Dave1climber - Posted - 01/04/2014:  20:58:02

Can hardly wait for the other seven!     Dan, a good choice.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  04:58:42

Ellen & Dave,

Thanks.

Bufo Bill - Posted - 01/05/2014:  05:31:35

Good news on your son. I was so worried last night. Congrats to trapdoor too.
All the best from Bill.

dbrooks - Posted - 01/05/2014:  05:47:35

Congratulations to Marc Smith for a fine story. A real winner.  And congrats to you, Dan, on the liveliest message thread on the Hangout.

David

Nels - Posted - 01/05/2014:  06:11:33

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Patrick!!

and Congrats to Trapdoor!!

kwl - Posted - 01/05/2014:  07:32:56

Thanks for the news about about your son. I will keep him in my prayers.

Congratulations Marc! I enjoyed your story. I thought it was touching and emotionally evocative. Great job.

Paul R - Posted - 01/05/2014:  09:12:52

So glad to hear the good news about Patrick. Here's hoping that the problem is over and done with for good. Looking for a quick and complete recovery.

And congrats to Marc on a terrific piece of writing. And thanks to you, Dan, for such an offer, and a creative way to "deliver" the painting.

trapdoor2 - Posted - 01/05/2014:  09:49:11

LOLOLOL!

Thank you all for such nice comments and thank you Dan for the painting and all you do for all of us. Eric will have to add another server just to handle the "A Luthier's Life" thread, I'm sure.

The painting will be proudly hung on the wall of my music room! Woo hoo!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  10:30:09

Bill, David, Nels, Ken & Paul,

Thanks,

Marc,

Congrats. again I look forward to seeing you in Paris soon!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  10:38:44

STORIES!

I will be posting the other finalists stories in several posts here is the first of theses....

By Ken Longfield  (We've been calling this one Earls Glass)

The nurse rushed in to the room when she heard the loud noise. There laying on the floor, by the banjo, was the broken glass. After the banjo, it was his most prized possession. It was the glass Earl drank from. He kept that glass since the day he handed Earl Scruggs a glass of ice water while working back stage at a bluegrass festival. He had that glass for seventy-five years. It reminded him of things he learned from Earl about playing the banjo and life. He had no more need of it. He and Earl are together again.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  10:43:40

NEXT

From the pens of Ellen & Cassidy Woodall (We've been calling this one The Cat)

Frightened. Darkness covers the room.

What is it? Who could it be?

A thief? Kidnapper?

I get out of bed. I hurry to the sound. That awful crashing sound.

Wondering. Wishing I had a gun. Still frightened.

I arrive at the scene. Prepared for a fight. A frantic phone call for help. Ready for trouble.

There, laying on the floor by the banjo, was the broken glass.

The thief, the kidnapper?...

No. It's only the cat, my dear pet cat.

She has gotten too close to my grandmother's vase, which stood on a stand beside my banjo.

All is well.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  10:51:57

AND AGAIN...

From the fertile mind of  David Brooks (one we've been calling The Duet)

There laying on the floor, by the banjo, was the broken glass.  It was no accident. No, the glass had to be  shattered.  There was no way for the glass to remain whole and intact.  The dissonance would not permit it.  Oh, the planned duet should have been delightful in its originality and its promised union of two separate worlds.  The European glass harmonica and the American banjo were to sing as one. But the unmatchable A note on the banjo's 3rd string withstood all adding and draining of liquid in the A-note glass.  Dissonance was silenced by shattering.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  11:01:16

ANOTHER...

A lyric poem by Jeffrey Weitzel  (this one personally touched me)

There laying on the bed, by a bottle, was a man who was broken.

There laying up in his throat, was his heart pumping fast.

There laying next to his hopes, was a bittersweet memory,

But where that memory led was locked up in the past.

There laying close to his lips was the song she had sung him,

There laying close, by the oak tree, under tall grass.

The banjo he played now to remember left his fragile will shattered.

And there laying on the floor, by the banjo, was the broken glass. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  11:08:31

AGAIN...

From the pen of the Banjo Man Jon Eaton (we call this one Marshall's Scream)

While my son Marshal is a beautiful 15-month-old boy, he can scream louder than anything so cute should. Therefore, if something makes Marshal happy, we are happy.

One day, Marshal found a handheld mirror in a drawer. Moments later,  we heard the plucking of banjo strings. Then came the worst sounds imaginable: the acoustic death roar of a banjo hitting the floor, the crashing of that mirror, and that familiar scream. There laying on the floor, by the banjo, was the broken glass. Marshal was o.k., nothing that mom’s hug wouldn’t fix; the mirror and banjo didn’t fare as well.

