Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/12/2016:  06:18:45

MONDAY

(on a TUESDAY MORNING)

Good morning everybody! I hope you're doin' well. This will be a quick one, mostly just photos of yesterdays highlights...Hum... I suppose that's what I always do though, isn't it!

After cleaning up the shop from the weekend I put the Kay bass up on one of the benches and went to work on it. First planing & sanding down the dowel & epoxy (to fingerboard level). Then filling a hole where it was not completely filled ...

The Yin & Yang guitar neck got a bit of refining. It is getting what I call a "Jazz" heel. That is more of a  flat square shape.

And the White Oak 000 started down the road to fingerboard markers. I'll be inlaying diamonds in this one.

This is how it goes...

First the positions are located. Then the center of each is marked with an awl. Then drilled to the narrow dimension of the diamond....

Then the diamonds placed over the holes and scribed around...

Then (here using an 1/8" chisel) the corners are chopped out so the diamonds fit. This morning I'll go in and epoxy the diamonds in place...

More Soon!

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/12/2016:  09:37:07

Lots and lots of progress Monday!!  Cheers!!

Steven M - Posted - 01/12/2016:  13:37:13

Hope those are real diamonds you are going to inlay!

Bufo Bill - Posted - 01/12/2016:  14:28:31

Those shots of the diamond inlay answer a lot of questions I had about fret marker inlay, many thanks. I always learn new things from your posts, and I am very grateful for the effort you put into these posts. 

All the best from Bill. :D

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/13/2016:  05:52:49

Dave,

Yep!

Steven,

I only wish! Perhaps David could only wish!

Bill,

Thanks! There is a bit more to come today...

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/13/2016:  06:05:44

TUESDAY

Teaching day Tuesday started out with my pal Joe Snow coming in for woodworking lessons. We just started this up a few weeks ago. Afterwards  I dove into the diamond inlays.

Here I'm gluing bits of toothpicks on the diamonds to hold the diamonds flush to the fingerboard surface...

Pushin' them down into their epoxy filled holes...

This 1900's Farland Artist Grand got a new skin head stretched the other day. Now it has been trimmed and I'm installing  the J-hooks...

It's all together strings and everything and getting the bridge set and tuned...

Checkin' it out. Oh yes!

This Farland has bar-none my favorite heel carving. I love the clean lines!

More Soon!!! 

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/13/2016:  06:34:14

Dan

Sometimes its the simple things that make building easier, case in point something stuck to the top of inlays so that they end flush with the fret board.



That Farland Artist Grand is a very good looking instrument, clean, elegant, a classic.



More Soon  

Kaelri - Posted - 01/13/2016:  07:01:04

That is a beautiful heel carving. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/13/2016:  18:23:07

Ellen & Dave,

That banjo is a real beauty! The first banjo I ever saw John Hartford play was one of these Farland's.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/13/2016:  18:39:48

WEDNESDAY

It warmed up a bit today...36 degrees! It was wonderful riding my bike to work. 

I got just a few photos for tonight, so here goes...

I cut some more pearl for the yin and yang guitar today. You'll notice that there are two pieces of pearl connected together (one light one dark) which when cut will form mirror images of each other...

I've been repairing this old Yamaha guitar. I had some bad wear back between the bridge and pickguard that I filled. Here I'm finger buffing the spot. I just like the photo and thought it was cool!

On with the pickguard...

Buffing out the peghead.

I'll finish this thing in the morning...

More soon!!!

Mike Rowe - Posted - 01/14/2016:  08:34:16

Wow! I have had that same model Yamaha since I bought it used in 1978! That's the 2nd one I've seen!

Mike Rowe - Posted - 01/14/2016:  08:35:33

I machined up brass inserts for the Tune-o-matic style bridge. You should hear the difference.

kvdkieft - Posted - 01/14/2016:  08:55:02

I just checked out your page. I LOVE the carving on the heel of that Farland. Sweet!!!
The Yamaha project is cool too!
So are you Dan!!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/20/2016:  18:13:55

Mike,

I'll bet that really improved the tone!

Ken,

Ya that carving is sweet! Do you remember the Farland Artist Grand that I had out in Empire? It was a much better instrument than this one. Don McCarty sold it for me to a traveling string band, who got into an auto accident where the banjo was destroyed. Someplace I have a photo of my son Sam (about 2 years old) with that banjo in his lap.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/20/2016:  18:40:55

WEDNESDAY

So I bet y'all have wondered where I've been the past few days.

