Dan Knowles - Posted - 05/30/2015:  04:55:32

Dave,

That is too cool! I'd be proud to sign it for you.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 05/31/2015:  19:52:28

SUNDAY

Tyler Andel and I have been out these past few days on the AMERICAN EAGLE. The internet is running a bit slow so this post will be brief.

In fact here it is in its compleatness.

This is a photo from our afternoon show (fifth deck outside) heading down the river to Vicksburg. We are playing Hank's MOVE IT ON OVER!

More tomorrow when I get home. And it's home for 8 days!!!!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/01/2015:  19:59:24

MONDAY

EVENING 

REPORTING FROM BACK HOME IN PARIS

Here we are with a quick report before I head off to bed. 

You remember my traffic ticket from last week?

No... well I do

On my way home this morning, I stopped in Rolling Fork, Mississippi to pay my ticket.

They couldn't take my money because my ticket wasn't in their system yet... it takes seven days (I was told).

Could I leave the $31? Nope, not until seven business days had passed. 

Then I could come back and pay it.

I really think that lady there was just sweet on Tyler and really wanted me to bring him back...

We had a great trip!

Wonderful folks on the American Eagle to hang with and play for! 

What else could two ole country boys want for!

Tyler rolled into the Mud Island landing Saturday morning with his souped up Mustang, a banjo, guitar and his fiddle rarin' to go. First though we needed to go park his ride. So we headed over to the parking garage across from Gibson. It's the best deal in town 2 1/2 days 25 bucks!

On the way back to the boat I got caught foolin' around with Tom Sawyer and his pals...

And Tyler dreamed of things caught up in the clouds...

And I dreamed what it would be like to perform for 10,000 people in the Mud Island Amphitheatre...

Quickly though, it was show time and my friend Drew caught us in action!

Then it was Sunday morning at the Banjo class.

What another great group of folks to be able to spend time with! And did they ever learn great!

One & Two & One & Two &...

That last photo was just two small. So here is another one. Who can guess what the banjo teacher is saying with his left hand?

In the afternoon we played an outside concert on the top deck. This is one of my favorite venues. There is nothing like the relaxing up there and just playing!

Here Tyler Andel, the GRAND MASTER OLD-TIME FIDDLE CHAMPION OF THE UNITED STATES shows everybody just how he won!

And I get to call the CHICKEN!!!

See if that don't make you wonder!

MORE SOON!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 06/01/2015:  21:44:32

Dan

You should be paying "them" to have this much fun.  But I won't tell "them".  

guitarman8491 - Posted - 06/02/2015:  03:29:14

Looks like you had another wonderful trip on the Mississippi and left a lot of folks happily playing their banjos...cheers Dan...you make people smile either playing music with them for them or crafting a new musical instrument for some lucky person!

Edited by - guitarman8491 on 06/02/2015 03:30:23

DEmery - Posted - 06/02/2015:  05:02:52

The speeding tickets in Mississippi are reasonable. I suppose the town folks are just not reasonable when folks try to pay up for speeding. Nice trip. David E. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/03/2015:  06:53:00

Dave,

Them, Who?!?!

Doug,

You aer so correct, I am very fortunate!

David,

I really think that the lady at the courthouse just wanted to see Tyler again!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/03/2015:  07:11:08

TUESDAY

It is so nice to be back home in Paris again! It is interesting how being with family and friends relaxes me. Today I'll head down to the shop and see if I can accomplish a bit. There is quite a bit that I need to do.

Yesterday I traveled down to Huntingdon to the West Tennessee Regional Art Center with my friend Martin Pascall to pick up  artwork of all the Paris artists involved in the show. Traveling with Martin is wonderful. He is a great raconteur and the stories were great! 

Visiting with curator Bill Hickerson is always good although I think that the taking down of a show is not fun for him. This was one of the better attended shows he has had in awhile. There were many students visiting from local schools. I hope that being in a gallery will inspire some of them to create something.

Here is Bill getting ready to take down the PUPPET MASTER...

More Soon!!!