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 01/05/2014 11:12:32

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  11:18:04

ONE MORE TIME...

From the spooky and able pen of Patrick Buie (one we've been calling The End)

Josh's phone rang. Why was work calling at this hour on the weekend?

"What's the problem?" As he answered it.

"There laying on the floor, by the banjo, was the broken glass." Quated the voice.

That phrase was being spoken to almost two hundred people at that exact moment. After months of programming the agency was initiating phase one of the op.

Josh and everyone else who heard that phrase were no longer in control of themselves. The agency was now. Everyone had been programmed specifically.

Josh got up, dressed, and grabbed the hidden briefcase.

The end had begun.

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 01/05/2014 11:24:56

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2014:  11:24:18

AND FINALLY...

From the bard of Siloam Springs, John Hailey ( I liked the way this one finished!)

A Winter Visit?

Christmas, Bah Humbug! I thought as I awoke earlier than usual that Christmas morning.  I had to get up before the kids, although I was starting to believe that they were stopping believing.  There seemed to be no real enthusiasm or excitement as we decorated this year.  The last thing we did on Christmas Eve, just like every year, was to put out the milk and home baked cookies so that Santa could have a snack.  To my surprise the cookies were gone! There laying on the floor, by the banjo, was the broken glass.

Tylerb1 - Posted - 01/05/2014:  15:01:03

Glad Patrick is on the mend. Will keep him in prayer.

Brooklynbanjoboy - Posted - 01/05/2014:  15:08:01

Good news on the Patrick front, Dan.  We hope the worst is over, ad the best is yet to come,

Lew

rubicon - Posted - 01/05/2014:  16:42:24

So Glad to hear Patrick is doing well we are all here for you Dan you have become part of the family , reading  the luthiers life is part of every day !    

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/06/2014:  05:54:48

Bob, Lew & Rubicon,

Thank you so much! Your thoughts and concern mean so much to us here. Yesterday was a rough day for Patrick. I'm told the second day after surgery of the abdomen is that way though.

Kaelri - Posted - 01/06/2014:  08:58:04

Dan, I worked in the medical field as a Respiratory Therapist until my daughter was born. Make sure Patrick follows the staff's instructions for deep breathing and coughing to keep his lungs clear. I am sure they will give him instructions as to how to manage that with the pain he is having. Pneumonia can set in while the abdomen hurts and you don't want to deep breathe! Still praying here. 

AS for the stories, well,....................John, Patrick, Jon, Jeffrey, David and Ken, I am honored to be counted among such worthy and interesting stories! What fun this thread is!

Ellen

rubicon - Posted - 01/06/2014:  09:14:14

Good Morning Dan I had to check in early today and see how your son is making out , I am sad to hear yesterday was a struggle I hope yesterday was the worst of it  .  Give him my best .

taiger - Posted - 01/06/2014:  10:12:02

Much love to you and all of your family. Hope everyone feels back to normal soon.
Tai

kwl - Posted - 01/06/2014:  10:29:50

Dan, thanks for posting the other entries. I enjoyed reading them. We have quite a group of creative people here. Good job everyone!

Ken

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/06/2014:  19:57:11

Ellen,Rubicon, Tai, 

Thanks. Today was another very painful and difficult day for Patrick. We can see that he is improving but it is a long hard journey he is on.

Ken & Ellen,

You are both so welcome. I felt that it was important for folks to be able to read their colleague's work. There s nothing quite like the creative BHO folks! 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/07/2014:  03:51:18

PLAYIN' CATCH (up)

​We came home last night around 9 o'clock from the hospital. Our daughter Amy (who is a nurse) is staying with her brother. I found that after preparing the photos that I was just too sleepy to post. So gave up and went off to dreamland. Now, up at 5 AM I'm ready to go! Because I've a lot of pictures and time to cover I 'll do this in a couple of posts.

This from Friday (before we knew that the world turned):

Here I'mcompleating a set up on an Eppiphone banjo for my bud Steve Scarobourough of Union City, Tennessee. This is one that I worked on earlier for its previous owner. It was originally a tube & plate Bluegrass banjo. I cut a bevel on top of the rim to allow the tone ring to really do its job. The instrument went from being a mediocre banjo at best, to a real cannon. Later it was converted to an open back by removing the plate and resonator. I'm not sure what I'm doing with my right hand in this photo, any guesses?

