DEmery - Posted - 12/04/2015:  10:06:12

Dan....I did call to leave a voice message after seeing the photos; but our 000 Slothead is looking really fine. If you could send me the original photos I would enjoy them. For some reason these don size properly on my screen as a screen saver. Very pleased; of course. David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/05/2015:  04:29:54

Dave & Kenneth,

Perhaps my folding rule wiil become a favorite, it is most certainly interesting.

Semaj has been apprenticing with me for about a month (when I'm home). He is home schooled and so this part time apprenticeship  is something that works well with his scheduling. Not only is he learning woodworking (instrument building), but he is studying practical mathematics, chemistry, sociology, English (as a second language ), wood identification, US & World history....

David,

I'm pleased with the way that it is developing also. All the photos that I post (here & on facebook) have been reduced for the web and are usually only saved on the web. I'll send you some 'big 'uns'  via email next time..

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/05/2015:  08:41:39

Dan

Cheers to you for taking on an apprentice, from the list of studies, it looks as if he will have a well rounded education.    

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/06/2015:  18:44:22

Dave,

I certainly hope to encourage Semaj towards a broad view of the world & life...

maybe even banjo!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/06/2015:  20:13:33

SATURDAY

& SUNDAY TOO

We just got home a bit ago from taking the grandkids to Clarksville, Tennessee (I made a stop at Harbor Freight). Did I tell you that I stopped at the Harbor Freight? Well I did. My heat gun that I use for roasting coffee had played out after several years of rather hard usage and I knew that when I returned home I'd need to roast a batch. So yes I stopped at Harbor Freight and bought one of their top line (I think they call it professional level) heat guns.

Interestingly the first cheepo gun that I got there literally blew my Wagner out of the water for coffee cookin'.

This new one is the best by far I've ever used! It has a much higher air flow and heat which translates into quicker roasts. It also has an aluminum body and a cool down switch position all of which should translate to longer life. We'll see. But for now I am quite pleased.

Saturday we had a great day at the Guitar Building Class!

Here is the whole batch and what a great batch they are! Chris, Zeb, Kevin & Jeff... oh ya that's me there too.

Jeff routing for his sound hole rosette...

I took a short mid-morning break, went over to Lee Academy for the Arts and played some Christmas music at the Christmas Bazaar with my friends Ann & John Eaton!

Oh yes that's Sherry Lynn the ebony wonder with us there too!

Back at the shop Kevin worked at wet sanding his freshly sprayed finish, Zeb filed his fret ends and Chris worked on cutting his bridal joint for his x-braces...

  

And Kevin kept sanding while Zeb & Jeff sanded too!

The Go-bar deck saw action clamping  Chris' braces....

Today I worked on a guitar preparing and the gluing the top to the sides...

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/06/2015:  20:56:09

Dan

A busy, productive Saturday.    Hurray for a new coffee roaster. it will increase what you get done by at least a factor of two!

Looks like the Go-Bar deck is getting lots of good use. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/07/2015:  16:46:37

Dave,

Yes, Yes, Yes!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/07/2015:  17:07:06

MONDIE

Good morning... what it's not morning?!? shucks....

Well I guess it's Howdi Doodie Time!

Maybe I should just get back to building...

Here I'm back n the Yin & Yang guitar and sanding the inside before finishing. I put only one coat of shellac on the inside to keep the transfer of moisture down...

On with the shellac and awaiting the back....

The back in the go-bar clamps being glued on...

And here scraping on the white oak 000...

And here working on the sand fitting. Up to to 573 pulls!

MORE SOON!

DEmery - Posted - 12/07/2015:  18:18:58

Keep pulling Dan. Love a perfect fitted neck. Looking great. Thank you. David E.

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/07/2015:  20:12:56

Judging from the size of the gap that I see,  you only have about 1147 more pulls to close the gap.  

Hope my estimate is high.

Edited by - Dave1climber on 12/07/2015 20:16:33

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/08/2015:  17:27:48

David & Dave,

Yep, I keep on pullin' (sounds like one of those old Truckin' tunes, now doesn't it).

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/08/2015:  17:43:35

TUESDAY

For a instrumental teaching day I got a whole bunch of lutherie work done today. It sure feels great!

Here is a kind of a quick look...

First out, I removed the bars clamping the Yin & Yang guitar's back on.

Then I took its body into the back room where I routed off the back & top overhang. The opposite look is really beginning to show. I'm going to checkerboard the binding too and that should be fun...

The AEROPLANE banjo came to the bench this morning to begin its engraving. 

Here the design of the Virginia is taped to transfer paper and to the rim.

By the way the Virginia was the steamboat featured in John Hartford's great book STEAMBOAT IN A CORNFIELD....

Transferring the design...

Beginning the engraving...

The Virginia roughed in...

This section almost complete...

