Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/25/2012:  20:53:30

Tom & David,

Thank you , what a nice Christmas Present your word are!!!

Here is a family photo of Orpheus and some of his siblings...

1. Othello (the ebony banjo 2. Orpheus 3. The Pharaoh 4. Old Cremona 5. Boettcher  6 4 string dipper gourd banjo, 7. the Woojo 8. Piccolo gourd banjo  9. Slave style 4 string gourd banjo

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

DEmery - Posted - 12/26/2012:  04:01:41

More members of the Knowles shop family. Dan how many phone calls have you surfered through from me and years of conversation does this bunch of banjos represent? We have seen each other a couple of times buy you feel more like a next door neighbor. No...actually I don't know my next door neighbor that well. David E.

Knowles Projects

Ole' Abe built by Dan Knowles

New 1850 Jacobs back by Luthier Dan Knowles

New 1850 Jacobs by Dan Knowles, Luthier

New 1850 and Ole' Abe

 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/26/2012:  20:54:50

Thank you David....

I'll try to make todays post in the morning.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/27/2012:  04:59:22

26 December, 2012

The end of the year is almost here. We've made it beyond Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah and now New Years Eve is almost upon us. It's hard to believe that 2013 is nearly here. I remember well when I was a boy that the year 2000 seamed an eternity away. 2001 A Space Oddity was so far away...now 2013, amazing who'd a thunk it?

Today it snowed. I know that you folks in more snowy climes won't be impressed with our little dusting of the white stuff but this is our first snow of the year. My son Patrick shot this photo of the old guy heading off to work. I like this second photo. The statue is in our neighbors yard.

Today I started the new wooden topped d'Amore instrument (Did I do good Tom Bergan? I  didn't say banjo or Woojo). After teaching students (today was a make up day for Christmas eve), talking to David Emery about a new banjo project and visiting our friend Tommy Ogle (who is home from the hospital) I was able to begin the layout and cutting of wood for the wooden topped d'Amore. I'm using some heavily figured Clario Walnut.

Here I'm beginning to lay out the cuts on the walnut board. This one is air dried and has a little twist. I'll cut the pieces into smaller sizes to ease the flattening... why isn't it called Lester ing?

Now cutting...

On the remainder I lay out the back...

Now cutting again...

Here I'm truing the faces in preparation for ripping. This could be done by using a sharp smoothing plane but here I quickly flatten the face.

Now ripping. These pieces will be ripped much thinner than normal because they will be laminated to a backing wood (most likely spruce). They will be thickness sanded down to .040. Here they have been ripped to .056. As a side note many top classical guitars are laminated, Tores preferred  the lamination approach. In my own collection I have an Ashborn (from 1852) and a German guitar (ca. 1840) both are laminated Brazilian rosewood on spruce.

The sides and back pieces ready for thickness sanding.

More soon...

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/27/2012:  06:04:00

You make it look so easy!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/27/2012:  18:17:03

Folks,

I'm not sure where my photos from my earlier posts have vanished. After I get it figured out I'll be back up and running.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/28/2012:  05:53:39

27 December , 2012

CONGRATULATIONS to Eric and his brave band for getting things back in shape! I know the frustration level must have been high, with things going crazy and batches of worried emails from banjo players from all over the world. MANY THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT WORK!!!

Now on to the day (now yesterday)

I dove into the wooden topped d'Amore....

Folks we need a name for this instrument. In my mind I've been calling it a Woojo d'Amore. My pal Tom Bergan has called it a Cithara d'Amore (pronounced "key-tara") for reasons he may explain here (if he wants). Still it does need both a classification and a name. Any ideas?

Because the back and sides are being laminated (as I explained earlier) I dug out some nice Sitka Spruce. These particular pieces came from the Martin Guitar Co. and were originally purchased in 1960 by my friend Tom Morgan. Here I'm laying out the back pieces.

Now I'm laying out the first of the mold pieces that the sides will be built in.

