TxBubbaDog - Posted - 02/07/2013:  17:27:28

Anyone know of a way to keep a calfskin head from absorbing moisture?

Not exactly the driest place down here in Houston!

The banjo I made has the head tacked on, so I cannot adjust the tension. I know about the trick with the hair dryer, but I would have to do that almost everyday. 

Are there any products that could be applied to the head that would keep it from sucking the moisture out of the air?

chadp - Posted - 02/07/2013:  18:39:13

I just installed a calf skin on my banjo, right now it's drying (put it on 2 hours ago) and tomorrow i'm going to a shoe store to buy some leather protector spray to treat it. I've heard this helps a bit. 

Jim D - Posted - 02/07/2013:  18:55:26

"jbalch - Posted - 07/28/2011:  12:52:42

I use leather waterproofing spray. My current can was purchased at Rack Room Shoes for about $5.  It is called ""Rain&Stain repellent". Other brands and types are fine too I'm sure.

It does not change the appearance or sound of the hide at all (that I can tell).

It does not totally eliminate sagging due to high humidity.  But I think it does help.

I remove the mounted head from the banjo and treat with two (2) coats.  I spray the top, bottom and crown. After  it dries thoroughly, reassemble the banjo and tension the head normally.

My hide heads still respond to the weather.  I think they do improve (and move less) over time and they become thoroughly stretched and seasoned.  I sometimes tighten them in very humid weather and loosen a bit when the dry heat is running in the winter.  On some banjos, I use a slightly taller bridge during the most humid days of summer.

Natural skin heads require extra effort. But  I personally like the sound of them enough to deal with the hassles. I hope that helps."

BDCA - Posted - 02/07/2013:  20:25:17

Banjos in the 20s came with an internal light fixture that kept the head tight in humid weather. It doesn't take much.

Cya!

Bob

BDCA - Posted - 02/07/2013:  21:18:25

pastorharry - Posted - 02/08/2013:  00:30:47

I will link this to the hide heads group, I'm sure you'll get some great pointers there. I also live in a humid area, Hawaii 2 blocks from the ocean, but I love my skin heads. If it's real humid out my head gets a tad soft and my banjo gets pretty echoey, so I'll either just give it a 1/2 turn or so on the brackets, or stick a small foam under the bridge to soften the echo and hold the bridge from sag. It takes awhile for skin to settle in anywhere, but the results are worth it for me.

EDIT: I see JB already beat me to the link to Hide Head group.

Edited by - pastorharry on 02/08/2013 00:32:40

TxBubbaDog - Posted - 02/08/2013:  11:19:12

Thank you for all the tips! Very cool about the lights inside the pot!

Rizo - Posted - 02/08/2013:  12:38:44

Deck sealant.

raybob - Posted - 02/09/2013:  08:13:26

I'd think twice about putting a moisture repellent on a tackhead (where the head was drawn down tight while it was damp then tacked and glued permanently in place). The moisture in your application may allow the head to stretch, and I'm not sure if when it dries it would get taught again like it did when the water evaporated out of it. I use a spray with the skin heads I put on that are tensioned with hooks but there's some adjustability in that system. Anybody actually try this with a tackhead ?

Edited by - raybob on 02/09/2013 08:15:05

TxBubbaDog - Posted - 02/13/2013:  06:33:54

quote:

---

Originally posted by raybob

I'd think twice about putting a moisture repellent on a tackhead (where the head was drawn down tight while it was damp then tacked and glued permanently in place). The moisture in your application may allow the head to stretch, and I'm not sure if when it dries it would get taught again like it did when the water evaporated out of it. I use a spray with the skin heads I put on that are tensioned with hooks but there's some adjustability in that system. Anybody actually try this with a tackhead ?

---

That is a very valid point about the possiblility of the moisture not evaporating.

I tried the moisture repellent. I only applied one coat top and bottom. It did in fact sag some due to the spray. It did not seem to hurt anything or make the sagging worse, but I cannot tell if it helped.

Now that it is completely dry, I am going to apply the hair dryer once more and see if it tightens and retains the tension. I will post back with my results. 

Steve Jeter - Posted - 02/13/2013:  06:58:35

Ive made a few,,,, and nothing , is going to complety eliminate it. you know our humidity. I hope when you tacked it,,, you had help,,, youve got to get it tighter than dicks hatband when its sopping{almost} wet, or it will give a bunch. and I hope you also glued it. Ive tried a few different ways,,, I put a skin on 3 ways on a MB I made,,,, only to go back to the way I do now.

good luck, may your head not sag,,