More Soon!!!

guitarman8491 - Posted - 12/08/2015:  18:02:08

The Aeroplane banjo rim is a piece of art..awesome! Way cool Sir Dan!

tylerandal - Posted - 12/08/2015:  20:59:51

wooow!  looks amazing!  

p.s.  I'm gonna visit soonish... if I have anything to say about it!  

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/08/2015:  22:06:51

Dan

Your "rough in" is better than many others finished engraving.  

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/09/2015:  16:41:57

Doug & Dave

Thanks, I'm glad you like it! There is a bit more coming up today...

Tyler,

Come on down! The door is most always open!

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 12/09/2015 16:42:14

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/09/2015:  17:06:52

WEDNESDAI

Good evenin' everybody! Another busy day at the shop today was had. Lots & lots got done!

First of these things (at least for me) was more engraving on the AEROPLANE. I laid out the Captain Fred Way design. He is standing in front of one of the stacks of Betsy Ann, his famous steamboat. Fred was one of John Hartford's heroes. In fact he is mentioned in the song Steamboat Whistle Blues...

Here he is roughed in. I have many hours of detail work yet to go on this banjo....

Semaj preparing to glue a fingerboard on one of our Mini-Banjos. He is in the process of making 18 of them...

The Yin and Yang of guitar building got all bound up. Well at least half way today. 

But first off it got its butt strip. Here it is installed and everything....

The top binding ledge being routed...

And the back ledge too!

I've started using clear PVC glue for plastic bindings. Boy howdi but is this stuff ever the cat's meow! It works better than any other glue that I've tried. This stuff I buy at my local plumbing supply house (641 Plumbing Supply). Here I'm brushing it into the waist ledge....

The maple is mated with tortoise shell (not real shell, it's real plastic). For this job I'm using the Stu-Mac binding tape. The rope would have worked great if I was going to use only a single color binding...

And the walnut side receives ivory colored binding...

Both sides on...

MORE SOON!!!

maynardje - Posted - 12/09/2015:  20:30:07

Wow Dan-- Great work! Truly art and with such history and meaning

Jamie

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/10/2015:  06:08:46

Great engraving! 



Good looking work on the Yin / Yang! 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/10/2015:  10:17:56

Jamie, 

I'm glad you are enjoying what you are seeing!

Dave,

Thanks!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/10/2015:  17:57:55

THURSDAY

Big day today. In the door at 7:30. Out the door at 6....

I worked on a lot of stuff. Semaj & Hollis came and joined me working in the shop today and I even tried a new technique (that worked!).

Here I'm starting to trim the binding down with a Sand Shark.

It was one of the tools that I bought the other day at the going-out-of-business-lumberyard. This worked fairly . As I was giving my arm its workout, I thought of using my router with a flush cut bit on it....

The top binding continues the checkerboard look. Dark inside, white outside...

And white inside, dark outside..

Semaj was in for a few hours today prepping and gluing fingerboards on mini-banjos...

This 1961 Gibson Southern Jumbo is one sick puppy.  Cracks galore and nearly all the braces loose. Here I'm removing the back binding so I can remove the back... 

Hollis Mayo came in and we re-bound half of this old Gretch guitar...

Here is the Yin and Yang with the tape off and just before I trimmed all of the top and back binding with a router. I wish I had taken photos. This went great!

MORE SOON!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/13/2015:  06:57:06

SUNDAY

Recently I was asked how I hold the scribe that I use for my basic engraving. So I took these next couple of photos. First my scribe is a metal scribe installed in a much larger shop made handle. This handle makes long engraving sessions possible for my old hands.

Next is how I use it. Both hands support and guide the tool. The right apply a bit of down pressure and the left thumb helping guide the cut.

  

I am working on several of my wooden coordinator rods and these are being made from maccassar ebony. One will belong to the Aeroplane banjo. Here a length of ebony is being ripped to turning blank shape.

And then cut to length...

Centers are marked for the lathe...

Unfortunately this is where the turning photos ended for the day. I got so engrossed with turning that I forgot the camera completely. I completed on rod and Monday I'll shoot some photos as I make the next two...

Saturday morning in the building class. What a nice day. Everybody was there. Such a lot of great work!

(Left to right) Kevin sands the finish on his guitar, Jeff glues top braces & Zeb sands his in preparation for finish...

Chris carving his braces as Thomas prepares to rout for his rosette...

Coffee time!

Here we are all engrossed in the Zip Flex rosette install. This reminded me of my old days working as a concrete finisher. More excitement than the law should allow!

Zeb, back sanding...

ROSETTES!

(Lto R) Zeb's, Kevins'...

Thomas', Chris'...

Jeff's....

MORE SOON!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/13/2015:  07:20:16

Lots of things going on, until one see's the the photos, it is hard to understand just how much careful work goes into building a wonderful instrument.  Thanks for all of the posts.