Next on the list I finished our daughter Jenny's guitar. This is a little parlor guitar that I built twenty or so years ago. It had met an accident so it wound up on dad's bench. At this point I've repaired all of the cracks and French polished over them. The Brazilian rosewood bridge needed just a bit of work too...

The old plastic bridge pens were bent and worn. I wanted to pretty it up a bit, so I fitted it with some ebony with Parisian (being a Paris instrument) eye bridge pens.

Oh how sweet! 

More real soon!

Tylerb1 - Posted - 01/07/2014:  04:05:45

Just keep hanging in there for Patrick. prayers are still being sent. The stories are great read. Just keep up the excellent work.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/07/2014:  04:21:29

MY RIM LATHE

A week or so ago Tai asked for a few photos and a discription of my rim lathe.

For most folks this would be a very impractical tool. Its only use is to turn banjo rims. Furthermore most folks like to do more machine type millwork. My granddad taught me how to turn bowels and such on the lathe when I was a kid and frankly I enjoy the feel of the tools in my hands. For me there is a kinship that I feel from working with and touching the materials that some of the more precise methods don't give me.  Some time ago a luthier friend of mine asked if he could take over carving necks for me using his CNC. He said correctly that it would inable me to increase my production. My response was this: I love carving necks.  Why should I give up something that gives me such pleasure for an increase in production? This lathe is somewhat like neck carving. There are quicker ways. I love feeling the shavings come off the rim from a tool that I hold in my hands.

This is a shop built rig that was rather cheep to build. The chuck head, motor and tool rest came from a local metal recyclers. As did the shaft. The bearings came from a local industrial bearing supply house. And so the major cost was having the shaft machined and the plate that holds the chuck to the shaft. The base is constructed from 2 x 12's and is filled with stone and concrete. I'm not sure what the whole thing weighs but it is heavy and oh so stable. The only thing that I would do to increase stability would be to connect it to the floor. But I like being able to shove it somewhat out of the way. Someday I plan to open up the tool rest adjustment but it works fairly well as it is. 

More soon!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/07/2014:  04:22:34

Thanks Bob! I'll see you this afternoon.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/07/2014:  04:53:31

MONDAY

Did I tell you that I've got a bunch of photos to post? 

Yes...

Well here goes:

My good friend Bill Rickard sent down some banjo tuning machines a week or so ago. I like to try new things like this (to proove them) on my own personal equipment before I ever place them on a clients. I want to make sure that what I use is the quality that I would want for me. These tuners look real nice. I've never seen anything that Bill has made that is less than stellar quality and these too look the part. The machining is impeccable.  I'm installing them on my Pharaoh banjo for the road test.

Because the body on this machine is slighty larger than the Gotoh tuners that are presently on the Pharaoh I am re drilling the pin hole. 

Other than the body size these are a direct replacement for my original tuners. Basically bolt off, bolt on...

Here's what they look like on...

Conclusion...

I may have a difficult time going back to my old gold plated tuners. I'll have to get a gold plated set of Rickard tuners! These are smooth and precise right out of the gate! Most tuning machines (including many of the very, very high priced ones) require adjustment just to bring the string up to tuning tension. These did not. They are spot on first thing! Also they are accurate. I could not detect any slippage ar back lash. 

Knowing the care and craftsmanship that Bill, Shawn and his fellas put into everything that they do, I would expect these tuners to feel just as good in 20 years. I'll be offering theses on all the banjos I build from now on. 

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 01/07/2014 04:54:27

cbcarlisle - Posted - 01/07/2014:  09:26:42

My granddad taught me how to turn bowels and such...

Dan, I'm glad you had some guidance in this area - my East Tennessee mom always told me Not to get my bowels in an uproar...

jbalch - Posted - 01/07/2014:  12:52:37

Bill makes fantastic parts.  Glad to see he is tooled to produce tuners.

DEmery - Posted - 01/07/2014:  14:37:21

Dan I have seen and held ole'  Pharaoh but always seeing photos of that banjo. It is almost more than the eye can take in when seeing all of it. The tuners do look great and I'm pleased Bill was able to zip you a set to try. I hope one day he does some tuners suitable for St. Augustine. It would be good to have them on that slot head. Hey...I will be over in West Tennessee in the spring and hope to catch you in Pairs. Maybe we can walk the town and grab lunch.David E.  

taiger - Posted - 01/07/2014:  15:10:37

Thanks Dan for the lathe pics. Answers a lot of questions. Looks like you could turn some bigger bowls on it as well as rims. Quick question about your chuck. Do you need to do any truing up on your wood dogs when you mount your chuck or does the chuck live there not needing any re-true.
Although I learned to turn in school wood shop I did get my first lathe from my granddad. I still have it.
Those tuners from Bill Rickard look stellar. Glad to hear they get the thumbs up from you.
Thanks again Dan
Tai

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/07/2014:  18:18:50

Curt,

Bein and awfil speller haz teaced me too neiver git mi  bowls in n uprore!