Here...

I've been just eat up with this one. Every night when I get home from work it calls me to further Memories of Tomorrow. And when one paints with dots & figuring that this one is about 5 feet tall and still not yet complete....

So back in the dark ages (on Friday) & back in the ole' instrument shop, I do a set up on this Martin D-28...

And install dots on the Yin & Yang guitar fingerboard....

Saturday Zeb is drilling for oil... no! he's drilling his peghead for tuning machines...

As he and Chris worked I engraved on the Pharaoh's fingerboard. Doing a fret job on this neck required that the surface be sanded flat and that sanding got rid of most of the engraving. So back in it goes...

Zeb & Chris guitar constructing...

The white Oak 000 has its fingerboard flattened...

Laying out for side position markers...

And installing the same...

Two pearl holding positions while cutting the stuff. L. My usual way of holding it down. R, Holding tiny pieces...

My new BanjoHangout Players Union shirt showed up yesterday. Today it showed up on my back!

These three are slated for fretting tomorrow morning. By tomorrow they should be ready for the spray booth and they'll be there that is if the weather will co-operate!

More Soon!!!

DEmery - Posted - 01/21/2016:  05:24:30

Oh....there you are. Been dotting at night on something that  big is a full time job in itself. Glad to see the oak guitar on the bench ready for frets and finish. Really look forward to seeing how it impacts the oak visually. David E. 

Mike Rowe - Posted - 01/21/2016:  08:35:12

Hi Dan! You're right. That brass, combined with a bone nut really made a boomer out of my old Yamaha!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/21/2016:  10:42:40

Paul (Shake-Boy),

Yes all is well here in Paris. Thank you for asking.

David,

There should be a few more photos of yours tonight!

Mike,

That is so cool!

DEmery - Posted - 01/21/2016:  17:31:26

Dam that Yin /Yang guitar looks a bit deeper than the white oak 000. Both 000 guitars? If deeper; is that due to wood choice or a different resonance? David E.

Edited by - DEmery on 01/21/2016 17:32:11

rubicon - Posted - 01/21/2016:  17:49:09

That ying and yang is a great looking guitar love the peghead !

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/21/2016:  17:50:13

David,

It is not the same pattern as your guitar. This ones outline is a bit smaller but the body depth is deeper to gain a bit more bass resonance.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/21/2016:  18:10:43

THURSDAY

Well I didn't quite get as far as I had planned today, but what is new about that still I made good progress. I planned on getting all (of yesterdays) three necks fretted... one out-a three ain't bad!

First off there were several things which needed to be complete before I could bang the frets in. 

Here I fit an ebony heelcap on the white oak's neck...

Before the necks could be glued and bolted in place, I put several coats of shellac on them to make it easier to clean glue squeeze out off...

And for the Yin & Yang too...

On with the glue...

And clamps....

Now the two-tone...

Later after the glue set up It was time for the frets. First job to file the tops of the fret slots to help the frets fully seat...

Rolling the fretwire...

The first batch installed...

Nipping the fret tangs...

Hammering a fret home....

Filing fret ends...

More Soon!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/21/2016:  18:11:52

Rubicon,

Thanks!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/22/2016:  18:04:59

FRIDAY

SNOW DAY

I woke up this morning to snow falling. For us, a whole bunch. I think we got around 5 inches of the white stuff before it finally quit late this afternoon. I know for you folks up north and in other colder climes that may not be much... but for us...shezam!

This folks is what I saw out my front door around 7:30 AM. That is the Lee Academy for the Arts building off in the distance...

My neighbors Jim & Fiona Jackson's ....

Our mailman Jeff proving that neither rain, sleet or snow....

Just a bit later in the shop I got onto some French Polish and spred it on David Emery's 000...

After a bit it was on to the Yin & Yang guitar. Here I'm marking the fingerboard with chalk before true sanding it. BTW I hope y'all don't get tired of fretwork... this is day two of it...

Sanding the surface true...

The fingerboard is sanded to 800 grit. I guess this is really more like polish. I like the way the fingerboard looks and feels after this...

Each fret slot is filed with a 3 corner file. This breaks the slot edge which allows the fret to fully seat. This is something I always do...

Brushing out the sanding dust from the fret slots...

Cutting out some glue from the fret slot...

The first of the frets in...