DEmery - Posted - 12/13/2015:  07:58:20

Knowles String Instruments corporate office is buzzing. Call me Dan when a moment is available. I need a little assistance. David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/16/2015:  18:02:38

WEDNESDAY

The first two days of this week have just vanished! Where did they go? I looked all over and I still can't find them....

Here are a couple of projects for today.

Here I'm routing a mortise on a third guitar body. Someday I'll cut those shims down or maybe add a couple of adjustments to set body distance. That would make the jig fully adjustable...

Wooden co-ordenator rod turning today. Here the one for the Aeroplane banjo is being roughed in on the lathe...

And sanded...

Here complete. The AEROPLANE...

A rod requested for a retrofit of a banjo I built several years ago...

And lastly one for the Pharaoh....

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/16/2015:  20:02:03

Another busy day at the Knowls Luthery producing wonderful parts for fantastic musical instruments.

Looking very good.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/18/2015:  05:48:10

Dave,

Thanks! It was!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/18/2015:  06:16:29

THURSDAY

This day I worked half a day in the shop and spent the other half going over to Nashville to pick up a lathe & some clay (each Christmas presents). I picked up the lathe from my pal Tim May. It was cool visiting with him and seeing some of the archtop instruments that he is working on.

Before I headed eastwards though a bit of neck work was accomplished...

I always do the last little  bit of peghead truing before I glue on the peghead ears. Here I'm marking a square line at the junction of the two planes. As I'm sanding the peghead face I'll keep this line which helps maintain peghead squareness... 

Sanding the peghead face...

Gluing on the ears...

Peghead ears & overlay gluing...

Gluing on the peghead overlay on the Yin & Yang guitarneck...

Here are various sample pieces of the woods from the white oak 000. The plan is to fume the box for color with ammonia. These bits of wood will be placed in a small tent, made from a plastic garbage bag and exposed to amonia fumes for several days. This is a coloring technique used during the Arts & Craft movement to color or age white oak furniture.

I plan on noting how long it takes to achieve the desired color. The woods in the photo are (L to R) Spruce (with the cut), White Oak, Mahogany (laminated), Maccassar Ebony & Walnut (partially covered by the ammonia bottle)....

After 10 or so hours of fuming there are some noticeable changes. The greatest change is in the White Oak (which is what I want) it is in the center...

More soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/18/2015:  07:04:31

Amazing!



Dan

In the bottom right corner of the last photo is a smaller piece than any in the previous photo, what kind of wood is that?

Edited by - Dave1climber on 12/18/2015 07:05:43

DEmery - Posted - 12/18/2015:  07:55:30

Dan the oak responded well..., didn't it? I like the aged but simply brown tones.Is the piece top, center left spruce? If so....again a subtle but nice dull, aged tone. I imagine once a finish is overlaid and then slightly cracked...,  we will have a broken in looking guitar. Glad this piece is letting you experiment with fuming. David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/18/2015:  10:33:01

Dave,

That is a piece of macassar ebony.

David,

The wood is behaving just as I hoped. This morning the colors were a bit deeper than last night. It will be fun to pull the tent off it tonight!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/18/2015:  18:12:37

FRIDAY

I had some fun today guitar building and making a few Christmas presents, Being as this is the internet and as it is still before the holiday I can't add all the details but...

Here I'm marking for the heel  or end cut of the Yin & Yang guitar neck....

And drilling for the truss rod access. I guess you can figure that part out since I wrote it on the photo. I got to having fun with the computer program and just stuck 'um on...

Truss rod installed...

Oh yah as I was saying about presents earlier...

I turned the handles for these little mallets tonight. The handles are figured maple and the heads are brass. I've had these heads around for quite awhile and been meaning to use them.

Now was the time!

Tonights viewing of the white oak fuming experiment. The fumed oak is in front of the un-fumed oak. I like this color. I'll let it run at least until tomorrow but I think this may be where I do the guitar.

Here it is with one quick coat of shellac on it...

More Soon!!!

someone asked me once if that was a threat or promise... both I guess.

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 12/18/2015 18:14:08

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/18/2015:  20:05:32

Dan

It is all looking good!

The maple handled brass mallets are quite nice, will you be doing some sort of finish on the handles?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/19/2015:  04:39:02

Dave,

In the photo it's hard to see but they were finished with a couple of coats of shellac.

DEmery - Posted - 12/19/2015:  19:50:03

Dan if that is where you need to fume the oak guitar time wise - it does look good to me. Clearly laying on the finish will bring out the character. I like it a lot. Don't know anybody else with a fumed guitar body. Very cool. David E. 

rubicon - Posted - 12/19/2015:  20:18:08

Hello Dan this is quite interesting however I am curious Dan what does fuming do that can't be accomplished with stain ?

