Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/16/2014:  05:51:26

WEDNESDAY

SHINE PRINTS

Several folks have asked and encouraged me to make available copies of the artwork for the design of Shine. So yesterday I looked into the possibility of making a signed and numbered printing of 100. 

These would full size (about 5"x27"), full color, printed on heavy quality stock, signed and numbered by you know who. They should sell for $25.

Because this will be a bit of a pricey endeavor, I'm pitching this to you my friends here on the Hangout. How many of you would like a copy? If enough folks show interest I'll do the printing.

If you'd like a copy post here or send me an email, If enough folks would like one, I'll have then printed.

60spicker - Posted - 10/16/2014:  15:58:11

Count me in, Dan. Would fit perfectly in a narrow spot on a wall in my music room. You're the BEST!

Pine Cone - Posted - 10/16/2014:  19:27:55

 I'd be a fool if I didn't get one!  Count me in as well.

Paul Meredith - Posted - 10/16/2014:  19:40:03

Dan, that is a FINE sounding banjo!  Does it have a tone ring, hoop, or what?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/16/2014:  21:18:51

Terry & Scott,

The list is building. I've had a couple of emails too. So we might just get to a printing.

Paul,

Shine does indeed have a tone ring. It is a 12" Rickard Tubaphone.

DEmery - Posted - 10/17/2014:  02:17:38

Dan I have been late to a party or two; but I kept looking for the photos of Shine and somehow missed your post linked to the shots. I finally worked back and found them. What an amazing piece and hey....nice photo work. The process of art can be messy for folks (like me) that doesn't understand the process. All that dot work got framed when the neck was finished. I still think it works like impressionist art and would be the perfect bling for a stage banjo where it is seen at distance where the eye fills in the image. That was a ton of work.

For me even more than the approach to the fingerboard; I continue to be drawn to the details through the banjo. I still vote that as the best heel carving to date. Unique and it truly a one off piece of work. The dowel is as tasteful and flowing as any I have seen. I still think a slot head can be elegant and you pulled it off with the asymmetrical slots. I have a bias toward that grade of maple with the ebonized curl and walnut finish over maple. It has been fun to watch...and yep, the recording were a nice cap to the project. David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/17/2014:  18:57:55

David,

I'm glad you got to the party and found the photos of St. Augustine's sister.  You are right with your comment about impressionist art. That was how I thought of it from the beginning.

Just so you'll know, Shine finally escaped via UPS from Paris today. That was another difficult one to let go.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/17/2014:  19:28:52

FRIDAY

Yep the news is out. Shine rode out on the UPS truck tonight headed for her new home in the wilds of Washington State. It is interesting, this sending off a child to a new home...

NUFF OF THAT!!!

There was more accomplished on the Scarecrow (I'm gonna drop typing out the whole proper name of the Scarecrow and the Ship Wreak, too much work!). This is a fun project that is moving along nicely...

Here I'm removing the little clamps that I used to hold the inlay pieces in place...

Clamps off...

Chipping off the stops...

Here I'm flattening out the inlay and fingerboard on this  true flat glass sanding... something or other, I'm having an antique moment!

Here tiz!

I want some more watter looking lines than what I have. So with this 1'8" chisel  I gouge some out. Don't worry, these will be filled up soon....

I've got a bunch of turquoise stone so I busted it up  and am here grinding it up to mix in some epoxy...

Here I'm mixing with the epoxy. I want the epoxy to act only as a carrier and binder as this will give me more color. That said there is probably a third more turquoise than epoxy in the mix.

Slathering it on....

Squeegeeing it in with a razor blade....

More Soon!

Dave1climber - Posted - 10/17/2014:  19:45:11

Dan

With all that mess of glue gone I can imagine the final product,  however what you do will be better than what I can imagine.

John Ellington - Posted - 10/18/2014:  05:31:25

Dan.       Your skills are amazing along with your sense of design.   You are so generous with sharing the ideas with incredible photos.   John

rubicon - Posted - 10/18/2014:  07:51:53

The design and execution are suberb !

Ross - Posted - 10/18/2014:  14:44:00

Hi Dan,
Any chance of your making a print copy of your steamboat race neck?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/18/2014:  18:57:29

Dave,

I don't know about that... I've been hearin' thangs about yer imaganation!