After the fret tang is trimmed the fret is cut to length...

And hammered in...

All are in...

Next it was on to fretting the Pharaoh banjo. This is a bit different than I usually do. On this banjo neck though, because of the great amount of pearl, stone & metal the frets were glued in with epoxy.

First I applied some epoxy to the slot. Then this epoxy is heated with a heat gun so that it flows down into the slot. The excess epoxy is wiped off the fingerboard...

The frets are fit (undercut & etc.)...

Cut to length...

And hammered home. Then the the fingerboard is then cleaned again...

All of 'um in,,,

MORE SOON!!!

rubicon - Posted - 01/22/2016:  18:44:06

I'm curious Dan have you ever used EVO fretwire ?

cbcarlisle - Posted - 01/23/2016:  08:45:44

Is EVO the same or better than EVOO? ;) 

Bufo Bill - Posted - 01/23/2016:  15:01:11

Yowzer! What ever has happened to the sweet sunny south? Could this be the only occasion in history when the people of Tennessee are envious of the temperatures of wet old England? We hit 10 degrees Celsius (50 F) today in my garden. 

But then again my garden looks like a bomb hit it, and Paris looks just as lovely as ever in the snow. 

Keep toasty Dan. All the best from Bill  

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/23/2016:  17:54:36

Rubicon,

Le long answer is ... yes. For this banjo I decided to use standard fretwire.

Curt,

Don't you mean Vu...do....?

Bill,

 Ah you bum!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/23/2016:  18:10:34

SATURDAY

Nice morning. What better thing can one say ore expect for that matter. The guitar building class was small, Jeff & Chris only, due to the ice still all over our streets. 

Most days I ride a little fold up bike to and from work and today was no difference. The Ice sure made the trips fun though. The tires on this bike have almost no tread so I had to keep always on guard for ice patches. 

Chris & Jeff made great progress on their guitars! These fellas jump right i and get to work. And work with a smile! Nothin' better!

 

More Soon!!!

northwoodspicker - Posted - 01/24/2016:  17:10:04

What's a fold up bike?

Joseph

Edited by - northwoodspicker on 01/24/2016 17:10:20

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/25/2016:  05:29:44

Joseph,

It's basically a travel bike that  one can fold up and carry in a small space.I'll shoot a photo, 

guitarman8491 - Posted - 01/25/2016:  13:09:46

Dan..David Emery's white oak guitar is really one wonderful masterpiece...awesome workmanship!

Bufo Bill - Posted - 01/25/2016:  13:12:39

Sorry Dan, couldn't resist! Looks like that weather system is heading for us now. You guessed it, it's arriving as rain.

All the best from Bill. 

Kaelri - Posted - 01/26/2016:  17:57:11

5 inches? You have more snow than I've seen all month here in Michigan! What's with that? 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/26/2016:  19:35:23

Doug,

Thanks so much! I too am happy with the way it is progressing.

Bill,

Stay dry!

Ellen,

Oh come on now, you're not foolin' me are you?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/26/2016:  19:49:28

TUESDAY

I just got in from a good day of teaching today. Everyone was there and prepared! Who could ask for better than that. They all (almost to a person) blamed it on the snow... perhaps...

Last night bout 10 o'clock, I put the finishing touches and signed my new painting MEMORIES OF TOMORROW. So here are some photos for your perusal...

A couple of detail shots...

         

Here's one to give you an idea of the surface texture...

And one to help visualize the size, 64" X 17".

Oh yes before I go...

Here's another one to blame on the snow. Last week my Art of Inlay class was snowed out. So we are starting it up this Thursday. If you are near at hand and would like to come please contact me, I only have a couple of spots open...

More Soon!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/29/2016:  19:42:26

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

My has this ever been a couple of busy days! I'm not complaining, just facting! Debbie and I just got in from picking up our grandboys in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Of course we visited with the folks at Sam's Club, Kroger, Hobby Lobby & Harbor Freight. What would a trip to the big city be without those stops?!? What you ask? Ok I'll let y'all in on a secret... Virgil's Root Beer. Yep, the best root beer in the land!

Oh now but on to Luthin'...

Yesterday my pal C. Pucket dropped in so he could work on his 1952 Martin D-18. Man but this poor old thing has been through the wringer. Loads of cracks and missing pieces. We've both been working on this one for a bit and now here he's doing the sanding...