Then on to the bandsaw to cut out the pieces...

Next I went looking for some wood to build a neck for a banjo for David Emery. This maple board is one I've had for several years. Taking this sucker down started a whole chain of events which cumulated in my cleaning up and restacking this entire stack. It may not look like much but it required the help of my grandson Chandan and several hours work.

Here I'm taking down the maple board. It's about 14" X 8'.

Here are a couple of photos of its tight curly figure...

David e-mailed a drawing of Adam Hurt's Dobson neck. I'll be using it as a take off point to design this banjos neck. Here I'm enlarging it using Corel on the computer.

Next I've printed out the drawing (it takes 3 sheets) and am taping them together to form the first of several design patterns. Once I'm happy with these I will make full sized patterns out of hardboard or Plexiglas.

Now I'm calculating the angle of the peghead. it is quite a bit steeper than what I usually use. Along with the slotted peghead this will be a nice challenge to pull off.

More soon...

vdiazleroy - Posted - 12/28/2012:  06:35:55

I'm still laughing at "Lestering." It was so nice to read through everything I miss baking all those Christmas cookies.

Gordy Ohliger - Posted - 12/28/2012:  10:33:03

Hello Dave ~
Boy! Could we pass a little time together.
I am impressed by your craftsmanship and particularly your evident love of "doin'-it-right" on the old banjos. Before becoming a professional banjo-guy, I did restoration of wall and ceiling paintings in churches. Notably on plaster.
My father was a furniture maker and under his care I've made one banjo, which drilled home how sweet a nice banjo is. I look forward to the continued post of this ol' minstrel banjo. Thank you for respecting it.

Tom Berghan - Posted - 12/28/2012:  10:58:07

Paris looks pretty in the snow! :-)

richla - Posted - 12/28/2012:  11:17:49

Holy cow, Gordy Ohliger! I have your CD's and a copy of your PBS show on my DVR, along with the instructions to my family "Do not delete this show", you are the Man! (sorry for going off topic, a great thread got even better!)

Dan Drabek - Posted - 12/28/2012:  15:54:09

This should be a fun project to watch. Looking forward to the process. When you say "wooden topped" are you talking about a flat-top like a banjo-lute, or a carved top like a mandolin? 

Dan

Tom Berghan - Posted - 12/28/2012:  16:11:47

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dan Drabek



This should be a fun project to watch. Looking forward to the process. When you say "wooden topped" are you talking about a flat-top like a banjo-lute, or a carved top like a mandolin? 

 Dan

---

 It will be a beautiful stringed instrument!

It is not a banjo-lute (there no such thing - I also play lute - "real lute") . . . and it is not a wooden top-banjo (there is no such thing - a banjo must have a membrane - a banjo is not defined by the number of strings, nor the short string, nor the tuning).  This instrument will basically be a mandola . . . but with 5 strings, plus some sympathetic strings, with a short 5th string, and tuned in one of the many and optional tunings that 5 string banjos employ.  In other words - Dan is creating something totally brand new in the world of stringed instruments!

Regardless . . . it will sound fantastic.

Call it what you will - I call it a Mandora d'Amore

DEmery - Posted - 12/28/2012:  16:14:46

Dan that figured maple is truly special and what a fine neck it will make. When you hook that up to the spun-over Rickard spun-over rim and a Dobson tone ring - it will be a killer. I recall the Angel banjo with the same pot/rim configuration and it is strong. Too, the tunneled 5th is something that I've thought about for a good while. Put this with the Burns's Dobson and it will make a strong pair of Dobson and Dobson styled banjos. I look forward to watching you pull off the slot head design and seeing you in April during my visit to Paris. David E.

Dan Drabek - Posted - 12/28/2012:  16:17:45

quote:

---

Originally posted by tomberghan

It is not a banjo-lute (there no such thing - I also play lute - "real lute") 

---

Edited by - Dan Drabek on 12/28/2012 16:21:52

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/28/2012:  16:21:50

Valerie,

Yep I didn't cook any Christmas cookies this year... and I missed it.

