Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/07/2015:  18:28:55

Thank y'all again & again & again!

Lefty, 

That helmet saved his life, but we are not sure where it is.

DAY 11

GREAT NEWS!!!

Chris watched TV today! Normally I would not find something like this to not be real positive... but here this is EXCITING! Apparently Chris kept looking at the TV in his hospital room and his wife Toni asked him if he wanted the TV on. He squeezed her hand indicating that he did. 

Not only has he survived but he is coming back. We are so thankful!

On another not Mike Jennings the river lorian on the American Eagle and the Queen of the Mississippi sent me a link to a video an Australian fella shot of me playing Jim Along Josie last year on the Queen...

So now I'm sending it to you! I hope you enjoy it!   

youtube.com/watch?v=jmFLBLX3Gg...=youtu.be

Nels - Posted - 07/07/2015:  18:34:10

..,,.. it's the little things that make you smile and give you hope for a better tomorrow.  Prayers for Chris and his progress. Thank you for the Great link.

Paul R - Posted - 07/07/2015:  19:37:59

Glad to see progress. Coming out of brain  injury fog is definitely not normal waking up. Things will take time. Hang in there. Chris is lucky to have such a loving family.

Kaelri - Posted - 07/07/2015:  20:18:00

Thank you for the update.  So glad to hear of Chris's  progress! Of course we'll keep him on the prayer list. 

the video was fun! Thanks for sharing that! 

Ross - Posted - 07/08/2015:  05:20:35

A great day and a great link!

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/08/2015:  06:36:10

Wonderful news!!

60spicker - Posted - 07/08/2015:  12:37:05

I'm VERY happy to read the good reports. One day at a time, my friend. May He who is able continue to bless and heal the broken body of your son, and may both you and he live long and prosper.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/09/2015:  05:42:32

THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH!

Yesterday Chris improved again. He was able to sit in a chair, he is communicating with head shakes and hand squeezes and he is off the ventilator.

This will be an extended recovery but earlier we were only talking of survival now we are talking recovery.

Banjo Lefty - Posted - 07/09/2015:  05:48:24

We are all much relieved to hear that.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/09/2015:  05:59:53

WEDNESDAY

The shop... I was able to spend a bit of time in the shop...

How amazing is that. Today I'll be heading back up to Nashville but yesterday I was in the shop,

AMAZING!

To even make a few mistakes was good!

Here are a few photos from yesterday:

Here I'm waxing the gluing form for the "rope" binding...

Gluing & clamping...

Teaching Regina. What a great student!

Removing clamps from the Dobson neck repair...

Cutting away the excess in preparation  for trimming & shaping...

The rope binding glued up. after this it will receive a maple and a black lamination, then get ripped into thin strips. I should have enough (when finished) of this material to be able to use this stuff on more than the old fiddle repair.

More Soon!

guitarman8491 - Posted - 07/09/2015:  06:42:07

Dan..so happy to hear how well Chris is progressing. My prayers continue for him, you and your family. It was nice to see that you were able to spend some time in the shop.

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/09/2015:  07:34:42

Chris well enough that you can do some shop time is excellent news.  

Paul R - Posted - 07/09/2015:  09:33:39

Good to see you back in the shop. I'm sure it helps you to "decompress".

Nels - Posted - 07/09/2015:  11:05:12

...great to hear that Chris is doing so well.  Glad you could spend some time doing familiar things.  

Kaelri - Posted - 07/09/2015:  16:18:36

We, here,  are all glad to hear about Chris. 

And that rope binding looks fantabulous!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/10/2015:  18:22:50

Doug, Dave, Paul, Nels & Ellen,

Thank y'all for your kind wishes. Chris continues to improve. They were talking today about the next facility that they would send him to for rehabilitation and recuperation. First though he needs to be completely weaned from the respirator.

It is good to be back in the shop. Yesterday I was up in Nashville, but today I was in the shop.

FRIDAY

Today my good friend Hollis Mayo became my associate repairman in the shop. We were going to start him out a couple of weeks ago but fate intervened. Anyway, he started out this morning and dug right into a Gibson SG broken peghead repair by gluing up a backstrap...

And I glued up a couple of veneers to complete the maple & ebony rope binding for the old fiddle...

Ready for the clamps...

With the caul clamped to the sandwich...

Two good friends stopped in today, Dennis Bumgardener (who played the guitar on Home Sweet Home from the Baptist Allyway CD) and the great bass player craftsman William Moore (who taught me the basics of metal engraving). Here William helps remove all the clamping stuff from the rope binding...