John,

That is high praise coming from you and your beautiful work. By the way the recordings of Shine was made using one of your amazing sterling silver clawhammer thimbles, Thanks!

Rubicon,

Thank you so much!

Ross,

Thanks for asking. That may have to be a project for in the future. For now I don't yet have enough to do the Shine printing, although we are getting closer.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/18/2014:  19:27:31

MORE INLAY STUFF

Into the work!

Right now!

Here's Tyler's peghead. It's had all of the pearl pieces scribbed through the white paint and its's ready for routing...

It's all routed now. I'm scraping off the white tempera paint. I don't want even a speck of this getting in my inlay glue!

The ole' scarecrow with stops on ready for glueing...

In goes the black epoxy...

And in goes the logo sheild...

Clamped...

Next day back at the ranch.

I've pulled the clamps chiseled off most of the stops and am now cutting of the excess glue readying for sanding... 

Sanded...

Oh yah... here's the fingerboard after all that blue gluey mess has been sanded and leveled...

More Soon!

Dave1climber - Posted - 10/18/2014:  21:29:53

Better, and better    

rubicon - Posted - 10/18/2014:  22:07:56

The inlays look amazing I like the added color to shipwreck

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/19/2014:  06:16:26

Dave & Rubicon,

Thanks, you know I just wish that I could figure out a way of photographing pearl and have all of the color (that I see) show up in the image. Pearl and abalone are such amazingly beautiful materials, no matter how hard I try to make accurate pictures, it never quite makes it. And these are no exception.

Dave1climber - Posted - 10/19/2014:  06:28:39

Dan

Take heart, even professional photographers have difficulties getting good photos of iridescent material such as pearl.  Its generally done with indirect lighting and lots of trial and error.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/19/2014:  06:57:56

Dave,

I wish I could make it really show up...

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/19/2014:  07:23:11

SATURDAY ON SUNDAY

Yesterday (of course) was Lutherie Teaching Day, sounds like a National Holliday doesn't it? But I'm sure that you know by now just what I mean.

Well the day started off just like most Saturdays do. I got in a bit ahead of Kevin. He came in. We chatted about the past week and its events. Then we got down to figuring out how we were going to treat the linings on his new guitar. He has made both laminated sides and a sheet of bent and laminated linings for this one. So we started working up a jig for ripping the linings out. 

We had just got going great when the mail man came in with the mail and shot us clean out of the box. He was carrying a box that had Stu Mac tape on it, I had not ordered anything from Stu Mac. I wondered if there had been some back order that I had forgotten about. 

When I opened it up I realized just who, what and where this had come from. It was a Dremel router base kit. Something I had lusted for for some time, but just couldn't convince myself to spend the money. The cheepo Dremel stuff was good enough.

One of my great BHO friends had sent me an email earlier in the week saying something was coming for me from Ohio. It never struck me to connect the dots. Then this arrived and the line was made whole. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Another fun banjo project is starting up. This one I'll be posting as it goes along. It is to be called the Steam Powered Aeroplane. This one will be another fun challenge soon we'll post drawings of the design and all of that.

The other day I pulled this board down to begin the Aeroplane. It is the same piece of wood that St. Augustine and Shine were crafted from. 

Here Kevin and I are giving it the old once over before I start chawin' it up.

Chawin'...

Laying out the neck pieces. Because this board is almost perfectly quarter sawn, the neck requires some different approaches to joinery. I like doing this as it gives me a chance to show off a bit!..

Each of the pieces have to be thickness sanded and made true. I suppose I could have done this in the whole piece but...

Have I said that we had a visitor come to join in the class Saturday" No... Well we did. Zeb is looking into starting the class next week. So since he was here I put him right to work! Here we're inspecting the pieces thoroughly. They were good so I set them down. I'll pick them back up, true up the joints and glue it up on Monday.

I couldn't wait to try out the new router base with its binding routing attachment.... so...

So I started adjustin' and was it ever a dream!

And then on to the routin'. Oh yez, oh yez!

Nothin' like a perfect rout to make this soldier happy! I may bind this thing on Monday.

More Soon!

