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wfm65ou - Posted - 03/03/2017: 19:02:56
I'm in the planning stage for building a Tackhead banjo, and I will appreciate advice about using hide glue around the top of the rim when stretching on the head. The head will be softened with water, and I know that hide glue requires a dry surface. I'll be using TiteBond Hide Glue. Is this going to work? Is there a better alternative?
Fathand - Posted - 03/03/2017: 22:01:44
Real Hide Glue flakes that you mix with water and heat. Of course you can also use white glue or yellow carpenters glue like original Titebond
Uncle Freddy - Posted - 03/04/2017: 19:11:23
In my limited experience with tackhead application, glue is not really necessary, though it may depend a bit on what kind of rim/pot you're tacking to. I do have a lot of experience with glues, and for hide glue or aliphatic resin glue(yellow carpenters glue, like Titebond Original) the wet surface shouldn't pose a problem. I would also discourage you from using any of the liquid hide glues; they can work fine, but they have a short shelf life, and if you get an old bottle you might have problems. Hot hide glue is far superior, but you do have to know how to use it and have a way to heat it to the proper temperature. I'd probably recommend Titebond Original; both that and hide glue are water based, so using on a wet surface will slow drying time but shouldn't interfere significantly with function. Once everything (the skin, the rim wood and the glue) dries out completely it should be fine.
But again, I don't think the gluing is necessary if you have a solid structure to tack to and use plenty of tacks. There may even be an advantage in not using glue....if the skin needs to be re-stretched because it's not tight enough, this would be a lot easier to accomplish if it's not glued.
Fred
Tom Berghan - Posted - 03/05/2017: 08:25:44
Just as Fred said above I believe most tack-head builders do not use any glue. Alternately, I have seen some gourd banjos as well a variety of stringed instruments from India, like the Sarod, that use only glue and no tacks at all.
But, it is a "tack-head" banjo . . . so you should probably go with tacks. Another thing Fred did not mention is that when you soak the hide it gets a little sticky and that sticky goo that comes out of the hide helps it sick down to the wood . . . not like glue (well, kind of like glue) . . . but it will lay down nicely.
Uncle Freddy - Posted - 04/06/2017: 18:56:42
This is a bit off topic, but Tom's post makes me think about techniques for attaching a skin head without tacks, just glue. The challenge there is that you're applying a wet skin, which you want to tighten as it dries, so you get a nice, tight head. How do you keep the skin from pulling the glue joint loose as it tightens? Apparently, the trick is to keep the skin wet, except around the edge, where the glue is, until the glue has set, and only then do you let the rest of the skin dry out and tighten, and the glue will hold it.
Fred
tombones - Posted - 04/10/2017: 12:30:42
I recently finished a tackhead banjo that had to be re-skinned twice before getting it right with the third skin. Here is what I learned. 1. Rough side in 2. Hide Glue or original Titebond around the area where you want the head to remain 3. wet the head (not too much or with too warm of water) 4. use a band clamp to secure the head to the pot and keep it there until it's dry. 5. once the glue is dry (I waited 24 hours just to be safe) remove the band clam, 6. Install your tacks.
I've done a number of tackheads in the past, and not all of them had the same issues this one did to start with, but I believe following those 6 things will work consistently every time. Some of my past tackheads I did not use glue, and after one year of weather and humidity changes the head started ripping at the tacks. One I did with glue and tacks (no band clamp) and it is still tight after 2 years. Another I used string wrapped tightly around the skin acting as a band clamp holding the skin down until I got the tacks in (the glue was still wet), and that head came loose and tore at the tacks. I think no glue can work for a year, but plan on replacing the head in a year, especially if you live somewhere with drastic changes in humidity throughout the year. I think better safe than sorry is a good mantra with tackheads.
Specifically in regards to hide glue, I think I like it best for tackheads, because even though it does get brittle, it's made of skin, and since you are attaching skin to wood, using a wood glue made of what is essentially boiled skin flakes, I feel like the bond is better. And as for it's brittle nature, the tacks should secure it in place enough to not have that be an issue, unless you go intentionally hitting stuff with your banjo, then the tacks won't do you too much good ( maybe as a bumper?) Either way, I like the hide glue idea.
The pictures are of the most recent tackhead I did, and one shows the string process of holding the head while putting the tacks in.
I hope all of this helps!
