Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/30/2014:  19:51:48

12-30 

@

9:30

It is so nice when I receive cards and letters from my friends here on the Hangout. And I do value all of them. I don't always think of posting photos of me opening them.

But today this one came and it was a special treat. It was a Christmas card from my friend Ho C Ying in China. How sweet, how thoughtful and nice!

Today a couple of beautiful and interesting banjos made it to the bench. They are a pair of Henry Dobson's. They each need various  repairs... Heck what do I expect? They are only around one hundred and thirty years old! 

In preparation for the New Year I've been cleaning and resetting up my shop to hopefully improve my productivity. 

It's funny,

I do this every year...

and I get about the same amount done.

What's wrong with this picture?

More soon!

Paul R - Posted - 12/30/2014:  22:45:04

Dan,

2014 was filled with informative, interesting, and enlightening posts from you. Thank you for taking the time to educate us in the ways of music making - both in construction and performing.

All the best to you and your family and musical colleagues in the New Year and beyond.

Paul

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/31/2014:  07:41:13

Dan

Here's wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year.

By the way, I have tried the cleaning and reorganizing of the shop.  When the dust settles every thing is pretty much the same, so I just clean when i can't stand the mess.

Dave

Nels - Posted - 12/31/2014:  11:36:01

Great video and singing, thank you for showcasing everyone!!  Happy and prosperous New Year to all!

Tom Berghan - Posted - 12/31/2014:  11:48:24

Dan, Susan and I watched the New Years video last night.  Really fine production!  And we both said "Hey that looks like the old Robert E. Lee Schoolhouse!  (about two blocks from Dan's home) And it was! We both enjoyed it very much!  Everyone sounded excellent!  Especially you!  Happy New Year!  Tom and Susan

60spicker - Posted - 12/31/2014:  15:41:34

It was my special blessing today to meet and spend some time with the one and only Dan Knowles. My buddy Jeff flew me up to Paris from Huntsville, so that I could deliver actual pieces of Christmas Trees from the hold of the Rouse Simmons, which sank in Lake MIchigan 102 years ago. Dan is building a memorial banjo that is going to be quite remarkable (Dan doesn't do less than remarkable, right?). He is going to incorporate wood from these pieces into the actual banjo, and we'll get the chance to see how later in 2015. I've seen his sketch of the peghead, and it's going to be breathtaking.

Here are a couple of short videos taken this afternoon by Jeff:

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/31/2014:  16:58:48

Paul, Dave, Nels & Tom,

Thank you so much! May you each have a wonderful New Year!

Terry,

Thank you so much for flying up to Paris today. It was so much like meeting a long lost brother! (more in the next post)

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 12/31/2014:  17:53:59

My Dobsons Dan! What a thrilling turn to the year...Happy New Year sir - look forward to all the projects you've got cooking.

rubicon - Posted - 12/31/2014:  17:57:24

Happy new year Dan all the best to you and your family

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/31/2014:  17:59:48

12-31

(at 7:58 this time!)

Yesterday we took a look at the old Dobson banjos. Today I dove off into the repairs. 

The shorter necked banjo had a loose dowel stick that needs a reset. So first thing  before I jumped off into the peghead repairs I pulled the dowel stick. I felt that it would be easier to handle the neck for the upcoming peghead repairs sans the stick.

So I viced it up and went to pullin'...

Often times these things need steam but the old glue was so dry and loose that just a bit of a pull and it popped right out...

A bit before noon I went down the the Paris/ Henry County Metro Airport. Security was awful. I was forced to remove my jacket and have a cup of coffee with the manager before I could go outside and meet my guests... Well it was pretty good coffee anyway.

My neighbor Sergio works there at the airport was having lunch so we had a nice sit down a chat about the neighborhood.

Then the plane arrived. It was a fast plane the manager explained. Same kind John Kennedy Jr. used to fly.

A door opened and what to my wondering eyes did appear? A jolly old elf and eight tiny reindeer... oops wrong story.

It was Terry Heaton along with his pilot Jeff. Terry was bearing some precious pieces of the Christmas tree cargo from the Rouse Simmons. 

Before long we were back at the shop (jawin' like the old pals we are) and opening the package containing the relics. 

It was a very moving moment when I held this trunk or branch for the first time. A time capsule that seventeen men had died trying to deliver a hundred and two years ago. Now here it lay in my hand.

It felt almost like a relic that should rest in a gilded coffin beneath an alter somewhere. 

Instead soon it will float the image of its protector on the resonator of a memorial banjo named for this ship.

After a few moments we turned and Jeff snapped this photo...

The visit ended way too soon. 

