mike gregory - Posted - 01/19/2016:  08:47:00

Can hardly wait to see if this one turns out well enough to become my Strolling Around banjo.

Because if I'm close enough to the folks that they can see the Do-It-Yourself features, they might get inspired to buy one of my handcrafted products.

Or, hire me to do a banjo-building workshop.

Edited by - mike gregory on 02/12/2016 14:14:26

Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo- Underide of neck	Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo-Heel close up	Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo- Bowl bottom	Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo-First alignment
Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo- First alignment, Top view	Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo-Peghead shaped like a hand	Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo- Making the perch rod	Jan 2016 Salad Bowl Banjo- Raw assembly

Stephen45710 - Posted - 01/19/2016:  09:24:56

Very cool banjo your going to have there. Lots of work in that unique banjo!

dlaughery1013 - Posted - 01/19/2016:  09:32:47

Mike, are all five strings going up to the peg head?  Dave L.

mike gregory - Posted - 01/19/2016:  10:20:20

Yes they are,



For several reasons.



ONE guitar capo will instantly clamp all the strings.

And the short drone, I am guessing, is a leftover from the ancient days, when banjo strings were horsehair.



MUCH easier to get a high note off a short string, than to tighten up a long piece of horsehair and HOPE it doesn't break.

But the 12-string guitar has a full-length octave G, which does just fine.

I've got what I call my "Full Five" banjo, which I've been playing for a few years now, no problem.

And, since I don't do superfancy runs involving FRETTING the 5th, it does not affect my playing.

....................... Went back and checked.......................

Posted the pictures of the Full Five in 2009, so, at least 5 years,  and the string (as far as I can recall)  only broke once. MAYBE twice.

And probably because I was turning the 5th peg whule trying to tune the 4th string.

Easy fix for that is to make the 5th peg FEEL different to the finger.

Edited by - mike gregory on 01/19/2016 10:27:45

Full 5, back

Full 5 , front

maneckep - Posted - 01/19/2016:  11:57:18

Geez Mike - you are getting fancier with each new jo. Pretty soon we will start to see "Gregory" clone banjos coming out of China!!!!!

dlaughery1013 - Posted - 01/19/2016:  13:13:48

Thanks.  I've often wondered why we don't see more "full five" banjos; I've thought about making one many times.  One could capo anywhere and not have the fifth peg get in the way.  Dave L.

Edited by - dlaughery1013 on 01/19/2016 13:16:00

mike gregory - Posted - 01/19/2016:  17:44:46

Thanks for the positive comments , all y'all.

And here's the embroidery hoop and drum head I'm experimenting with.

Salad Bowl Banjo 2016- Drum head 1

Salad Bowl Banjo 2016- Drum head 2

mike gregory - Posted - 01/20/2016:  10:37:36

The drum head+emroidery hoop idea didn't pan out.
Probably MY fault for not sanding the inside of the hoop.
I guess the epoxy stuck to the FINISH on the hoop, and ripped off real easily when tension was applied.

Lucky me, the son-in-law runs a business which includes large clear disposable P.E.T.E. palstic disposable deli tray covers, which, when fastened down and heat-shrunk, make GREAT banjo heads.

mike gregory - Posted - 01/22/2016:  11:40:06

Getting there.

The neck is ready for a little more sanding, once the dowel joint dries.

(I admit it! I hate sanding.)

Then finishing.

And the deli tray cover is actually pretty.

Think I'm going to make a set of D tuners, like the Scruggs book shows.

2016 salad bowl banjo- semi-final alignment

Salad BOwl banjo, 2015 Decorative plastic head

mike gregory - Posted - 01/28/2016:  20:17:49

Since it's MY peghead, and not some super valuable item, I can go ahead and make 2 more holes in it, for D-tuners..

And the instructions are right there in the back of the Scruggs book.

Already HAD two old pegs.

Cost under $3 for the 4-40 bolts, and about $4 for the tap.

Can hardly wait to put the banjo together and see if ANYTHING came out right!

D-tuners from Scruggs Book instructions

mike gregory - Posted - 01/29/2016:  11:05:14

Got  it done.

GOOD NEWS:

Sounds nice.

BAD news:

My recording program is currently upfucculated, can't post a sound file.

WORSE news:

I did not ORIGINALLY plan for the D-tuners, so there's no convenient spot to install them!

Completed salad bowl banjo Jan 2016

Salad bowl banjo 2016- Tailpiece

Salad bowl banjo 2016- Head close up

Salad bowl banjo 2016- Big Bone ttop nut.

mike gregory - Posted - 01/29/2016:  11:49:46

Tried a bit of Cripple Creek, three different ways, just to get a sample recording.

banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=

I'm fairly well satisfied with the results, although a better player WOULD naturally make for a better sound.

Stephen45710 - Posted - 01/29/2016:  11:56:14

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike gregory

 

Can hardly wait to see if this one turns out well enough to become my Strolling Around banjo.

Because if I'm close enough to the folks that they can see the Do-It-Yourself features, they might get inspired to buy one of my handcrafted products.

Or, hire me to do a banjo-building workshop.

---

Sounds good to me! So, is it going to make the cut and become your Strolling Around Banjo?

Dan Drabek - Posted - 01/29/2016:  14:28:53

Looks and sounds good Mike. Now you have to find something else to make salad in. 

DD

steveh_2o - Posted - 01/29/2016:  16:22:57

Looks and sounds great Mike!  I'm gonna try that heat shrink trick of yours someday soon.

mike gregory - Posted - 01/31/2016:  15:54:13

Not specifically MY trick.
Somebody who knew I was always looking for cheap and different ways to make banjos sent me a link.
Some guy in the U.K. had built a banjo SPECIFICALLY to take to the community campfire sing-along, since he greatly feared a burning marshmallow would fly off the stick of whomever was waving it, and land on his GOOD abnjo.

But, as tricks go, it IS very effective!
I've used it more than a dozen times.

mike gregory - Posted - 01/31/2016:  15:57:55

Meanwhile, back at the ranch!

Seems I did a poor job of fastening the dowel to the heel, and it's already wobbling.

Luckily, I've read a lot, right here on BHO, about re-doing a dowel stick.

Jonnycake White - Posted - 02/02/2016:  07:05:43

Mike - as usual, you never fail to entertain.

Have you tried the neck extension being re-popularized by Randy Cordle (his "backstep" banjo)?  I've made several of these already and I tell  you, I won't go back to a dowel stick (or Rudy rod) for any but the most traditional banjos.  I'm even now planning on doing another one on my current "high-ish end" banjo project. 

I wish I could find a source for "virgin" PETE plastic film.  My theory is that it will shrink tighter if it hasn't been stretched out in the vacu-forming process.  I could be 180 degrees bass ackward on that but I'd sure like to do the experiment.  I may try to contact local fabricators how make those vegetable tray lids and try to beg some scraps from them.

Dan Drabek - Posted - 02/02/2016:  08:52:32

Mike, I would be a little leery about those brass brads stuck in the tailpiece. If they pull loose you could shoot your eye out. 

DD

mike gregory - Posted - 02/02/2016:  14:18:57

I plan to trim them shorter, when I take it apart to work on the dowel joint.
Nails pull out a lot easier the LONG way, than the SIDE way.

mike gregory - Posted - 02/11/2016:  20:29:13

Oh, [OBSCENETY DELETED] ! !

The deli tray head SPLIT, so I tried another brand of deli tray.

But, while holding it over the gas stove to heat-shrink it, I held it too low or too slow, and melted a hole in it.

So, instead of having the situation rectified, I seem to have gotten it rectumfied!

Luckily, no harm was done to the banjo body.