heading to the buffing wheel. I've found that I get a more glass like finish if I spend the time doing all of this sanding. I'd rather do other things than sand... but this goes with the territory!

I'm working on a banjo for a client in California. The neck blank was glued up some months ago and is now ready for working. I like to true the blank on the belt sander. I like the lack of pecking that I might get (with figured maple) were I to use the joiner.

Here I even up the peghead face before going back to the sander.  The laminations moved just a bit during gluing...

Now I thickness the back of the peghead on the bandsaw...

And cut a truss rod cavity on this dedicated table saw...

This Martin guitar is owned by one of our local musicians Randall French. He performs in the clubs around here and is a fine singer and picker. He plays so much that the frets are a bit pitted so I'm leveling them out.

My ole buddy Mark McWherter brought his sweetie Tabitha's mandolin in for a set up...

And my English pal Andrew Craft did likewise with this Johnson mandolin...

Ah notice the homemade root beer in the bottle in the background. Last Sunday my great friend Joe Snow and I brewed a batch of the stuff. It was ready to drink on Thursday. We opened the first one for the guys in the band when they came over for practice. It was very bubbly and rich tasting. I don't often drink sodas in the shop but....

I think that this may be our best brew yet. We keep twicking our recipe and each batch seams to be improving. We used molasses as one of the sugars and it imparted a nice but very distinctive flavor. Next time I think that we will cut back on both the cherry bark and the molasses and maybe increase the wintergreen.

If there is anybody else here on the Hangout who makes this elixir I'd love to have you post your experiences here!

NEXT STOP THE QUEEN...

banjeaux bob - Posted - 09/01/2013:  09:36:44

 Dan ,to prevent movement of your layers during gluing,have you considered drilling one small at each end of the pieces,applying the glue,insert dowels into the index holes,then clamp the assembly?

   BanjeauX Bob

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/01/2013:  09:50:27

Bob,

Yes I have considered such and have done the same also. Usually all of the pieces are cut from the same exact pattern (by me) and everything works just like I plan. I cut as close to the pattern as possible and when they go to the gluing board (which is made to index the parts) everything usually everything stays put. These were cut out by one of my students... I didn't want to waste such nice material so the price was paid in later work. I'm not complaining , just reporting! I do always use brads/ nails and such when I glue down fingerboards/ peghead overlays and such workl.

Will1717 - Posted - 09/01/2013:  10:21:18

Dan:

I trust that that root beer is a non alcoholic brew! Interesting topic about using brad nails etc. to hold pieces as you glue them up. After loosing my arm I got real use to gluing on fingerboards with no locating pins and I'm now convinced that those pins are a real nuisance and time consumer. I've since got use to just dropping the fingerboard in location and slightly breaking the glue line with a small one handed clamp. I then just throw the heavy duty clamps on without an issue. It just takes a light touch and the board stays in location every time. 

Are you at the shop later this afternoon? If so I'll give you a call to get your feedback on neck lengths for a banjo uke and piccalo banjos.

Bill Rickard 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/01/2013:  10:31:22

Bill,

I'll be traveling but talking would be great!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/03/2013:  12:49:23

PARIS, TENNESSEE - CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI

Again I'm getting to write these posts after the fact... on board internet can be sooo sloooow. My son Sam & my friend Eddie Coffey made it  back from a great trip north to Cape Girardeau. We rode the Queen of the Mississippi down the Mississippi river then up the Ohio river to Paducah. In the process we played a couple of shows, taught banjo classes and jawed around with the folks on board.

Here is our trusty van, ready to head out n the road.

We picked up Sam in Paris ten went to Paducah and picked up Eddie in Paducah. After leaving Paducah we went west to Wycliff, Kentucky then across to Cairo, Illinois. Here we are crossing the Ohio river into Cairo.

We stopped at Fort Defiance state park and took a look-see at the confluence of the Ohio & Mississippi rivers. There was this beautiful ancient willow tree.

We headed north on Illinois highway 3 then turned west crossing into Cape. This is the new bridge into Cape crossing the Mississippi river.

Down at the Cape landing we looked for the Queen... no Queen so we went and ate (way too much) Cajon food! BTW that's my wife Debbie there on the right...