DEmery - Posted - 10/19/2014:  08:32:21

Dan the approach on the scarecrow - ship wreck banjo; is it going to have the detail of Othello or is it more of an abstraction with some detail? I suppose all that will clear up as the etching goes in place. Make sense? David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/19/2014:  10:37:18

David,

The Shipwreck part will be much like Othello detail wise. The Scarecrow  will be somewhat like this inlay that I did a couple of years ago on Tyler's Collings guitar....

Crusty - Posted - 10/19/2014:  10:58:02

Hey Dan I've have not so good results with thickness planing a large board before cutting pieces out of it because some boards have internal stresses in them that when freed can warp a previously straight board, and the pieces are then too thin to plane back straight.  Depends on the wood, mahogany is worse about it than maple.

Pine Cone - Posted - 10/19/2014:  11:02:50

quote:

---

 

Another fun banjo project is starting up. This one I'll be posting as it goes along. It is to be called the Steam Powered Aeroplane. This one will be another fun challenge soon we'll post drawings of the design and all of that.

The other day I pulled this board down to begin the Aeroplane. It is the same piece of wood that St. Augustine and Shine were crafted from. 

 

---

Looking forward to seeing your evolution of the Steam Powered Aeroplane.  I love the tune and it seems like these days it needs a little dash of SteamPunk.

I was playing that tune on my radio (thru the magic of bluetooth) and a guy I don't know that well asked... "So what kind of music do you call that..."  so he got a mini John Hartford history lesson.

Should be another fun and educational journey in the the magick mystical world of Luthiery!

Dave1climber - Posted - 10/19/2014:  11:41:08

Dan

Its good to see that you now have a good router base, it should make inlay work much easier for you.  I would not even attempt inlay work without my stu mac base.

A steam powered aeroplane banjo!!    So does this mean that the person that receives this banjo must play all John Hartford material?    

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/20/2014:  06:41:16

Mike,

There is a lot of truth in your words. Thickness sanding here is more like kissing it to true...

Scott,

You are so correct about the steam punk approach. Lots of aged brass. Alsso  most of  the design work is heading in that direction.  FYI John was one of my favorites too! in fact I recorded Steam Powered Aeroplane on my second CD years ago.

Dave,

I guess we'll have to ask him!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/20/2014:  19:09:14

MONDAY

This morning was spent in recording studio workin on a bunch of demo recordings for a songwriter friend of mine. I forgot to bring the camera, dummie me, so you'll have to take my word for it. We worked until almost 2:00 PM with one short break so I could talk to my BHO buddy 60's picker (more on that sometime soon).

Anyway after a bite of lunch I ran (actually walked) down to the shop and went to work on the Aeroplane neck glue up.

First I laid this sheet of 1/4 glass  which has some 80 grit sandpaper glued to it, on the table and started  truing the joints... 

I hold the jointed edge down flat and sand it to a true line. 

Here I'm checking the fit. This joint must be perfect... absolutely perfect there is no margin for error here.

The joint is to be glued with epoxy, so on it goes. 

Shoving the pieces together....

I like this joint, it will be very difficult to spot....

All clamped up.

More Soon...

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 10/20/2014 19:11:41

Rick Turner - Posted - 10/20/2014:  19:37:41

There were a number of real steam powered airplanes built.  Google it!

Here's one:  wow-really.blogspot.com/2007/0...lies.html

and: youtube.com/watch?v=yvQsvfa2N_c

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 10/21/2014:  02:43:34

Dan

When taking photos of pearl inlay with auto exposure cameras, I've found that the best way is to have a white background behind the banjo.

The camera will adjust for less exposure and the pearl will show up better. Also, you can set the camera for less exposure. Still, as you stated,

the true color and beauty of the pearl will be lacking, but it will be better.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/22/2014:  05:30:40

Rick,

Fascinating! It's neet to know that the real thing flew. John Hartford was quite a historian, I wonder if  it was this successful one or if it was Langley's  try that inspired him? Maybe something else. 

Marvin,

Thanks!  I'll Try that next time. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/22/2014:  05:54:00

TUESDAY

Here it is Wednesday morning and I'm trying to play internet catch up before heading out to our apartment to get to work. We are re-fixing up our one rental property after having it nearly destroyed by the last renter's dog. Live and learn. The bad part about being  a landlord is that Debra and I like to make and keep the places in the shape we'd like to live in. Other folks in this business tell me that is not what one should do. But we can't help ourselves. I guess the Golden Rule must fit here.