Gordy,

Yes we could spend some time together! Not only in banjo talking and playing. But I have this old house that we are restoring. It will soon be 113 years old and it has plaster walls. I  feel that I have two basic responsibilities as a repairing luthier, the first is to my clients(to be fair, honest & etc.) and the second is to the instruments. This second one many times is the greater. One of the signs I have on the wall in the shop for my students is, "It should look like I haven't been here".  That is my repair philosophy in a nut shell.

Tom,

Even with that little snow I couldn't agree more.

Rich,

Thanks ... and don't worry about off topic, I wonder all of the time.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/28/2012:  19:50:47

Dan,

I just realized that I started a discussion without a full disclosure. In fact I'm not sure if I have even described  this d'Amore instrument. I looked through my photos and shazam there were absolutely no pictures of even the plan of this thing. Unfortunately I don't have the plan on this computer so that will have to wait until tomorrow evening. Still a short description is in order...

A WOOJO d'AMORE or a banjo-lute or even a Mandora d'Amore is a pear shaped wooden instrument that is equipped with a neck which carries 5 string configured like a conventional 5-string banjo. In addition it also has 5 additional strings that are not plucked or strummed, but ring instead sympathetically with the 5 major speaking strings. All of these strings are tuned from the peghead. Additionally all the strings will pass over a linked bridge system.

I have been playing with the idea of carving the top (and I may), although the design at present calls for a barrel arched top. This is somewhat reminiscent of the Vega guitars & mandolins of the late twenties. 

Basically this instrument will be a take off of the Pollman Mandoline-banjo.

Tomorrow I will post a photo of the plan and perhaps that will help this part of the discussion along.

Tom,

You not only make the world a better place but our discussions on this subject have always brightened my day!

David,

Tonight we went and visited with our son Christopher's family and so I'm a bit tired but I will try to post a bit of a progress report on this new Dobsonian banjo. Ah you know we haven't named this project yet.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/28/2012:  20:26:42

28 December, 2012

The year is countin' down and I'm a'rampin' up into build it mode. I have several banjos to build in the near future and I am rairin' to get in there and make some wood shavings!!!

When I walked into the shop today first thing out I started to add a couple of steel wool pads (ripped into small bits) into the stain bottle.This stain will be grey / black. It is made by mixing vinegar/ muriatic acid and steel wool. The acid breaks down the wool and creates a very nice aging stain. It seams to take a couple of weeks to break the steel wool down.

Here is a peghead I've been building French polish on for some time. This is to hide and blend the repair.

Friction buffing the polish with my hand.

Now texturing the finish by lightly pounding synthetic wool into it.

Burnishing the edges with a small brass mallet.

Now on to David Emery's banjo... I'm ripping out the neck blanks on the table saw. This neck will be built in the traditional Spanish classical style with a scarfed neck joint and stacked heel.

Cutting the blank to length.

Here is the blank end with nearly perfectly quartered grain!

Check this out. I had to show just how tight this figure is. Deep curl every 1/8 inch!!!! The wood has been dampened with alcohol to make the figure more visible.

Laying out the scarf joint.

Oops... I didn't process the photos of cutting of the joint. Needless to say I did it cut on the bandsaw. Here I'm cleaning up and flattening the surfaces with a hand plane.

More later...

Dan Drabek - Posted - 12/28/2012:  20:53:10

Wow! Those are tight curls. Should make a great neck.

Nice little smoothing plane. A Bed Rock #604?

DD

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/29/2012:  00:33:58

No it's a Lie Nielsen #4

DEmery - Posted - 12/29/2012:  04:26:58

Dan that figure is tighter than anything I've seen. You are right that it is like the fine figure in a strad violin back. That will be one eye poping look when it is all finished out. I am still visualizing it in brown tone flat oil (dry appearance) like an old fiddle back. Should be comfortable and old looking. We can noodle color tones when you get time so we can make the most of this neck. It seems we can tie it together with the aging tone of the hardware in brass. John Balch will be looking for that perfect goat skin that can be coffee stained so the whole banjo color can be tied together. David E.