After all the edges were again trued, strips of rope binding was ripped from the blocks....

Here is part of the batch of rope binding laying next to the fiddle...

The aria where the binding had been was long ago filled with wood putty. This was all chiseled out...

And then the binding was glued in....

These back waists were a real bugger to fit and several hours were spent on just them. All of the binding was Cyano (super glue) glued in. I'll be pickin' that mess off of my finger tips for a month!

here it is, all on tomorrow I'll trim and shape it to the body. BTW Tyler you can send this photo to Brian if you'd like!

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/10/2015:  18:50:04

Dan

Its very good to know that the Doc's are talking about rehab.  I am hoping for no relapses in Chris's recovery, and that his recovery will be speedy.

Its also good to see that you are back to making things "as if you had never been there".  That rope binding looks great!

Nels - Posted - 07/11/2015:  03:00:47

Prayers for Chris and his continued recovery and on to rehab.  ...  amazing work with the rope binding on the fiddle.

guitarman8491 - Posted - 07/11/2015:  04:28:18

Dan, I am real happy to hear how Chris is progressing and my prayers will be ongoing for him, you and the family. Have to dido what Nels said about the rope binding...looks like it has been there forever.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/11/2015:  18:39:48

Dave, Nels & Doug,

Thank you very much!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/11/2015:  19:13:32

SATURDAY

UPDATE VANDERBILT

​NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

I just got off of the phone with my wife Debbie, Chris is now slated for his second surgery. They want to to some work on one of his arms. Seams the arm is not lined up the way it needs to be. Fortunately he does not enter this one in the shape he was in the earlier one.

This one is to happen tomorrow morning.

Shop

This morning was instrument building teaching day in the shop. Both Zeb and Kevin made it in.

I was great to see them!

Tom is out in the wilds of Europe somewhere riding a bike next to the Danube river. To have to ride a bike when he has a perfectly good boat to ride?!?!? Honestly everybody in the class wishes we could be there with him! 

I realize that this is a bit out of order, but this afternoon I went with my 9 year old twins to a afternoon showing of the movie MINIONS. I realize that this shows how often I go to the movies, (and perhaps my age)  but that was the first 3d movie I've seen. The effect is quite interesting and a bit overwhelming to these tired old eyes. The grandkids loved it though! I might just do something like that again....

Ok...

Here we are at it. Zeb is over on the left truing the surface of his neck to receive a fingerboard. Kevin is carving on his neck...

In this one Zeb is cutting off the fingerboard at the nut slot with a razor saw...

And Kevin is truing up and scraping the side of his neck. I'm quite proud of this one for him. Most beginning builders make necks what are far too bulky. Oftentimes they are compared to baseball bats. This neck of Kevin's though, is very sleek, smooth and fast. You can really see his abilities blossom on this instrument! 

Here I'm doing the rough trimming of the overhang of the rope binding with a Dremel fitted with a barrel sander. After this I smoothed it out with a file and sandpaper.

BTW

Do you recognize the shirt?

Yep, I got me one too!

Me proving (for the camera) that I can be a teacher. I'm showing Zeb how to use clamps! I told him I'd post this photo this a way!

Zed's neck under clamps. Another BTW, this is glued with epoxy. That's the stuff you see running down the side of the neck....

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/11/2015:  20:04:48

Dan

I think that I speak for all, we are looking for a full, complete recovery.  If that means the doc's have more to do, then we will keep pulling for Chris each in our own way.

Looks like a busy, productive day in the shop. The rope fiddle binding is looking very good.

Take those grandchildren to the movies, and other places more often.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/11/2015:  20:42:13

Dave,

Thanks & I will!

NEWS FLASH

TYLER ANDEL WINS NATIONAL OLD TIME BANJO CHAMPIONSHIP

AT 

UNCLE DAVE MACON DAYS

TODAY

CONGRATS TYLER!!!

darlo - Posted - 07/11/2015:  22:49:52

Mr knowles I don't read as often as I should but I was saddened to hear about the accident to your son but it's amazing the recovery he has made and is still making in such a short period of time my thoughts are with you and your family all the very best to you all darlo

nathane - Posted - 07/12/2015:  00:08:29

Dan, I'm really happy to hear you posting about working in the shop again because it indicates really good progress for your son. I have been watching the thread even more than usual so as to not miss news of progress and I am so glad both to hear the good news but also to hear all the support that comes from this crazy (said very fondly) community.