John,

I'm with you fellers on that on!

David,

Bill has been working for some time on slot-head tuners. Last time we spoke he said that he was excitedly getting very close to production. I hope we can walk the streets of Paris in the spring!

Tai,

You are welcome. The chuck stays attached to the shaft. The dogs ( jaw extenders ) were trued when I installed them. I always check them for true before I mount anything for turning.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/07/2014:  18:47:46

TUESDAY

I just walked in from teaching and boy is it ever cold out there! Here in the sweet sunny south it was 2 degrees this morning and I don't know what it is now. I know to you folks up north this ain't nothin' but here....

From Galileo (the banjo that is);

First out I trued and flattened the fingerboard. I've done this several times but the addition of stars and other colored pieces to Neptune and Uranus necessitated this step. I use 120 sandpaper glued to a 1/4 inch piece of plate glass...

Next its time to get the glue out of the fret slots. The first step in this is heating a little flat knife over the flame...

And jabbing it in the fret slots, burning out the glue.

The remainder is cleared with a saw...

I turned a tube from ivory to act as a nice transition final for the tunneled fifth string. Here I'm using a piece of guitar (ah banjo...ahem) string to keep the holes lined up as the glue sets...

The final leveled and next to it the fifth string pip (turned from the same piece of scrap ivory.

More soon

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/09/2014:  05:30:52

WEDNESDAY 1-8-2014

After a very difficult day on Tuesday (where Debra and I both felt that we might be loosing him), Patrick has begun to improve. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Wednesday, during a nice call from Mike (at the Queen of the Mississippi office), our 2014 riverboat touring schedule was set. It's good to know the what whens and where's of life. This will be an exciting year!  For the first time in several years we'll be heading down to New Orleans. Again we will get to make a river trip from Paducah over to Louisville & Cincinnati. There will be time in Cincinnati  (July 29), Louisville (July 23 & 28) & New Orleans (March 8 & 29) to do a couple house concerts or other events. If you'd like us to come for a visit please drop me an email.

LUTHING TYME;

Good progress was made on Will's banjo neck. Inlays sanded level to 800 grit and the binding was glued on and trued. It is now ready for engraving. Here the binding is being glued on...

The black you see on Saturn is ink. This allows me to see my work as I engrave it. Nice light colored lines will show through black ink as I make the scratches. I plan on bringing the neck home (or to the hospital) to do this work.

I started making some tuning pegs for a couple old primitive banjos today. These are being made from Osage orange. This is a very hard stable wood that I've been using for many things including bridges & fingerboards. Here I'm ripping the tuner blanks out... 

Cutting to length...

Here I'm marking the ends of the blanks for turning. The pieces are roughly square so by making a cut, rolling the piece over and making another cut I get a true center... 

Turning a peg...

Cutting the ears off...

And the end...

The holes in the peghead are reamed true, then a peg shaver with a matching taper is used to make the  pegs fit. I used to twist the pegs in the reamer , now I mount them in the vice and go to shaving. It's much quicker and easier than my old way...

Shaved and ready for sanding, staining and buffing...

More reel soon!

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 01/09/2014 05:32:03

bradtheraddad - Posted - 01/09/2014:  10:00:57

Hi Dan,

Prayers are with you and your family, Dan, I do hope the recovery goes as best it can. In other news, I do want to thank you for once again, opening your doors after hours when my Dad stopped by to visit with you recently. My Dad loves any chance to get up to Paris so he can swing by your shop and I set up Skype for him so maybe he can get some lessons soon!

During his recent stop, he picked up one of your minis for me, what a nice surprise and excellent piece of craftsmanship! I loved having it with me on our trip home back to Texas, it was nice to pack around and pick up in the hotel or even in the car at times! I didn't think of doing this in New Orleans for some reason but we spent a day sightseeing in Baton Rouge so I wanted to share a "Where In The World Is A Knowles Banjo" sighting feature, here's a first entry (below). Might have to start a separate thread where us lucky recipients post up pics with our banjos in our hometowns or if we take them on vacation with us! :)

-Enjoy!

northwoodspicker - Posted - 01/09/2014:  11:57:28

That's a deep poem! Wow!