So after returning to the shop I started on the peghead repair.

This peghead shows signs been repaired at least once before. The design of these steeply angled Dobson pegheads is not a good one when made from a single piece of wood. There are more short grains in these than on a lower angled peghead. Tis is a problem which could have been avoided with quality backstrapping.

Nuff preachin' Dan!

Here is the crack I'll be dealing with today...

After thoroughly inspecting and cleaning the crack I mixed some epoxy.

I gently heated both the crack and the epoxy. This heating thins the epoxy and helps it flow. Heating the crack helps keep the glue thin and improves penetration...

On goes the glue...

The crack is squeezed and released repeatedly pumping the glue all the way through the break... 

Then it is cleaned an clamped...

The brass of the larger banjo's tone ring is cracked in several places. I'll be brazing it back into shape. This shows the inside of the tonering with the metal cleaned and ready for the fire...

Putting the fire to it...

More Next Year!

60spicker - Posted - 12/31/2014:  18:28:55

More pictures from my trip to Dan's shoppe today to deliver the package. As they say, it's in Dan's hands now, hands that I trust completely. Let's do this, Dan.

Dan6

Dan4

Dan3

Dan2

Dan1

 

Pine Cone - Posted - 12/31/2014:  20:47:16

Happy New Year

I'm enjoying playing Shine.  It is a great banjo!  I am glad I have been a part of your wonderful Luthiers Life.  

I hope the new year brings all the readers of this thread some joy and good times. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/31/2014:  22:24:00

R. Blakeslee,

Yep you are so right. Happy New Year!

Rubicon, Scott

Happy New Year to you too!

Terry,

Thanks for posting those photos, We are already creating it!

kwl - Posted - 12/31/2014:  22:30:13

213,324 to start the New Year! Happy New Year and successful banjo building and playing to all!

Ken

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/31/2014:  22:31:27

HAPPY 2015 

EVERYBODY

May you pockets be heavy, may your hearts be light

May good luck pursue you each day and each night.

What does a Luthier do on New Years eve?

He watches a video and paints on this...

dbrooks - Posted - 01/01/2015:  05:50:15

dbrooks - Posted - 01/01/2015:  05:52:12

I will join the chorus of thanks to you, Dan, for sharing so much of your work, music and fun in 2014. You give us reasons to look forward to 2015.  Best wishes to you and your family.

David

60spicker - Posted - 01/01/2015:  09:48:45

I wanted to add a few comments about Dan and his hospitality. He describes our meeting well, as two brothers who hadn't seen each other in awhile. The thing I wanted to pass along to everybody who reads this thread is that, as talented as Dan appears in these pages, in reality that talent is many, many degrees beyond, as a tour of his home will reveal. His paintings are breathtakingly marvelous and his "dot" style unique. I mean, there are others who do dots, but Dan is in a different category altogether. Each painting has profound meaning that is transmitted oh so elegantly to the observer. I hope Dan will post them all here on a slow day sometime, so that we can all appreciate the depth of his talent. But seeing them in a photo and experiencing the size of these works in person are two very different events. For the record, IF he ever sells any of them, I've got dibs on the kitchen painting of a young person being taught how to play the banjo. My goodness, Dan, you are a truly remarkable and gifted artist. 

What strikes the visitor first about Dan is the humility that oozes from every pore of his being. Here is a man who, given the size and nature of his talents, could have turned just the opposite, but I've seldom been in the presence of such modesty and respect. The spirit of his workplace reflects that and is as sweet as you might imagine, given a man of such character. As Captain Kirk once said of Spock: "His is the purest soul that I have encountered in all the universe."

Dan, I'm proud to call you friend.

Edited by - 60spicker on 01/01/2015 09:51:21

Patrick Hanna - Posted - 01/01/2015:  17:07:53

Happy New Year Year, Dan.

Kaelri - Posted - 01/01/2015:  17:26:00

From my family to you and yours, Dan, we all wish you continued success and tons of happiness in this Luthier's Life you have carved and live!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/02/2015:  16:49:38

David, Patrick & Ellen,

Thanks so much! May your New Year be Just as bright!

Terry,

I'm not sure what to say... Thank you! 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/02/2015:  17:20:06

2-2015

This is my first full day at the shop in this new year...

It is good that I was able to clean and straighten up much of the place before the new year kicked in. It's so nice to be able to work in a neat orderly place. It drives me crazy when it gets to be too much of a mess. I just can't accomplish anything that way. 

Today I was able to put to work a Christmas present from my in-laws.