I continue to hold you and your family in my prayers and look forward to more great news.

By the way I love the rope binding making process. I have no idea how the joints don't open up round those curves on the fiddle though!

Nels - Posted - 07/12/2015:  03:14:44

.... I'll ditto Dave1's comments. Chris is making great progress, prayers continue.  

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/12/2015:  06:14:09

Dan

Give my congratulations to Tyler.  Was he using the banjo that you made for him?

 

tylerandal - Posted - 07/12/2015:  08:56:02

Of course I was!!!  I could never have done it without my Danjo!!  and thanks so much dan for the post!  

steveh_2o - Posted - 07/12/2015:  09:04:13

Congratulations Tyler!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/12/2015:  19:32:32

Nathan, Mark & Nels,

Thanks so much!!!

Dave & Steve... and I guess Tyler too,

I am so proud of your (Tyler's) accomplishments! And I didn't even tell about the Old Time Fiddle, Mandolin and Guitar winnings!!!!!

Today was surgery day for Chris. They needed to do some further work on his shoulders and right arm. Once again he did quite well and again Debbie said "He looks better after the surgery than before he went in!"  

She has already told our grandkids that if they get a motorcycle that she will render it harmless with a sledgehammer... and I think she would!

Nels - Posted - 07/13/2015:  03:04:32

Great news...Chris is making fantastic progress..... prayers for continued improvement.  

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/13/2015:  04:11:33

Dan

The news about Chris is good to hear, still pulling for a speedy, complete recovery.

guitarman8491 - Posted - 07/13/2015:  04:17:47

Dan...great news and looking forward to the post after Chris is home with you and your family. My prayers will continue for a full and quick recovery!

60spicker - Posted - 07/13/2015:  05:59:57

Prayers will not cease until Chris hisself posts on this thread. Thanks for the updates, Dan. Tyler, you RULE!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/13/2015:  20:11:53

Thank y'all so much for your thoughts and prayers on Chris' and our families behalf.

Today was mostly a rest day for Chris. They are working on weaning him from the ventilator and once he has made that transition they will send him to another more long term facility for the rest of his recovery and rehabilitation. Hopefully that will be later this week.

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/13/2015:  21:15:55

Off of the ventilator will be cause for great celebration!!  

Nels - Posted - 07/14/2015:  03:10:19

....Chris is making great progress...I 'ditto' Dave's statement...

dbrooks - Posted - 07/14/2015:  05:58:50

Thanks for sharing the news of Chris's progress, Dan. We do want to know. 

David

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/16/2015:  07:41:55

Good Morning Everyone

from the

AMERICAN EAGLE

Again thank y'all for all of your thoughts & prayers.

I just got off the phone with my wife Debbie, Chris was off the ventilator yesterday for 12 hours and has been off today since 4 AM. It is wonderful to see this progress.

Well the past few days have been interesting ones for me. ..

Tuesday evening I came home from the shop with all intents of making a post with all kinds of photos... Needless to say it didn't happen. Our air conditioner was not working. The lights started dimming. The fridge lights went way down. Then Eddie Coffey showed up (where did that one come from?). Even I knew something was wrong. So I called my son Sam, who among the many hats he wears is an electrician. He said, " You've got a ground loop or a short or something and it could cause a house fire. I'll be there in a few minutes." 

I shut everything down right then. Fear of fire and all...

Sam showed up and checked everything out. The main breaker in our service panel had failed. Being an older style breaker box the whole thing needed changing...

Good News:

Patrick (one of our other sons) is studying to be an electrician. He also works with Sam. Took a couple of days off to make everything right. So last night just before our show I talked to him and the new box was in and almost all of the circuits were back in place and all the years of interesting wiring that happens with multiple home owners was made correct and neat! Thank you Patrick!

So now on to some shop photos of an old Dobson restoration...

The neck/ peghead on this instrument was broken several times. The only logical choice was to replace the peghead overlay (which was badly broken and add a backstrap. All of these were made from mahogany to match the original and glued on with epoxy. Now the shaping begins with a furriers rasp. This is my favorite rasp for neck shaping jobs. It has two degrees of coursness. It cuts fast and true...

Here the side of the peghead is trued with a box plane...

and the peghead sholders are trimmed...

And further refined with a round file...

And further shaped with a scraper...

And sanded to 220...

The peghead slots were drilled out and then trimmed with a chisel...

And trued with several files...