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/29/2012:  05:19:15

Dan

As i follow your posts I have the feeling of standing in your shop and looking over your shoulder, the part that I miss is sharing a pot of coffee. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/29/2012:  17:53:00

David,

That particular piece of wood was harvested a bit north and east of Murray, Kentucky several years ago. It is silver maple (Acer Saccharinum), one of my favorite instrument woods and was dried in a solar kiln.This piece of wood has spent the last three years stacked up near the attic in my shop. I've been fortunate to have good relationships with the sawmills and other wood suppliers in my aria. I often get calls about a special board.  This particular one was found by my student Kevin Bailey, affectionately called "Steve!"

I will use one of John's heads but it must be stained with a coffee of at least as good a quality as this neck wood. Perhaps some Jamaican Blue Mountain...

Dave,

Come on down sometime and I'll most certainly warm up the coffee pot!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/29/2012:  18:45:51

29 December, 2012

Another cold snowy day in Paris, Tennessee. I know that you folks from more northerly climes wouldn't be impressed, but here in Paris folks mobbed the grocery and stripped the shelves of a good deal of the available food. There was just enough snow to be wet and messy but not enough to show. Still it was warm inside the ole' instrument shop  where my instrument building students gathered to build guitars and I gathered around to yap and work on creating  a banjo neck.

 Jerry is working on a touch up spot on his soon to be birthed electric.

And Kevin (who you heard of above) is preparing his 00 guitar for lining.

And Eric is bending some walnut bindings for his parlor guitar.

Beside watching the fellas work and trying to exhibit my wit and wisdom, I worked on a banjo neck for David Emery's Dobsonian ( how ya like that one?) banjo. I'm gettin' all set up to glue the scarf joint. It is a fun one because everything must be firmly held in place and the pieces want to move, move, move!

Mixing up the slow set epoxy...

Now applying it...

And sticking the pieces together...

And clamping...

Clamped...oddly I didn't take a photo of this fully clamped. I put one long (3 foot) clamp, clamping each end together so the joint could not slip apart. Half the fun of this job is found in the clamping.

Kevin & Jerry working!!!

This evening I went back by the shop to pick up a few things and as much as I tried to control myself, I couldn't help but pull the clamps from the neck. The glue was hard and firm. The glue is not fully cured yet. It takes around 24 hours, but as there will be no stress placed on the joint it doesn't hurt to remove the clamps.

I decided to sand off the glue squeeze out.

Here I'm chopping out the chunk for the heel.

Here it is although the heel isn't glued yet. But it will be soon.

See ya later or perhaps sooner...

DEmery - Posted - 12/29/2012:  20:31:13

Dan it didnt take long to cut into that curly maple. I will keep watching the Dobsonian come together. David E.

Paul R - Posted - 12/29/2012:  21:50:53

Dan: What is amazing (well, among many other things) is the variety of things you do - from banjos to guitars, to teaching, to painting, to, well, creating new concepts.

"It should look like I haven't been here" indeed! My repair person back in Toronto in the seventies said words to that effect: "When I repair an instrument, it should look like there's been no repair work done on it."

I wonder what the people in your area would do if they were here. We got thirty centimetres of snow the other day (my brother said that Montreal got forty-three centimetres - wow!), a dusting yesterday, and another several centimetres (surely more than five - we shoveled twice) today. And they raided the grocery stores in your town? Ha!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/30/2012:  06:45:48

David,

Once I decided to cut into that piece it wasn't difficult at all. The hard thing is reaching the decision to use the piece.

Paul,

Snow...if I figured It right, you've got over 2 foot of snow! It would stop our world here!