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 06/03/2015 07:14:05

Dave1climber - Posted - 06/03/2015:  20:27:43

Dan

I had forgotten the scale of the Puppet Master, very nice.

cbcarlisle - Posted - 06/04/2015:  07:45:31

It's amazing how much difference the lighting makes to a painting. Reminds me of Rembrandt's "Night Watch," before and after cleaning.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/04/2015:  18:53:06

Dave & Curt,

Thanks so much!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/04/2015:  19:23:11

THURSDAY

LUTHIN' TODAY!

I have had two real good days at the shop! It is wonderful to be back and working with my hands in a different manner than I've been able to in the last month. 

I must be heck on cameras or maybe it's just my time for camera gettin' . The shop camera an old Kodak Easy Share has died a death. I think it's about 6 or 7 years old... they just don't make 'um like they used to. Talking about that I have an old pocket watch, a size 18, 1884 B. W. Raymond that after all these years still keeps good time. Maybe I need an old box camera...

I told you that to tell you this: I forgot to grab my road camera to shoot  some photos. So these photos are from yesterday. When I did remember...I hope that's ok.

I'm working on the release of my old-time country music opera 1934. Many of you may have listened to a couple of the tracks in my music section of my hangout page, Money to Spend & Ohio River Chuckle.

Anyway I'm hoping to release it perhaps in August or September, stay tuned... That's what I'm doing here working on the artwork for the cover.... 

Before I left for my month long boat sabbatical I sprayed this banjo hoping that the spraying was complete...

Here I'm wet sanding it. It is amazing how much sanding goes into this process. Hours & hours!

I told someone today that I sometimes think this: There are more hours spent sanding than any other single process in instrument building.

This old Gibson required some finish repair so it was off to the spray booth for a visit with the airbrush...

After much wet sanding both the rim and the neck were buffed. The rim looks great! But the neck needed a bit more work. Today it was back in the spray booth. Tomorrow we'll see how it's doing...

I need a logo for a project. I went and looked in my box of cut pieces... not enough. So I printed several patterns and went to cutting...

Cut and glued together. Now it needs sanding, engraving and etc...

MORE REAL SOON!!!

DEmery - Posted - 06/05/2015:  04:57:44

Dan it is good to see you back in the shop after floating around for a few weeks. Of course I have selfish reasons for enjoying seeing you there......  David E. 

Edited by - DEmery on 06/05/2015 04:58:42

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/05/2015:  05:37:31

David,

It's good to be back!

rubicon - Posted - 06/06/2015:  00:46:32

Glad to see the luthier back luthin ! Just wondering is it a more lengthy process to build a guitar neck ? over say a banjo neck ?

Edited by - rubicon on 06/06/2015 00:47:50

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/06/2015:  04:48:56

Rubicon,

Oh boy, that's a tough one... They are different but very much the same. Most of the same techniques apply to both. I build both in similar fashion including; laminating (multi piece) & backstrapping. The main difference is the heel joint and the symmetry of the guitar neck. Today in guitar building class we will be gluing up a couple of necks.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/07/2015:  09:21:16

SUNDAY AM

Here it is quiet and a few moments to make a quick post. I think that these photos were started on Friday, at least I think so... You'd think that I'd remember all this stuff but...

The banjo neck got its final wet sanding in preparation for buffing. It was sanded 800 to 1200 grit which gets rid of most of the scratches...

There is the peghead overlay that I cut out earlier in the week. It has a completely different appearance than when the pearl is inlayed. I sprayed some finish over the pearl which makes it really pop...

Buffing using Meguiers polishing compounds. Although they are a bit more mess than the stick polish I prefer the way it works and the final effect....

On with the tuners...

And oil...mostly walnut...

Yesterday morning in the guitar building class... smiles all around everybody was glad to get back at it after a month off...

Zeb working on creating a truss rod...

Me bending the hook for the heel end...

Bent...

After the class I gave Kevin some private time on engraving. Here he is practicing engraving...

MORE SOON!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 06/07/2015:  14:57:25

Paid vacation over, back to the grind. 