Remember the Kay upright bass with the lag screw (that I took out)? Well the top of the hole has been pluged . This little rosewood plug is being epoxied in place....

And just a bi of "Spirit Varnishing" on the 000. I just love the depth of this finish!

Finishing up a Martin set-up...

Here the rest of yesterday passes by. I went to the art school and taught the first class of 4, on the Art of Inlay. Great fun with great folks! Too bad I didn't shoot some photos!

Today though, it was back to the bass. Not only did the plug need plaining flush to the surface, but the fingerboard needed truing. So I grabbed up my trusty Stanley jack plane and made it all happy...

And hung out in the spray booth with the Pharaoh banjo...

And continued working on the 000...

More Soon!!!

Blackjaxe47 - Posted - 01/29/2016:  22:10:38

Dan, where is your respirator when your spraying. Not good stuff to be inhaling.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/30/2016:  04:52:40

Ken,

Thanks for the concern. I guess that photo is a bit deceptive. I'm standing in front of and spraying into a commercial spray booth fan unit that moves a great amount of air (I don't remember how many CFM's). Inside the booth you can't even smell the finish.

Paul R - Posted - 01/30/2016:  11:48:35

It looks like Mr. Pucket and his D-18 have some fine stories to tell!

Blackjaxe47 - Posted - 01/30/2016:  16:20:07

Dan do me a favour and always wear a respirator, we need to have you and your skills around for decades. Because you cannot smell it does not mean it is not there, even the skin on your hands are subject to absorbing harmful compounds and cause liver problems down the road.

DEmery - Posted - 01/30/2016:  17:09:16

Dan the French polished top is special. Lots of work for you to do this and much appreciated. Like most of your art work on wood - I will keep watching. After several of these projects with you; I know if ain't done until it is done and it continues to evolve. David E.

tylerandal - Posted - 01/31/2016:  09:13:47

love me some good french polishing :)

also, I can't wait to see the pharaoh banjo again!  

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/31/2016:  09:51:56

Paul,

Ceville told me that the D-18 was a gift from a friend who was an old blues player that he took care of in his last days. I would have loved to have met him. On the other hand Ceville has a load of great stories to tell (and does). I'm thinking about talking to him about doing an video interview (r series of interviews) with the idea of capturing just a bit of his story.

Ken,

Will do....

David,

Thanks! I too am happy with the way this project is evolving. I am so looking forward to hearing this one's first song in the next few weeks.

Tyler,

Thanks! I understand yours must be really good by now... doing some for Sam Bush!!! Yes, Yes!!!

I've missed the ole Pharaoh and I'll be glad to have it back!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 01/31/2016:  10:03:28

SATURDAY

& TEACHIN'

Thursday I forgot to make photos in my inlay class. Saturday in the Lutherie class I couldn't be charged with the same neglect!

After a bit (and a bunch of shots) Thomas said "Really Dan, do ya have to..." 

So now I have just a few from Saturday.

The progress these guys are making is just astounding. It seams like they each try and up the ante for the other just a bit. And it works! They are constantly trying to improve their work and it shows. It makes me quite proud to be their teacher.

Here is Chris trimming his sides to receive linings...

Jeff gluing on top linings. And Zeb showing off a freshly French polished top on his guitar that's just about ready for the spray booth...

Thomas making neck and end blocks...

And I showed out a bit with some engraving...

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/31/2016:  18:10:19

Lots and lots going on since last I checked, whole big bunches of great looking things being done.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 02/02/2016:  05:34:52

David,

Yes, Yes!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 02/02/2016:  05:46:04

MONDAY

Good morning everybody! Isn't coffee wonderful! Warm, rich smelling and oh so strong flavored, I'd probably be asleep were it not for this black stuff! 

OK the truth can now be revealed, This is what truly makes a Luthier... hands that fit a broom!

I'm preparing to engrave the logo on the 000. So first it has to be successively sanded to 800 grit...

Then the engraving laid out...

When, like here, the layout is not up to snuff, a bit of alcohol wipes it away...

Ready to engrave. This is my hand position for engraving...

And here, for my Thursday night inlay class, a newly minted group of pearl cutting boards...

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 02/02/2016:  06:25:55

Dan

Anyone that does top quality work of any sort will have "hands that fit a broom".

The pipe on the cutting boards, is that a blow pipe, or a suck pipe?

Written as I have a coffee.

Dave

Edited by - Dave1climber on 02/02/2016 06:27:47