DEmery - Posted - 12/30/2012:  08:43:25

Dan I spoke to John about the Coffee stain quality and he told me to let you know he has some 100% Hawaiian "Single Estate" coffee. He wonders if that will serve the purpose if he does a strong brew. David E.

Shawn Hoover - Posted - 12/30/2012:  09:01:20

I enjoy the pictures from class. Jerry's electric is looking NICE!

Paul R - Posted - 12/30/2012:  16:59:15

Dan,

Not quite - I measured the snow in front of the garage. With a bit of drift, it came to 14 or 15 inches. Our school rulers go to 30 centimetres, about one foot. But it's still a bear to shovel. It took me three hours to clear the driveway, and a couple of neighbours helped clear the front of it with their snowblowers. I had to clear more snow today, and go back out after the plough came by (that's the way it goes).

You'd probably get a kick out of seeing Montreal's snow clearing. Ploughs gather it into a long furrow, then the snowblower comes by leading a long line of dump trucks, fills the first, and then the next moves up to take its place, and so on. It's more impressive at night, with all the flashing lights. Kids of all ages like to watch.

Then there was the blizzard in Toronto the day we took our students to the National Ballet. When we came up out of the subway into the blowing snow, the first thing we saw was a bicycle courier!

With all our experience with snow, there are still some idiot drivers who crash into things. Actually, the worst time is late winter-early spring, when we get freezing rain. Whoops!

Anyway, it's great to see all your work in progress at the same time!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/30/2012:  19:49:18

Ya know David, I've been thinking about this coffee issue and I think that I need to make a fresh roast to color this special head with. I have some very nice Peruvian beans that would add just the right patina to the head. Of course this would depend on the roast level... perhaps a full city. 

By the way, David Emery & John Balch introduced me to the mysteries and pleasures of talking banjo over the computer using Skype tonight. How cool! I 've never done this before. I may even start doing lessons this way. I thank both of ya!

Shawn,

I think it is looking quite nice too. I'll pass your complement along to Jerry next Saturday.

Paul,

Oh my goodness, you people must be tougher up there!

DEmery - Posted - 12/30/2012:  20:10:28

Hey Dan what would you think if I posted some neck profile photos as a guide to shape the Dobsonian banjo neck? You have the drawing thickness and you can carve a spiritual representation of a neck that feels really good in my hands. How would that work on the block of highly figured maple you have glued up? David E.

jbalch - Posted - 12/31/2012:  04:27:56

Dan:

it takes a little more than three pounds of great coffee for a head like that. ...one pound for you ...one pound for David ... one pound for me .... And a little more to stain the hide.

JB

Edited by - jbalch on 12/31/2012 04:29:24

frailin - Posted - 12/31/2012:  06:18:03

Wonderful thread!  

DEmery - Posted - 12/31/2012:  13:00:37

Dan you ask for photos from the headstock toward the pot and here you go. Don't know if this will release your carving magic but here goes..........David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/31/2012:  18:39:49

David,

Thanks for the photos! They are absolutely perfect for helping me to carve the neck. What a great idea you've had.

John,

That's a big OK. Watch out the next time I roast! While we are at it perhaps we can involve some other banjer players who roast coffee beans!!! (Tom Bergan....)

Craig,

Thank you so much!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/31/2012:  18:55:35

31 December, 2012

This may be the last time I write that... 2012.  Amazing isn't it. In Japan, Australia and even Europe it's already 2013. I've heard we were behind the times down here in the south but....

The other day there was a discussion on this forum about the WOOJO d'AMORE and I realized that I hadden't posted the first sketch that I did of this proposed instrument. So I am posting it now . A little late... But since we are behind the times perhaps it wont matter.

This is of course not a final plan but just a working drawing. Here are some of the specs. again.

26 3/8" scale

Curly Claro Walnut back and sides, laminated to sitka spruce.