Kaelri - Posted - 06/08/2015:  07:29:02

Dan, I have more questions for you. Above someone asked about neck construction. You mentioned two different terms; lamination and backstrap. I think I am familiar with the lamination method, as that is what you have posted pics of doing here many times, correct? (I hope I'm correct or you'll think I wasn't "listening", or paying attention.... ha ha) But how is the backstrap neck done? Maybe I have seen you do this but not associated this term with it.

Also, I was wondering...as we work on this old house, I often think about the "grain of the wood". I wondered, is it important to consider which way the grain of the wood faces when building necks for banjos or guitars or any other string instruments? Now, I know it can't go perpendicular to the length of the banjo...but is there a concern to place it at a 45 degree angle in the parallel of the neck? Does my question even make sense? Thanks anyway Dan if you can decipher my questions. I (& my family) find what you do fascinating! 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/08/2015:  19:24:25

Ellen,

Yes and yes... As I once told David Emery, "Everything matters!"

I'll tell you what I'll do: I will plan and work up a series of posts to answer your questions.  But in the meantime if you will follow this link :    banjohangout.org/topic/251124/119

Go down about half way and you can have most of your questions answered.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/08/2015:  19:40:37

MONDAY

In the shop again today, watchin' the moments slip by way too quickly, knowing that Wednesday will soon be here and I'll be out traveling again. 

Today though it was just nice to be in the shop working. Several jobs were completed which will free me up for digging into the building aspect of my trade in a big way when I get home.

Here were a couple of interesting things...

These bolts & washers are needed for a banjo project. They need an aged almost black look. So I tossed them off in this jar and soaked them in some aging solution for several minutes...

After coming out they are nicely darkened...Just what the Doctor ordered!

Here is my homemade bridge gluing fixture. I made this thing perhaps 35 years ago.

It has little feet (on  the underside) that are pushed down (by those threaded handles) to press against the bridge. A countering block is fixed on the underside of the top creating a nice sandwich effect.

After tonights Lee Academy for the Arts board meeting I was greeted by this sight. So I just had to pass it along!

MORE SOON!!!

DEmery - Posted - 06/09/2015:  03:04:02

Ellen the comment Dan referenced was when we were discussing the thickness of the ebony face plate on the first project we did together. I purchased a Vega S Model Tubaphone and was converting it from a melody banjo to a 5 string. I asked Dan if the thickness on a face plate mattered; and he said "everything matters." I thought that was an interesting point and to many folks doing what Dan does - everything may not matter and good enough is good enough. Dan has done many things for me building wise since that time and because everything matters..., I keep sending my wife's paycheck and he keeps sending banjos and soon a guitar.

In the case of the face plate it gets into mass and sustain. Does it matter a lot? Could I tell? I don't know....but the philosophy makes a difference in total....I think. David E. 

Kaelri - Posted - 06/09/2015:  06:21:38

Thanks for the link Dan! I'll go check it out as soon as I post! I'm sure it will answer my questions! No need to post anything special, I know you  are a busy man.

Thanks David! I, also, can see just from reading here that Dan goes the extra mile to make sure everything is just right in his instrument building/instrument restoration processes.  Your wife is getting a good return on her "investments" ha! 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/11/2015:  13:00:03

THURSDAY

CHECKIN' IN FROM THE 

QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI

Eddie Coffey (my great bass playin' pal) and I are out on the Queen for the next few days. Pickin', singin' and generally playin' the fool for these good folks. I've stolen a few moments away  from them to say HOWDI you you my BanjoHangout friends. It seams like chances to do this have been slim as of late.

Anyhow we had a fun trip headin' down from (My Little Town) Paris, Tennessee to meet the boat at Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Eddie drove his Toyota down to Memphis Wednesday morning. There I picked him up at a parking garage across from the Gibson guitar factory (just off of Beale St.).  

Eddie will be heading home for this weekend to perform with the Wheelhouse Rousters in Land Between the Lakes annual Pickin' Party festival. It's one of the nicer Old-Time & Folk festivals around. If you are anywhere near you don't want to miss it!