The old fiddle that I made the rope binding for has all of these big arias that need to be inlayed and purfiling. The original routing were hand cut with chisels and are none to consistent so before I start with anything else I true up the routings...

And in goes the first of the purfilings. Each piece has to be bent, fitted and glued. There are three layers, black-white-black. Lots more hours here... 

Oh ya I almost forgot... Soon I'll be engraving a portrait of John Hartford for a banjo peghead. I really wanted to practice a bit before I did that one so I made up this piece of brass. I've drilled some holes in it so I can screw it to a piece of wood after I age it. I've brought it with me to do on the boat while I'm out. Its been some time since I've engraved in public, this should be interesting.

Here I've tossed it off in some ageing solution. It made it nice and dark brown.

BTW Eddie and I had a nice show last night this is a great bunch of folks to play for. So nice and responsive! We are looking forward to teaching banjer, painting and performing again tonight!

More Soon!!

DEmery - Posted - 07/16/2015:  10:53:15

Tasteful work on that old Dobson slot head. After the guitar wraps up - I will have two of your slot heads and I know it isn't your typical head stock by choice.David E.. 

Nels - Posted - 07/16/2015:  11:56:49

Glad to hear Chris is spending time off the ventilator.  ... 

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/16/2015:  12:04:07

Dan

Very good news about Chris.  Not so good about the electrical, glad to hear that all worked out.

Nice work on the Dobson.  I like the way the fiddle is shaping up.

kwl - Posted - 07/16/2015:  17:16:07

Dan, I'm glad to hear about Chris' progress. That is good news. Nice work with the Dobson and fiddle. I enjoy watching what you do in the shop. Enjoy the time on the boat.

guitarman8491 - Posted - 07/17/2015:  06:58:34

First off Dan..fantastic news that Chris is off the ventilator..my prayers continue for his full and speedy recovery, and you and your family.

The Dobson neck restoration looks great and that fiddle is just plain cool!

Kaelri - Posted - 07/17/2015:  16:47:51

The good Lord is surely watching over you, Debbie and your family! Imagine if you'd been at the away somewhere most of the day, on the river boat, or the hospital with your family when that electrical thing reared it's ugly head! I shudder to think! Glad you were all able to get it fixed and that Chris continues to make progress. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/18/2015:  13:12:09

David, Doug, Ken, Dave,

Thanks for your comment on the Dobson. I can't wait to be back in the shop next week to get to going on it.

Ellen, Doug, Dave, Kenneth (my brothers name) & Nels,

Thank y'all so much!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/18/2015:  15:00:37

SATURDAY

ON THE MISSISSIPPI

Chris called his momma on the phone today!!! That may not seam like a lot to most folks but to us it is monumental! He spoke!

Chris continues to improve. He has been moved to a transitional room that is a regular hospital room. Whoever thought I'd be thankful for something like that... but I am. It is improvement. He is off the vent and so will move to a rehab facility in the next few days.

The Doctor & Nurses at Vanderbilt are amazing!!!

River Times

As you may have guessed by now I am out on the Mississippi river riding and plaing on the

AMERICAN EAGLE

along with my base playing pal Eddie Coffey.

Boy Howdie but is this river ever high!!!

Usually this time of year the Mississippi is in the summer doldrums but she's a movin' out right now. Memphis gage is 31.88 feet with flood stage being 34 feet. Fortunately the water has begun to fall.

Here is a photo from Vicksburg (just before we left on Wednesday) in flood stage...

Someplace around the White River. These are full grown trees...

The Great news is that we performed for a wonderful group of people and the banjo class was such a treat!!!

And DOTTING WITH DAN was a hit with 31 students learning and painting in a pointillism style!

And a few photos from that nights show.

Eddie & me...

Eddie is a great old time style guitar player and singer much in the style of Norman Blake. We often do a section of old time country tunes that is always a hit with our guests. Carter Family, Roy Aircraft, Hank Williams (Senior) and others...

Classical banjo time...

One of the guests shot this one. I figured it could be the cover of a CD called WON'T GET DRUNK NO MORE!

MORE SOON!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/18/2015:  17:22:48

Dan

Very good news about Chris, just because he seems to be on the high road to recovery, don't stop keeping us up dated on his condition. 

Looks like a good group fo the pointy painting and banjo class.

If Eddie will be regular on the river with you, he may need something more in keeping with your attire. 

Banjo Lefty - Posted - 07/18/2015:  18:03:11

Good to hear about your son's improvements.  "Rehab" sound so much more positive than "Hospital."