The Queen made it in about 30 minutes ahead of show time... what a rush! There is Sam and Eddie with our equipment waiting for the stage to be set...

BACK LATER

DEmery - Posted - 09/03/2013:  17:33:59

Quote: "David Emery's post on the Saint Augustine banjo still beggars me. What wonderfully nice things to say!"

Dan, I have seen your post that says "beggars me."  I grew up in Tennessee and am fluent in most forms of regional terminology; but this one I have missed. It seems to be a good thing but what is it like to be beggared? David E.

DEmery - Posted - 09/03/2013:  17:39:57

beg·gar (bgr)

n.

1. One who solicits alms for a living.



2. An impoverished person; a pauper.



3. Informal A man or a boy.



tr.v. beg·gared, beg·gar·ing, beg·gars

1. To make a beggar of; impoverish.



2. To exceed the limits, resources, or capabilities of: beauty that beggars description

Is the correct answer in red? I checked the trusty on line dictionary.  And think I was an English major. David E.  

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/03/2013:  18:42:25

David,

De def-I-nission in da red iz ab-so-loutli correck... soh much soh dat eye waz teched. I a wis-ed eyed bien an Anglish majer two!

In all seriousness I thank you, I was very touched by it.

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 09/03/2013 18:44:35

DEmery - Posted - 09/03/2013:  19:29:23

Mystery solved. Thanks. David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/03/2013:  19:31:43

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR PLAYING BANJO

rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/01/wom...n-philly/

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/03/2013:  20:18:05

CAPE - PADUCAH-HOME

The short (two show) trip was finished up this when we returned late this morning. It was a nice trip with nice folks on a great boat! But still as John Denver said "Hay, ain't it good to be back home again? Sometimes this old town feels like a long lost friend."

Yesterday morning as we had some time and so we wondered the lower town part of Cape Girardeau. This older part of town is very scenic. There are many Victorian houses and the business district  is old but in a well preserved condition.   My little point and shoot point and shooted a whole load of photos! Near wore the thing out.

I saw this sight through the river wall...

We begged a P. T. to shoot this group shot, he did a great job too!

(l to r) Eddie Coffey, Me & Sam Knowles. I'm holding F. C. Head...my walking stick... F. C. stands for Future Crack...

We didn't quite understand this sign...

SMOKE

FOR

$14.00 A

MONTH

P. T. figured he'd better light one up, just to make sure! I don't understand it, maybe you can!

It was my privilege to do a short standing room only concert in the beautiful (looking and sounding) Old Saint Vincent's Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau.

Well I guess it would have been standing room only if there had been anyone there to be standing...

I love this photo of the paddlewheel and the light on the water...

The confluence (a day later). The Mississippi river is on the left and the Ohio river is on the right.

What a nice way to end the day! Will Turner came over after lessons to share homemade root beer and ebony banjos! Will preferred the Othello banjo over the Sherry Lynn. Some day soon I need to make a recording featuring both so everybody can choose which one they like best.

More tomorrow!

tendogman - Posted - 09/03/2013:  20:21:08

Wow................Crazy country that we live in  these days...... Look over our back if you play a banjo..........

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/04/2013:  17:48:10

WEDNESDAY IN EGYPT

Yah right you say... Egypt...

I am creating another ancient Egyptian themed banjo, so maybe it's not too big a stretch...

Often time when I am doing an inlay project it is at least in part a improvisation. One of the improvised things in this inlay is around the sun god Ra. I wanted to make sure that the changes would fit on the banjos fingerboard so I drew out a little paper template to lay it out on.

In a little side trip, I replaced this little piece of purfling on this old fiddle. Here I'm checking the fit. Soon I'll glue it in with some hide glue.

Glued, awaiting one more clamp...

Here is the inlay pieces sort of laid out. The Ra pieces still need their hand pieces... The improvisations are the separation pieces in the Ra arms.

I'm cutting out the hands...

Here are a couple cut out soon to be filed and glued to their arms/ rays.

More Tomorrow...

Aradobanjo - Posted - 09/04/2013:  18:41:27

Hello Dan,

Don't be fooled by banjo players protesting their just dues for encroaching a posted restricted area and refusing to leave. Seems that the left side is pushing so hard to make a case of a "distressed banjo player". Video is always shortened to protect the antagonists. 