Then it was off to HWY 61 southbound.

With a little bit of extra time on our hands we decided to make a tour of the casinos (on Casino Row) in Tunica Mississippi. We've seen these places many times from the river and wondered just what they looked like from the land, maybe you've wondered too....

Well here they are ... the whole batch! 

This is what Eddie looks like most times in the van...

Paralleling us on Highway 61, off in the east, we watched a blimp...

In our room, Eddie with his '30's Regal...

And me floggin' the Pharaoh...

Last nights show under the new  stage lights!

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 06/11/2015:  15:01:41

Dan

As always it looks as if you are having a good time on your paid vacation.   I miss your workshop photos and comments. 

guitarman8491 - Posted - 06/11/2015:  18:18:22

Great pics and hope you have a fun but restful time...cause there is a lot of fine wood calling you from the shop!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/12/2015:  09:31:41

Dave & Doug,

Just a few more days and I'l be back at the shop...Tuesday to be exact!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/12/2015:  14:07:21

FRIDAY

Here is yesterdays Queen of the Mississippi Banjo 102 class... notice the young fella on the pig, He caught everything!!!

EDDIE COFFEY

IS MADE A 

KENTUCKY COLONEL

Last night Kentucky native and Bass Player extraordinary Eddie Coffey was awarded the honor of Kentucky Colonel. The Kentucky Colonel is it highest honor which may be bestowed by the state of Kentucky. The honor signed by Governor Steve Bashier  was presented to Mr. Coffey by hotel manager  Patrick Tannian  and river laureate Mike  Jennings. 

When asked his feelings about the honor Eddie said, "I don't know what to say!"

In celebration of his award Eddie was given a beautiful scarf (decorated with fleur de leis) to wear for the entire show...

This morning a not so shocked Eddie Coffey displays his award. 

Well Eddie is of headed home and then tomorrow to play at Land Between the Lakes' Homeplace 1850's PICKIN' PARTY. He'll be featured there with the Wheelhouse Rousters. I hope they'll mention his award!

Tomorrow Tim May again joins me for two fun filled days of pickin' and grinnin'!  I am really looking forward to it!

As I walked by the Queen today I had this view. It reminded me of so many old time riverboat photos...

More Soon!!!

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 06/12/2015 14:13:17

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 06/12/2015:  17:55:45

Congratulations to Eddie! My wife, Bronda, is also a Kentucky Colonel, even though she is a native North   Carolinian. She received it because of her contribution to the improvement of skilled nursing in  Kentucky. It is an honor, and something to be proud of.

Dave1climber - Posted - 06/13/2015:  10:35:26

My CONGRATULATIONS to Eddie!!  Very nice photo of the Queen,  it could be a print for sale!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/16/2015:  07:44:03

TUESDAY

(here's the back half)

Here it is Tuesday, how the time does fly. I'm home sitting at the kitchen table (in my bathrobe drinking coffee) and typin' in a post. As always it is so good to be home!

When I'm out river travelin' we call our trips Front Half and Back Half. The front half is from Vicksburg to Memphis and the back is Memphis to Vicksburg. 

I realized that in the earlier post that I didn't mention that the Queen was docked at the Greenbelt Park Landing on Mud Island this time. The Beale Street Landing was taken up by the American Queen and the old Led Zeppelin singer  Robert Plant was performing Friday night at Mud Island amphitheater...

We just couldn't dock below the amphitheater and get a free show for our 145 guests....

I just don't understand it 

The nice part (for me) about that docking was the old time style photo of the Queen in the earlier post.

My good friend and pickin' buddy TIM MAY joined me for the "Back Half" of this trip and what a large time we had! It is great t be performing with such an amazing musician! For my money Tim is by far the finest most musical musician I have ever known. 

On the Back Half we perform on Saturday afternoon, I teach a painting class Sunday morning, then later in the morning we teach our BANJO 102 class, after we arrive in Vicksburg we get the van and usually take several of the crew shopping (we did this time)  at Wal-Mart, Home Depot & Walgreens and then we perform again that evening. It makes for a very busy day and a very long run-onnnnnn sentence. 