Barrel Arched top of Sitka Spruce

Neck of figured Silver Maple

Fingerboard, peghead overlay, heelcap and bridge ebony

Tunneled 5th. string.

Fado guitar tuners (made for 10 strings)

...I probably missed something and if I did please ask and I'll add it later...

or perhaps sooner depending on your view of time.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/31/2012:  19:25:09

31 December 2012

I just had to write it one last time!!!

Mondays are one of my two teaching days and so the afternoon was given over to instruction. It never ceases to amaze me how many of my students will not cancel their lessons on a day like today. The other day when the world ended nobody missed... amazing.

Mondays I usually walk into the shop and start cleaning it drives me crazy to have a messy place to work, still it seams to get into a nasty mess and so today I started the day by cleaning.

Part of this involves putting up projects that my student weren't able to on Saturday.

First I unwrapped Eric's bindings...

And undid clamps from Kevin's guitar.

Next a big surprise walked in the door in the arms of my mailman Jeff. This box... it came from up North and boy was it heavy!

I opened it and got my next surprise...

I love the electricians tape.

And another one!

Pie plate heaven!

And yet another one escaped from the box! How cool is that stop sign tackhead!

And yet another sweetie escaped to the light of day! She looks good even though her duds are ripped and torn.

Oh but there is more down in the bottom of the box!

A box to borrow veneer from and some old violin case wood to repair another with.

I must come clean. I knew they were coming to the shop for repair (having been forewarned) but still it felt like an after Christmas party. What a way to end the year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR and to ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 01/01/2013:  04:55:24

Happy New Year , Dan!

 I'm enjoying your post.  

Looks like you have a good start for 2013!

whistlepig - Posted - 01/01/2013:  11:45:27

Its great to read though this hole thread on new years morning.
I think its good inspiration for the year to come. Thank you for taking
the time to post. The pie plate banjo above reminds me of my copper
frying pan banjo I made.

Jim

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/01/2013:  12:29:24

Dan

Looks like that box had a whole bunch of challenges in it.  I hope that you will keep us up to date on the restoration of those good old girls.  

Have a Happy and healthy new year!!  Its also ok to have some prosperity.

Tom Berghan - Posted - 01/01/2013:  12:37:04

Merry New Year Dan!
Question about the number of sympathetic strings for the Mandora d'Amore: What made you choose five versus some other number?

Dan Drabek - Posted - 01/01/2013:  16:32:45

I do believe that this is the first time I've ever heard of shipping four banjos in one box. That's putting all your axe in one basket. :->

So is there a story with these interesting old banjos? Are they 19th century, or do they just look that old?

DD

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/01/2013:  17:51:23

Thank you Marvin, I couldn't agree more! And Wonderful New Year to you!

Jim,

Thanks for joining us. I saw your photo you must have gotten your pie pan from the same maker!  Your pie pan banjo does look quite nice. You should post it here for the other folks to see. I hope this inspires you to create even more.

Dave,

Although I knew those banjos were coming I was still amazed when I got them out. There will be a couple of difficult challenges here. The biggest will be making any repair look like no repair was ever done. Next will be the deciding how much to do and then how to do it. Thank you and blessings to you also.

Tom,

Happy New Year to you too! And may your coffee always be roasted just right! To answer your question regarding the MANDORA d'AMORE fully would take a whole lot of esoteric mumbo jumbo, full of round roots, high-purp-bullie, astronimical sofiaizimz , dangeling partisipples and further it would require a detailed map of Outer Mongolia. So I guess I'll attempt the truth. First it has a wood top and as wood is not so sensitive as membrane I felt that a extra string would further enhance the d'Amore sympathetic effect. Second a friend of mine gave me these cool Fado guitar tuners and I have wanted to use them on something for a long time and this seamed like the perfect instrument to use them  on not only for looks but for balance. Also they lighten the peghead considerably.