Steven M - Posted - 09/05/2013:  14:13:50

This new Egyptian banjo is going to look great, I just know it!

Kaelri - Posted - 09/05/2013:  18:56:34

Another project. Yay! 

​By the way, Dan, didja know that your CDs make great background music to demo a 113 yr old house? My husband and I thought you should know  in case it would make a good future marketing ploy, ha ha.  (Mary Z Cox's music is great to rip out old lath and plaster to also!)

Edited by - Kaelri on 09/05/2013 18:58:47

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/05/2013:  19:32:49

Ellen,

Whew I'm glad my music isn't good for rippin' stuff out!?! That is a very sweet compliment, thank you! Let me guess your house is the same age as mine...ca. 1900.

Kaelri - Posted - 09/05/2013:  19:44:30

I do not want to mislead here...but yes, we ARE, in fact,  ripping stuff out with your music too! But that is good....it makes the tasks much merrier! ha ha and Yes, ours was built in 1900. We have a little over 3000 sq ft to pummel then put back together. I often ask my husband what we've gotten ourselves into, but at the same time it is fun to plan together and work together on this old, old house. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/05/2013:  19:50:25

MORE EGYPT

It was a busy day with the Egyptian... First out of the shoot, I thickness sanded two fingerboards. Here I'm pushing one through the sander. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a sander with a self feeder, but this is good for my Ole" mussels and I have quite a bit of control over the finished product by the way & speed that I feed the material...

Both of the fingerboards were slotted using the table saw jig. This (the one I chose)  is having the tunneled fifth profile laid out on it...

Now at long last I get to envisage the way that the inlay will look finished...

I'm not happy with the size of the piece at the bottom of the finger board... it's just too small. So I make a larger one. The beetle is cut from a thin piece of green abalone heart which is very fragile. It gets backed with a old pick to keep it from breaking.

Now the frame...

Filing the inside...

Me working at the bird mouth sawin' pearl...

Here it is, sorta complete!

MORE TOMMORIE!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/05/2013:  19:55:56

Ellen,

I often wonder what we have gotten ourselves into with this old place. When complete ours will be around 2600 sq. feet.

Some fellas get a new wife or a Ferrari for a mid life crisis, me I got an ancient old house....

Fortunately most of the plaster only needs a bit of repair... 

Kaelri - Posted - 09/05/2013:  20:24:01

Your statement about "midlife crisis" is funny. My husband and I both like lots of things that are old...cars...furniture....and of course houses! So now that he and I also find ourselves getting "old" I guess we are well suited for each other, ha. We will learn a lot of things in this house like...."how to plaster" But I am sure we can do it. Richard (Husband) always says we are as smart as our YouTube & Google connection. Plus there are local plaster artisans we might maybe call upon as needed. Some of ours needs only patching while other whole walls are simply toast. And ours was a foreclosure and has not been lived in for many years. 

Ellen

Hawgfiddle65 - Posted - 09/06/2013:  00:57:08

Hi Dan

What is the green speckled background on the scarab cartouche, is it natural or some sort of composite?

Jim (hawgfiddle65)

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/06/2013:  06:41:48

Jim,

It is primarily ground malachite & Jade.

tendogman - Posted - 09/06/2013:  19:57:08

Dan,

I can't help but just love your creativity... The Egyptian themes are very cool. I loved the other one. What a beautiful instrument. I remember that you have an Egyptian woman with red hair on the other banjo. Is that the Egyptian Goddess Hathor? I'm a Stargate Series fan and like the way they followed parts of Egyptian history. The only thing about Ra is they killed him off in the original movie. But seriously, I can't wait to see it finished. I know it's going to look fantastic.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/06/2013:  20:11:33

Bob,

 You are so correct in thinking she is Hathor...cause she is! I'm glad you enjoy this!

tendogman - Posted - 09/06/2013:  20:21:50

Well, I got to thinking about her and just wondered. She was the first thing that I noticed when I saw that banjo. I think it's really cool.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/06/2013:  20:24:41

FRIDAY

It's late, now that i'm getting to write this post. So I won't pontificate too much. In fact I'll try and let the photos speak for them selves.