Here are Tim & I from our Saturday evening performance...

The lighting created such a nice Film Noir look that I just had too...

Tim tearin' it up!

Me runnin' my mouth...

I lost a nail during the first evenings performance. So I turned room 208 into a nail salon and I became a nail tech. Not as good as Sandy... but not bad!

Sunday mornings Banjo 102 class.

As always,

THEY WERE GREAT!!!

We couldn't miss out on getting a photo with Tim in it too!

MORE SOON!!!

guitarman8491 - Posted - 06/16/2015:  11:18:36

Welcome back Dan!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/16/2015:  19:39:16

Doug,

Thanks, it's great to be home!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/16/2015:  19:46:41

TUESDAY

Here is one last photo from my recent trip. I saw this and I just had to post it!

It's the American Queen, docked in Vicksburg next to (my home away from home) the Queen of the Mississippi.

As I told one of the deckhands, "This is a sight I never thought I'd ever see again back in 2008 when everybody went out of business." 

I really never thought I'd see two river boats docked at one landing ever again... now...

tylerandal - Posted - 06/16/2015:  20:55:19

congrats to eddie!  ... I think I'll have a few questions for him next time :)

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/17/2015:  03:41:50

Tyler,

I'll make sure Eddie gets them (the congrats that is). Are you back from Montana?

Kaelri - Posted - 06/17/2015:  16:32:29

I know I'm late to the party here, but congrats to Eddie. What an honor!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/17/2015:  17:49:36

WEDNESDAY

Today was a good one in the shop. Not only did I have some great help, but I also had some great visitors and I got a lot accomplished. What more can one ole' luthier ask for!

By the way Ellen,

I am planning on fully answering your question of a couple of weeks ago fully in the next day or two. Just thought you'd like to know I've not forgotten.

Here we go...

My grandson Keaton came in today to help create a new striker plate for a door in our old house. I've meant to do this thing for a while and just now got to it. The plate is made from 1/8" brass that is aged to look like it belongs in this old house. It works too!

I needed to cut some pearl for a project today. This is one of my "Free Cut" style of designing. This is how it goes.

First I choose out the pieces. They are picked in pairs and matched for species, size and color...

Then they are glued together with the straightest sides parallel...

And clamped. After the glue is dried at least one of the edges will be sanded making a joint. More later in the post...

I also mostly put together a banjo. I decided I wanted to use some old looking bolts for the shoes. So I aged them and after drying marked and cut them to length. Here they are being marked....

After bracket shoes were on it was on with the head, t-hoop and nuts...

Tomorrow I'll bolt the neck on, string and set it up....

Did I say that I had some folks drop in? Well here they are Jerry Cox (who I judged in a banjo fiddle contest out in California over 30 years ago. And he still likes me. Well... he did win!), his son-in-law Bruce and grandson Vance.

Good times!!! And Selfies!

Earlier we had some pearl glued together. Later I cut it up and this is what I got. Here are a few of the pieces. Some of the mating surfaces have been glued to form completed shapes. 

I play with the shapes to see how the design will look. this is one of the earlier ones...

This is my favorite one...

Here are some of cut pieces laid out in a design that might work for a banjo headstock.

More soon!!!

​

Blackjaxe47 - Posted - 06/17/2015:  20:18:51

Dan I notice the young lad working the drill press, working on a piece of brass plate. How he is working that drill press is a accident looking for a place to happen, sheet metal should either be clamped in place or have a back stop to prevent it from spinning when the drill exits the backside. I have witnessed some very nasty results from not doing the above. Also brass shavings are prone to flying around....No Safety Glasses either....good part is he is wearing hearing protection. He will need it down the road when he learns to play the banjo from you.

Edited by - Blackjaxe47 on 06/17/2015 20:21:22

Kaelri - Posted - 06/17/2015:  20:30:42

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dan Knowles

By the way Ellen,

I am planning on fully answering your question of a couple of weeks ago fully in the next day or two. Just thought you'd like to know I've not forgotten.