So...

Luthing

Tuesday is of course teaching day and yesterday was no exception.Yet even with that and the apartment working a bit of banjo work was accomplished.

The Aeroplane moved along to anther step in its evoloution. 

First thing out I broke the clamps and put them away...

And trued the top and sides with the belt sander, checking the blank with the square to keep it all true...

Next I laid out the center spline using a piece of macassar ebony. This is a solid piece. The grain runs all the way through. This is my first additional step in strengthening the peghead joint. Over the years I have fixed so many single piece instrument necks. I never want anyone to have to fix one of mine so I start from the git go building in protection.

Sawing it out...

Thicknessing the spline...

Now the neck blank is opened ...

Good Joint!

And thickness sanded...

Epoxy is mixed. 

And the neck glued and clamped...

More Soon!

Dave1climber - Posted - 10/22/2014:  06:15:29

Dan

Hopefully the repairs to your rental property will not take a large investment of time or money.

Bits of wood!  Starting to look like a banjo neck.  

Carl Arcand - Posted - 10/22/2014:  07:11:45

Here is what i just read on Will Fielding's Facebook .

This is so sad,

Friends,

Will passed peacefully earlier this afternoon, surrounded by much love (near and far). We are so grateful for all the love and support! Light a candle, say a prayer, do a jig, strum your banjo, send your love, light and smile... as Will embarks on his next journey!

maynardje - Posted - 10/22/2014:  08:27:23

Hi Dan, It is great to see the Steam Aeroplane neck coming together. Awesome to be able to watch the build all the way through. So, I guess we both know the tune you will need to play on it first when finished!

Cheers,

James

Will1717 - Posted - 10/22/2014:  21:55:53

Carl:

I was aware that Will had been fighting cancer last winter, and having a tough time with the treatment. He'd just moved out west to be close to family, when we last spoke. A sad day to say the least. The banjo community just lost one of the best. I'll certainly miss catching up with Will at our annual Clifftop meetings.

Bill Rickard

Hawgfiddle65 - Posted - 10/23/2014:  04:06:52

Hi Dan

When you split the neck blank to insert the ebony spline  do you reassemble in the same way as it was split or do you swap over the sides ie the original outer face becomes the inner face  bonded to the ebony (Does that make sense?)?

I'm asking because  I'verecently got hold of a  lovely 900 mm x 70 mm x 27 mm curly / rippled  English walnut neck blank, I intend to make a scarfed headstock ,stacked heel neck at some point in the future .A nice ebony stripe, like you do, would be fab.

What sort of epoxy and colourant do you use to glue the blank?

ta

Jim

Edited by - Hawgfiddle65 on 10/23/2014 04:08:26

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/23/2014:  05:34:38

Carl & Bill,

This is certainly a sad day. We have lost one of the best.

Dave,

I hope it doesn't take long either. I've another day today out in the apartment today and proabably tomorrow too.

Jamie,

You are so correct. When she's complete I may spend a whole evening (before I send it off) playing Hartford tunes!

Jim,

The pieces are usually flipped. I use West Systems T-88 and a tiny (and I mean tiny) amount of artist acrylic to tint the epoxy slightly. This is really an unnecessary step. Just an old habit that I have.

Pine Cone - Posted - 10/24/2014:  19:27:48

Shine has finally reached its new home in Washington!

It is a wonderful playing banjo, sounds extraordinary and is beautiful to boot!

More to follow, now back to playing it...

Shine at its new home

 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/25/2014:  04:58:02

Scott, 

It is so wonderful to see Shine made it to her new home! May you enjoy her thoroughly!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/26/2014:  20:04:22

SUNDAY EVENING 9:34

We just got in fro taking our grandsons to meet their father in Clarksville, Tennessee. It's not a bad trip, perhaps an hour and fifteen minutes each way... just a quick commute. 

Anyway it is time for me to play a quick ketchup here on the old BHO.

I have been working myself crazy, from early in the morning til late at night trying to get our apartment ready to occupy before I head out to Vicksburg on Wednesday. I must say that I am looking forward to a little working vacation.

Saturday we started a new student in the lutherie class and had a big time introducing him to some of the tools and woods that he'll be using. But that is getting ahead of the story just a bit.