Dan,

Yes I'm sure there is more of a story as to where and when these banjos were acquired than I know (not to mention their history). Suffice to say, my client is quite a collector of these 'primitive" instruments. I have restored quite a few of these for him.  I really like these banjos. To many folks they are just the red headed step-children of the banjo world, dross to be swept aside and forgotten. But to me these are nearly priceless artifacts of someone else's  life. Something that somebody who probably had very little, cared enough to spend their time to create and play, and as such they deserve my attention and respect. 

Yes these are 19th or very early 20th. century.

And to each of you my friends on the Banjo Hangout...

May your pockets be heavy may your hearts be light,

May good luck peruse you each day and each night'

May your mornings bring joy

and your evenings bring peace,

May troubles grow less as your blessings increase.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/02/2013:  18:30:32

January, 2013 day 2

Today was a good day. Although most of it was spent working on our rental properties, remodeling an apartment and fooling with a heater/ AC unit on the other. I kind a feel like the farmer in the Arkansas Traveler skit... too bad it doesn't work that way.

Anyway very early this morning  I did spend a few hours at my true calling... making sawdust & shavings!

Here I'm shaping a foot for my side bender. most of the work is done with this little low angle block plane.

Then I trimmed the block (preparing it for gluing) which goes on the heel of David Emery's new banjo.

Mixed some epoxy glue.

Spread the glue and clamped it. Then cleaned off the squeeze out.

My Banjo Hangout friend Ho C Ying emailed me the other day and asked about this cyno/ superglue nut repair. I told her that next time I was faced with the need to do one I would shoot some photos and try to explain the operation...

Sometimes a nut needs to be built up because of wear. Here it needed raising due to changing to a much lighter set of strings.

Here is all the stuff... The guitar, a toothpick, tweezers, round jewelers file, cyno and baking soda.

I put a dab of super glue on the lid of that baby food jar. Picking up just a drop with the toothpick and place it in the string slot.

Then using the tweezers drop a pinch of baking soda in the slot on top of the wet glue.

Mash it in with a probe.

After a bit of filing I check the string fit by pressing the string down between frets 2 & 3, then checking the space between the string and the first fret... there should only be enough space for a few molecules of air to sneak through.

Then I file the slot until the sting fits perfectly.

See you tomorrow...

pastorharry - Posted - 01/02/2013:  23:40:26

Aloha Dan, I'm really enjoying this thread! Coincidentally, David and John just wrangled me into the world of Skype on new years day and we visited for about an hour, talking and joking about banjos and stuff. Your name came up quite a bit...I still believe the "Sherry Lynn" is the most explosive open back ever created.... good on ya! That guitar you were doing the nut fill on is incredible, I bet she sounds as good as she looks. Maybe I'll get to see you at John's this summer for Uncle Dave...let me know if you need a "special" batch of Maui dark roasted for the skin heads, or your heads! ;^) God bless, Pastor Harry

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/03/2013:  09:36:06

Aloha Pastor Harry,

Today it started out at 19 degrees F, I thought of you on Maui and was automatically jealous!

Isn't Skype AMAZING! Night before last I talked (and saw each other!) with my friend Daisuke in Japan over Skype, I am still just torn up.

I couldn't agree more about Sherry Lynn (the ebony banjo), she is certainly one of the most powerful banjos to  ever come from my shop.

Hope you can make it to Uncle Daves and Uncle Johns  this year so we can pick a few.

Ahh about the coffee.... yes, yes, yes!

pastorharry - Posted - 01/03/2013:  11:36:18

Yes, Dan...suffering through the harsh of winter...it's been down in the low 70's a few times! I've got "8 more miles to Louisville" down for our next jam. Checking with my friendly coffee grower/roaster in Ulupalakua for y'all...(grown high in thee mountains for reecher flavor!). Aloha.

Ho C Ying - Posted - 01/04/2013:  03:29:16

Dan, thank you so much!

I really appreciate. :)

Edited by - Ho C Ying on 01/04/2013 03:29:44