 

---

Thanks Dan. No hurry, we have 7 shows this month so I haven't had time to check in here as much as I usually do! (I get to slow down soon). :-) And I'll be looking forward to the post, but no worry or hurry! 

You know..I don't know how you do it.....I think you are busier than I even am so it makes me appreciate folks like you! 

Bufo Bill - Posted - 06/18/2015:  13:13:35

Ken, good spot on Keaton's picture, but when you look close at the drill you can see the hole for the chuck key is sharply in focus, which says to me that the picture is posed, not an action shot (The drill is not rotating).

Don't mean to be a smart ass, but the fact that no homicide has been reported from Paris TN says the incident did not end badly as you rightly pointed out. Dan's got quite a large family, and I would have heard Dan's screams from this side of the pond as the Knowles family handed out the cans of Whup- Ass if one hair on the sprog's head had been harmed.

Blackjaxe47 - Posted - 06/18/2015:  16:07:00

I was a shop supervisor in charge of fabrication and we had a very bad accident involving a drill press. He had done exactly what Dan's grandson is doing, no clamps, no back-stop. about a 10 x 14 piece of flat steel. Drill caught the bottom when it exited and he had been holding it in place with his bare hand. It almost cut his thumb completely off, it was unbelievable the damage it did and so quickly plus a huge amount of blood loss. He never did return to the workplace, they tried to save his thumb but he had little use of it as it turned out.

Safety Glasses, short sleeve work shirt, Ear Protectors, and pay attention to safety procedures when using power tools. I have said this many times, Power Tools allow you to make spectacular mistakes more quickly and make you a regular visitor to the Emergency Room.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/18/2015:  16:46:42

Ken & Bill, 

Thank you both for your concerns and excellent observations. It doesn't hurt to be on the receiving end of safety recommendations. My students will tell you that I often send them their way. When I do something stupid (even if it is staged) then I need one too!

Ellen,

I just try to use any moments that I can find.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/18/2015:  17:02:03

THURSDAY

I continued with some of my pearl cutting today. It's fun cutting the doubled pieces, taking them apart, gluing them together and then trying to make a design from these shapes. 

This one started that way but I began to see some shapes (this plant, floral thing) develoup. So I followed the design as it seamed to just grow on its own.

After I made the plant shape I remembered that my client had talked some about likeing the old Gibson flowerpot design. I had two pieces of gold mother of pear already glued together. So I laid out half a pot and went to cutting....

I really enjoy challenging myself to cut the tiny, delicate pieces. They are so easy to break during the cutting and when they work... Oh Yes!

I wanted to form some of yesterdays cuts into a solid piece so just before going home I glued them with epoxy into a solid block. That glob of epoxy near the top was just excess. I mixed some stone dust into it, pored it out and sometime I thickness it and see if it will be useful.

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 06/19/2015:  07:53:24

Dan

Your back to back, mirror image cutting method is great.    I can't understand why I didn't think of this.     Perhaps its because I am not as creative as you.  

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/20/2015:  04:46:23

Dave,

I just am fortunate enough to have had some one show me. Now I've done my part, I've shown you...

Dan Knowles - Posted - 06/20/2015:  05:09:23

FRIDAY

This afternoon my neighborhood was hit by a small tornado. 

Fortunately no one was hurt.

Trees and limbs were down everywhere. One house a block from us had a tree knocked down on it.

Our poor chickens went for a unexpected ride (in their chicken enclosure) across our yard, over into the neighbors yard and onto their chicken house.  When I got home from the shop (I had to walk there was no driving) I was able to free the poor frightened dears.

We had several big maple and elm limbs down in the yard. One caught the gutter on the side of the house and messed it up.

We were so lucky.

I didn't think about my camera until after we had already sawed and picked up quite a bit of it. After I get done with teaching this morning I'll be visiting with the chainsaw again...

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 06/21/2015:  06:42:59

No one injured is very good news, all the rest can be cleaned and repaired.

Kaelri - Posted - 06/21/2015:  07:01:02

Wow! Glad you and yours are OK! Even the chickens!