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

ANOTHER...

A lyric poem by Jeffrey Weitzel  (this one personally touched me)

There laying on the bed, by a bottle, was a man who was broken.

There laying up in his throat, was his heart pumping fast.

There laying next to his hopes, was a bittersweet memory,

But where that memory led was locked up in the past.

There laying close to his lips was the song she had sung him,

There laying close, by the oak tree, under tall grass.

The banjo he played now to remember left his fragile will shattered.

And there laying on the floor, by the banjo, was the broken glass. 

---

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/09/2014:  19:38:16

Brad,

What a great idea! "Where In The World Is A Knowles Banjo. Go ahead an get a post going and post here too!  I'm glad you are enjoying the Mini!

Joseph,

Thanks for posting Jeffery's poem again. That one really touched to me.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/09/2014:  20:17:05

THURSDAY 1-9-2014

PATRICK UPDATE:

Today was better than yesterday. Each day now we are seeing improvement. Hopefully he'll be able to come home sometime soon. Thank you for everything.

SHOP:

Continuing with the new old banjo tuners. My friend Joe Snow came by and sanded all of these Osage Orange tuners. As he was completing that task I dumped each of them off into a bow(e)l of natural walnut stain...

After the tuners dried from the walnut staining they were placed in a bow(e)l of my iron stain. This stuff is wonderful. The interaction of the two chemicals creates a nice dark patina. It's fun to watch as the color develops right before your eyes.

After everything dries, the tuners were buffed and placed back in their respective places...

Here I've begun working on brother Scott's (Pine Cone) banjo neck. This one is being constructed of some very heavily figured maple. This piece is from the same board as David Emery's St. Augustine banjo. After cutting the neck apart (for a scarf joint) the joining edges are true sanded...

On goes the epoxy...

The first step in clamping this type of joint...

Clamped...

MORE SOON!

Pine Cone - Posted - 01/09/2014:  20:43:28

Nice looking wood for the neck.  I like the figure in the upper portion and the flame/curl in the lower portion.

Kirk Jacobs - Posted - 01/09/2014:  20:49:40

That's great to hear.  I hope everyday is exponentially better from now on.

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

THURSDAY 1-9-2014

PATRICK UPDATE:

Today was better than yesterday. Each day now we are seeing improvement. Hopefully he'll be able to come home sometime soon. Thank you for everything.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/09/2014:  20:51:35

Scott,

This piece is totally covered with flame. Very nice tight 1/4" wide curls. These photos don't do it justice. Still I'm glad you like it. By the way, thanks for the box of Pine Cones & veneer, the quilting is T-tottaly amazing!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/09/2014:  20:52:40

Kirk,

Thank you. So do we!

Pine Cone - Posted - 01/09/2014:  21:12:43

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kirk Jacobs

That's great to hear.  I hope everyday is exponentially better from now on.

 

quote:

 

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

THURSDAY 1-9-2014

PATRICK UPDATE:

Today was better than yesterday. Each day now we are seeing improvement. Hopefully he'll be able to come home sometime soon. Thank you for everything.

---

I'll second the suggestion for exponential improvements in Patrick's recovery.  Continued prayers for his recovery and homecoming!  Let every day be a better one for him and you and your family.

- Scott

DEmery - Posted - 01/10/2014:  02:57:28

Scott that maple is fine, finely grained wood that us beautiful. I recognized it before reading Dan's comments about this wood being the same as used in the Saint Augustine slot head. Not only is it beautiful; the walnut stain, hand rubbed oil finish perfect and comfortable. I look forward to seeing how it turns out. David E.  

 

Nels - Posted - 01/10/2014:  05:25:56

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pine Cone

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kirk Jacobs

That's great to hear.  I hope everyday is exponentially better from now on.

 

quote:

 

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

THURSDAY 1-9-2014

PATRICK UPDATE:

Today was better than yesterday. Each day now we are seeing improvement. Hopefully he'll be able to come home sometime soon. Thank you for everything.

---

I'll second the suggestion for exponential improvements in Patrick's recovery.  Continued prayers for his recovery and homecoming!  Let every day be a better one for him and you and your family.

- Scott

---

Let me add my prayers for Patrick's recovery...

Nels

Woodturner - Posted - 01/10/2014:  14:19:53

Dan...

Did you know that you are mentioned, by name, in a book?  You appear on page 33 of a book titled "All Bones Be White", By Judith G. Yates Shearer.  I was googling your name as a bit of research (don't ask). 

This link should take you right to it.

You never stop amazing me.

Denton