When I got into the shop, first thing, I broke clamps from the Aeroplane neck blank.

My new student Zeb Young, got a lesson in hand planes and their usage. Really this was such a tiny lesson but a lesson none the less...

I'm not sure what I was telling Kevin, but it must have been important!

Sometimes we have way tooooooooooo much fun!

This look right here is why I teach. He got it!

Zeb has just planed a beautiful ribbon of cedar from this board. I think he's hooked!

Here we are listening to tops.  This is something I do with all new students. And then repeat it again and again for the others.

For me as a builder of wooden instruments, every piece must sound musical, or it is not used. The idea that we can build these things to some sort of spec without the listening, learning and intimately knowing each part is completely foreign to my mode of thinking. I know of no other way of doing it. And so it is one of the cornerstones of my teaching.

Hopefully More Soon!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/29/2014:  04:19:12

WEDNESDAY MORNING 

QUITE EARLY

I just got up. Our apartment while not yet totally finished is quite livable, thank goodness. We got to where we needed to be before I leave out.

Eddie is here. I'm waiting for the water to fully heat (which it just did). Now the coffee is brewing (and now it's done).

Vicksburg , Mississippi is at the other end of today's drive. It is amazing how fast this time off of the road has gone by and out we go again. Seams like only yesterday we were performing in Paducah. This should be a fun and relaxing working break. 

Well the coffee is ready and I need to shower up, get dressed and make for the high road. I'll be back here tonight after the show ( if I have some internet).

Here's to hoping that we all have a great day!

steveh_2o - Posted - 10/30/2014:  05:05:40

So last Monday morning I was driving north on HWY 641 between Camden and Paris Tennessee.   I was on my way to Zanesville Ohio for business.  Using the Google maps app on my phone I noticed something odd among the town names.  I had to get a screenshot.

I had only routed from current location to Zanesville.  Maybe it read my past search history or something?   Anyway, it looks like Dan has taken over.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/31/2014:  15:59:24

Steve,

Shazam1 Who'd a thunk it!

Dave1climber - Posted - 10/31/2014:  16:28:17

It would seem that the only thing missing in that screen shot is knowing when you, Dan, is in residence.

DEmery - Posted - 10/31/2014:  16:53:24

GPS is a funny thing isn't it? I was able to connect to a spy satellite and got a better view of ole' Dan. Technology is fine stuff. David E. 

 

Dave1climber - Posted - 10/31/2014:  18:33:03

quote:

---

Originally posted by DEmery

GPS is a funny thing isn't it? I was able to connect to a spy satellite and got a better view of ole' Dan. Technology is fine stuff. David E. 

---

David

That's almost too rich to be true!!      

Dan Knowles - Posted - 10/31/2014:  22:53:51

CATCHIN'

UP FROM THE QUEEN

Lord but how the time has gone by! 

Here it is Saturday morning, 12:33 AM and I'm finally getting down to making a post. It seams like forever since I could just sit down and jaw with y'all like I love to!

Well, Eddie Coffey and I have been having a great time performing and messing with some of the nicest folks ever here in our home away from home, the Queen of the Mississippi. In fact here is a photo of that sweet boat docked down in Vicksburg, Mississippi on Wednesday.

And here a view from our first deck state room, or rather out the window of that room... 

After having a large time playing the fool pickin' & singin' for every body here on Wednesday evening, we awoke early to teach a banjo class. This was a wonderful group of  folks who came just so's we could infect them with the happy virus of banjo!

THURSDAY NIGHT ON STAGE

After kicking off the show with Night Train to 

Memphis...

We were joined by the phenomenal Calgary All Star Jug Band.

Soon we were dueting on some great old Carter, Cash, Acuff, Flatt & Scruggs tunes. Besides being an excelent base player and singer Eddie can flat tear up some flatpick style guitar...

The Mandora d'Amore takes a try at Somewhere over the Rainbow...

And I play the fool!

MORE SOON!!!

guitarman8491 - Posted - 11/01/2014:  05:17:39

Looks like all taking the trip on the Mississippi had a great time. Nice time of year to be out and about on the river.

Dave1climber - Posted - 11/01/2014:  05:47:06

Working hard?.....Hardly working?