It is a 12 volt cordless Dremel. So far I'm pretty impressed. I haven't really loaded it up nor pushed it too hard (being a new toy). We'll see just how it does when I rout for binding or something equally tough. I'll let you know. Meanwhile today I was able to use to clean up the inside of this Dobson tone ring that I soldered yesterday.

Here ya go Blake. Today I really abused your poor pony Dobson.  

The peghead had suffered damage and was expertly repaired sometime in the past but it was decided to strengthen the peghead. This necessitated removing the peghead overlay. 

After the old overlay was removed a new piece of Spanish cedar (to match the original) was prepared. This new piece matches the original in thickness. Because this is a piece which should never be removed I glue it on with epoxy. 

Here with the new peghead overlay in place and clamped....

Oh ya, yesterday I spent the complete day in front of the canvas painting. It was great to plug in an audio book and just paint. The hours just flew by.

So this is what is different...

The hair on the blue figure was filled in (not complete yet) as was the robe on the skeleton. New ideas keep popping up as I'm painting. It's good to be back in this saddle too.

More tomorrow (on the 3rd.)!

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 01/02/2015:  18:18:36

Dan - You have busy days sir! I can't believe you got to all that AFTER we chatted. I'm sorry I missed you on Lincoln and LBJ...next time!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/03/2015:  19:07:29

Blake,

Oh to think that you missed my pontificating! You might thank your lucky stars or Verizon or some such...

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/03/2015:  19:20:55

A QUICK SATURDAY POEM

Saturday came and Saturday went.

Oh how quickly the hours were spent

Making molds, patterns and such

With Zeb & Kevin

The luthier's students...

And then there was a mandolin who's tuner knobs had failings

Received a new set of gold Grovers and Martin mandolin strings...

The rest of the day in front of a canvas were spent

Dotting and spreading paint that was wet.

Perhaps on the morrow when even more paint is dry

With my camera a photo I'll try!

So  now I'll say goodby with sorrow

But soon I will smile I'll see Y'all tomorrow!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/05/2015:  17:44:24

MONDAY

Today I did something which I've threatened to do for some time.

One can get multiple scale lengths from just a few fret spacing jigs so today I measured and engraved the results right on the templates themselves. Now I won't have to measure & re-measure & re-re-measure some more. It is really quite easy to do if one is careful. 

I grabbed up one of the templates, started with fret one, counted down 12 frets, measured the distance, timed it by two and engraved that scale next to the appropriate fret mark. I did this again and again until I got down to around 15" scales.

Here I'm measuring & multiplying...

Here I'm engraving...

Here are a couple of my templates with their scales...

For those of you who are interested in proper lutherie dress, this is what I wore to walk back to the shop from lunch. 

I don't know about proper but...

Somebody might think it was cold outside...

Working on the Rouse Simmons...

Well not literally working but rather designing the inlay for the Rouse Simmons resonator...

Here is the design for the peghead. That will be a portrait of Captain Schuenemann with his Christmas trees...

More soon!

Kirk Jacobs - Posted - 01/05/2015:  19:28:54

Being Christmas trees you should place your logo on the top of the center tree like a star.  Will enjoy watching this banjo come together.  Thanks Dan.

Paul R - Posted - 01/05/2015:  20:45:49

Cold? Nah! It's only about -13C here. It will be -17C during the day on Wednesday. Not a problem (as long as the car starts and I can get to my teaching).

Bundle up, Dan. We don't want a sick luthier! (Nice peghead design!)

DEmery - Posted - 01/06/2015:  04:50:07

Dan this is going to be a very interesting piece to watch come together. On a different note; John Balch spent a few days with me and we picked non stop for much of it. He always does glamor shots of my banjos; but we had never taken photos of Ole' Abe. That banjo has more distress features than one could count which makes for an interesting subject for photographs. In the spirit of banjos that have come from your shop (and in this case used by you for years) I thought you might like to check on on Abe. David E. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/06/2015:  05:35:17

Kirk,

What a great idea! I may just try that.

Paul,

I checked that on a conversion to Fahrenheit, 1.4 Oh MY! We're  having shirt sieve weather here!

David (& John too),

It's good to see OLD ABE again.Those are nice photos. Is there any way I could get some full size photos for my collection?

guitarman8491 - Posted - 01/06/2015:  06:23:22

I'm liking that schooner peg design..very cool!

DEmery - Posted - 01/06/2015:  07:12:52

Dan I think John is going to Photoshop and clean up a few of the Abe photos. I am sure he will send you copies when she sends them to me. David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/06/2015:  17:01:33

Doug,

Thanks! Terry seams pleased too!

