banjodeac - Posted - 06/30/2026:  20:52:40

I recently purchased a pre war conversion. When the banjo arrived, the flange was broken. I sourced a replacement pre war flange. Unfortunately, when I tried to swap the flanges, the interior diameter of the new flange is slightly too small for the rim.

I’m looking for a luthier in Western North Carolina (close to Charlotte) that could lathe the new ring to fit the rim. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Will Frady - Posted - 06/30/2026:  22:16:15

Tim Davis

banjoT1 - Posted - 06/30/2026:  23:27:58

What does "slightly too small for the rim" mean?

.....any precise measurements - taken say, at 3 or 4 diameter locations? Are you eyeballing 16ths of an inch or measuring thousandths with a vernier caliper? There are ways to measure without necessity for a vernier though.

Knowing some averaged diameter dimension might help us give you one or several additional options to fit that puppy.

Bob Smakula - Posted - 07/01/2026:  04:55:47

Though in Nashville, Steve Huber resized a flange for me. I don't know the cost as my son picked up the bill for me.



Bob Smakula

smakulafrettedinstruments.com

Will Frady - Posted - 07/01/2026:  06:30:28

Bob. It sounds like you have a pretty good son . Good job

GStump - Posted - 07/01/2026:  07:46:06

Matt - Not surprising the replacement flange isn't an exact fit. I know for a fact that there are at least 3 different sized "prewar flanges." I have heard others say, there may be as many as 4 or even 5. (Not sure about that!) Most of the better equipped banjo builders shops can do that job for you I think, it's a matter of lathing the flange that is too small on the I.D. to properly fit your rim. Huber does that job. I believe that Tim Davis can, Richie Dotson, and no doubt others. Any of them will no doubt ask that you also send the rim that you need the flange actually fitted to.

RB3 - Posted - 07/01/2026:  09:30:26

I suspect that any luthier you would find may not have the equipment or the expertise needed to machine a metal part such as a banjo flange. If I were you, I would check out some small machine shops in the Charlotte area that have CNC equipment. It would be a simple job for someone with a 2-axis, CNC vertical milling machine with the appropriate capacity. It won't be inexpensive.

Edited by - RB3 on 07/01/2026 09:36:25

banjodeac - Posted - 07/01/2026:  10:33:26

Thanks everyone. When we took apart the banjo to replacement flange, it almost fit. We didn’t want to force it and mess up the rim.

I will reach out to Tim Davis as he’s local to me. Appreciate the thoughts.

1931TB2 - Posted - 07/02/2026:  07:06:42

When I got a replacement flange I just used a Dremel tool on the new flange to make it fit. Only took like 15 minutes.

Brett - Posted - 07/02/2026:  07:15:45

Bob Logan, did you do that on a prewar pot metal flange or more modern brass?