DEmery - Posted - 12/20/2015:  04:29:22

Tim there is a good bit of material that can be Googled on fuming. Some articles were long and were more about process; but the practice is very old, changes the chemistry of wood tannins, and seems to be especially effective with quarter sawn white oak because of its tannins. 

Ammonia fuming is a wood finishing process that darkens wood and brings out the grain pattern. It consists of exposing the wood to fumes from a strong aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide which reacts with the tannins in the wood. The process works best on white oak because of the high tannin content of this wood. Fumed oak is also called smoked oak. Other species may also be fumed but usually will not darken as much as white oak. The introduction of the process is usually associated with the American furniture maker Gustav Stickley at the beginning of the twentieth century, but fuming was certainly known in Europe some time before this.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/20/2015:  09:07:13

David & Tim,

Thanks I couldn't have explained it better. One more addendum: Fuming changes the charter of the wood, permanently. Because stain is made of pigments and the color in pigments is furtive it is not permanent but changes and fades over time, The difference is subtle but marked.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/20/2015:  09:24:19

SATURDAY

It's Sunday and I slept in. I can't believe it. I NEVER sleep in... but I did.

After a cup or two of coffee I feel almost ready to go.

First I'll make this post then go out and work on the chicken house. They need a better nesting box. With their new chicken manse they have started laying eggs all over  instead of the nesting box. I need to cure that. 

What a nice guitar building class! Everybody achieved so much! Not only that we all had a great time!

Chris Joined and laminated his backs for his guitar and Kevin wet sanded and began buffing his...

Jeff carved his top braces & Zeb finished sanding his guitar body and began the process of top staining...

Here is the whole batch wishin' everybody a Very Merry Christmas!

Oh yes this was my surprise from Chris & Jeff, a Lie-Nielsen low angle block plane. They knew that the teacher had been lusting (but not buying) one of these.

I was shocked and tickled pink when I opened the box! I think I might just engrave this pretty thing one of these days....

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/20/2015:  14:31:25

Dan

What  a good looking group of luthiers and guitar bodies!  



I have the Stanley model plane that your's is based on, it is my go too low angle block plane.  It's a fine design, and a wonderful gift.

Edited by - Dave1climber on 12/20/2015 14:33:29

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/23/2015:  05:13:52

MONDAY & TUESDAY

Two more days until Christmas. I can hardly believe it. Are you ready for it? I'm not. but I guess ole' Santie Clause will come on Thursday night anyhow.

How bout two days of shop work in one post? Here goes....

I made several guitar bridges and they started out with this piece of ebony getting sawed length & width wise on the band saw...

  

Next they visited the thickness sander to be (obviously) thicknessed and have their "ears" shaped...

Tops...

Sides...

My ole' pal Kevin has been in both days finishing up his guitar. It is a Christmas present for his dad. It is coming out absolutely beautifully! Here he just finished clamping his bridge on and is doing the cleanup...

Here I've just finished cutting a saddle slot on one of the bridges...

Three of 'um ready to go...

Cutting a neck tenon...

Spreading epoxy on the neck of the yin and Yang guitar...

Clamping with a backer made from a discarded piece of hand rail...

Clamp(s) on....

Laying out for a slothead tuning machine drilling jig & poking starter holes for drilling...

  

Drilling....

The jig finished and in action...

Cutting out the pearl logo for the Yin & Yang guitar...

More Soon!

DEmery - Posted - 12/23/2015:  05:52:33

Push before Christmas at Knowles String Instruments. Along with the Aeroplane banjo - it is a rush to the spray booth with three guitars. Drop me a note when the 000 heads to its ammonia tent. Now...that will be interesting. Have a good holiday season Dan. David E.

Bufo Bill - Posted - 12/24/2015:  14:43:47

Happy Christmas Mr. Dan, I've loved another season of Riverboating and "fettling" ( as we Brits say) musical instruments. 

Thanks for your time. 

All the best from Bill. :D

tylerandal - Posted - 12/25/2015:  08:24:54

wow!  I wish I was closer to the shop so I could hang out more!

Also, I'm getting pretty excited to see the new pharaohbanjo soon!

Merry Christmas Dan and everyone at the hangout!

dbrooks - Posted - 12/25/2015:  11:57:51

Tyler, a lot of us wish we lived closer to Dan's shop. Of course, he would get much less done (maybe), but we would sure have fun.

David

kvdkieft - Posted - 12/25/2015:  12:09:36

Merry Christmas Dan! Give Debbie a hug for me!

Dave1climber - Posted - 12/25/2015:  13:38:58

A very Merry Christmas to Dan and all readers of this topic!!  

Mike Rowe - Posted - 12/25/2015:  13:55:22

Merry Christmas!
Where do you folks see the total views of this topic?

kwl - Posted - 12/25/2015:  13:57:52

Yes, Merry Christmas everyone!

Mike, here is the link: banjohangout.org/gotoforum/12

Ken