Profiling a fingerboard...

Here the neck blank has been laid out for a tunneled 5th. string,,,

Routing for that tunneled 5th.

cleaning up the end of the slot.

Gluing the fingerboard...

Cutting the inlay for fret placement...

Cut 2,,,

I had some visitors in the persons of the Tennessee Walking Men. They are walking all over Tennessee while making a video of the whole thing.

MORE THE NEXT DAY....

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/07/2013:  19:27:19

SATURDAY... CROSSING THE RED SEE

Crossing the Red See? Huh, I wonder what fool came up with that one? They must a chose it 'cause this is an Egyptian themed instrument that I'm workin' on...what cha bet? It's almost like hearing the same joke a thousand times.

Well this new Pharaoh is moving along quite satisfactorily. The rim (a spun over) is ready for finish and it is engraved. The pearl is all cut. And the neck is moving along just about the way I like it. Today I got a bit more done on it.

Here I'm rough cutting the peghead shape. It is fairly close with just a bit of sanding to make it right...

Sanding, did we say sanding? The orbital barrel sander does such a nice job of shaping things up!

There was a small piece of tubing (for the 5th. string) which needed trimming so this big old file did the trick...

Previously I band sawed the pocket for the backstrap, here I am truing the surface with a sanding block...

This will be a nice long backstrap it should terminate around fret five. I've already cut out the veneer pieces. Walnut, Maple & Brazilian Rosewood (top veneer). I put some lightly tinted epoxy on down to glue the veneer...

Here is another use for the foam blue board insulation, a nice gluing cowl. It will get a whole lot more clamps very soon.

A few hours later the glue is set so I trim the overhang. I choose a chisel rather than a saw because I can avoid chipping the delicate veneers.

re I'm sand truing the fifth string ramp part of the neck. Once the pearl is inlaid I will cut a ledge for binding so everything must be straight and square.

YES VIRGIL DARE WILT BEE SOM OR

Paul R - Posted - 09/07/2013:  21:55:24

Dan,

It's interesting that you chisel the veneers but saw the delicate inlays. Not that you can chisel an inlay, but I wouldn't have thought the veneers were that brittle, and I'd have thought that a chisel would be more apt to cause chipping. Live and learn.

Is one of the Tennessee Walking Men in charge of the group? He'd be the "Walking Boss" (groan!).

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/09/2013:  19:03:20

Paul,

These veneers were rather "chippie" and so I figured it was wiser not to use the band saw... normally I would have.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 09/09/2013:  19:37:26

MONDAY -YADNOM

Sorry I didn't touch the new Pharaoh banjo today. Confession being good for the soul I figured I'd do some good fer my soul and confess right away...

Even though not specifically banjos I did accomplish a lot today.

This 12 string had its fingerboard repaired and required a bit of touch up spraying...

It's been a while since I've admitted to what I listen to during the day. I've got a five CD changer so often times I listen to audio books as I work. Sometime it's Public Radio (although I do tire of their repeating the same big news story again and again). Many times though I'll grab a few CD's, load 'um into the changer and let it play. Today it was Steve Martin's three banjo albums and a collection of Django Rheinhardt's amazing guitar work.

This fiddle was coming apart a few days ago. Now that it is glued back together and the missing piece of purfling has been reinstalled, I get down  (Get Down!) to trimming...

Fingerboard oiled, I trim the bridge with one of my favorite knives...

Fiddle done.

I received a half pound of gold lipped mother of pearl in the mail today from one of my suppliers. This being the first time to deal with this company, elwoodabs (on Ebay) I'm checking the pearls weight. I'm not complaining, 1.49 oz. over the order!

Now to inspect the pearl and grade it. This gold shell is often called sunburst because of the aria which the blanks were cut from the shell. The gold coloration is not always through. So I grade by the amount of gold color.

Not bad, almost 2 oz. of good solid gold material and none of the pearl is unusable. There is loads of beautiful figure in this stuff. What's more it is accurately milled to .050 thick. I'll be leaving these folks stellar feedback!

 SAYONARA TILL TOEMARRA

Dave1climber - Posted - 09/10/2013:  08:28:40

Dan

Thanks for the tip on the source for MOP, just ordered some.  

Dave