David,

That will be great! I look forward to seeing them!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/07/2015:  17:34:24

WEDNESDAY

1-7-2015

Cold.. but tomorrow promises to be even colder. For the first time in quite a while I drove to work. My excuse was that I needed the car to be looked at. By whom you ask? By me of course, from the inside with the heater on!

Today the Rouse Simmons only got a couple of hours of attention. I was working on designing skin divers for the fingerboard. They were not making me happy so I went on to other things....

The Scarecrow banjo received most of my attention today.

One of the pearl pieces had not been inlayed quite level and so was sanded too thin. So it was dug out, a new piece was made from figured abalone and re-inlayed.

I've been wanting to engrave the bracket band on this same banjo for some time. The design has been sitting in my grey matter. So with a carte blanch (branch, blank, who cares) blessing I went to laying it out...

Soon the first pass of engraving was started...

This is just the background, I will add more framing details later...

One can only engrave so long. Soon (6 hours later) I reached for the Aeroplane neck, did the final layout work, then took it to the band saw for surgery!

Here I'm cleaning off the saw marks and truing up the neck edge...

More Soon!

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 01/07/2015:  18:09:20

Love it Dan! that bracket band with Rickard's Stewart shoes looks very snazzy...oh yeah and that engraving makes it look mighty fine-ier.

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/07/2015:  18:09:22

Dan

Walking the dog I thought that it was a bit chilly, when I got home I found out that the temp was seven.

Nice engraving on the bracket band.

Nels - Posted - 01/07/2015:  19:07:05

Nice bracket band.!! Amazing work.  

Paul R - Posted - 01/07/2015:  21:26:11

Fine engraving on the bracket band, Dan, and I've always liked your peghead shapes. The inlay just makes them even better!

It was -20.5C this evening as I came home from my first ever time teaching clawhammer banjo, at a local music store here in Kingston. I'm sure it's way different from your classes. My first student was a total newbie! By the way, seeing the photos of your teaching is an inspiration. Anyway, if you wish, do the math on Celsius and you may think it's short-sleeve weather in your neck of the woods.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/08/2015:  09:27:49

Blake & Nels

Thanks! Yes I like those shoes too. I'm thinking about reshaping or perhaps carving them a little bit.

Dave & Paul,

Walking in this morning was certainly more a test of will than usual! Paul good luck with your teaching. You will proabably learn more from this than almost anything else you could choose to do.

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/08/2015:  10:50:36

Dan

In your earlier post I noticed you using what looks like a Stanley #9 1/2 adjustable throat plane.  One of the most useful tools in the shop.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/08/2015:  16:35:11

Dave,

Yes that's what it is. I had this particular one for 30 or 35 years.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/08/2015:  16:46:18

THURSDAY

Today I finished the engraving bracket band (for the scarecrow banjo) and got halfway around the tension hoop. Tomorrow I hope to finish engraving the tension hoop.

Most of this is what I think of as a walking texture pattern. I sort of walk a flat graver across the surface on its tip... 

After the texturing was complete I scratched some parallel lines on the outside edges of the graving...

Here is both the tension hoop (as it is so far) and the bracket band...

More soon!

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 01/08/2015:  16:51:47

Goodness. That's stunning. What nuts are going on this? I'm never sure which ones look 'right' with the Stewart shoes. I always think they need something squarish...

guitarman8491 - Posted - 01/08/2015:  18:01:02

Wow that bracket band is very handsome to say the least..wonderful artistry and craftsmanship!

DEmery - Posted - 01/08/2015:  18:35:27

Dan your engraving continues to evolve. Tasteful on brass and subtle. Like it a lot. David E.

jbalch - Posted - 01/08/2015:  19:16:08

Very cool Dan.  It is both "classic" looking and "original" at the same time.

Will1717 - Posted - 01/08/2015:  19:34:07

Dan:

Is the engraving method called wiggle engraving? Awhile back Glen Carson was good enough to give me some engraving lessons that would possibly work with only one hand. It looked very similar and his term was referred to as wiggle engraving. My biggest issue has been finding a good pattern that would look good with this style of engraving and you've certainly got me thinking in the right direction on this one. How about a set of custom rectangular tension nuts for this one?? 

Bill Rickard 

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/08/2015:  21:14:51

Dan

You engraving is excellent, it reminds me of Art Deco.  Very nice.

tylerandal - Posted - 01/08/2015:  21:19:30

Wow!!!  That looks incredible!  I just want to let everyone know that my favorite thing to ask from dan is for him to do what he does best.  He pretty much has free artistic control of this entire banjo and I know it's going to turn out to be stunning just like all the rest of the work that he does!  I can't wait to see what comes next :)