They didnt have the best neck to rim connection. But the rod never extended beyond the rim on any I had. And they had a brass tube inside the rim that the rod ran through.They make great sounding banjos. I've had Majestics and several The Bells. I always put a small pin in the heel a bit above the lag screw to pierce the rim a little to prevent the neck from rotating. Good luck with it. I think you'll like the sound.

Thanks for the information. I'll see about putting a pin in, as you suggest. Sounds like a good idea!

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Originally posted by psparks60

I am a beginner attempting to build a new neck for a Puntolillo pot. So far, the neck is coming along. But I'm curious about the original single coordinator rod, how it works, and what to do where it meets the neck. In the attached photos, you can see the nickel-plated brass hex rod. The neck in the photos is the existing one that I am going to replace.

The rod extends about 1/8" outside of the pot, so will be in conflict with the heel unless I dap it. Is this the way it is supposed to be?
You will need to install washers at the ends of the rods so they don't 
I don't really understand how this rod can be used to adjust the neck. I will push/pull on the heel, but slides in the hole in the pot.

Also, I noticed that the tapped holes in the coordinator rod are off center, so there will be some 'run out' when turned, and it seems to me would tend to put the heel in a bind. Is that something to be concerned about?

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You will need to install washers at the end sof the rods to prevent them from actually going into the rim holes.

The rim hole at the tail piece is just a clearance hole for the machine screw that you can see in the picture. The rod can't go through that hole, but I put washers on both sides anyway.

The hole at the heel end of the rim is the same diameter as the rod, so the rod goes through and, weirdly, sticks out the other side. I don't see how it could have had washers on that end? I suppose the rod might not be original, though it looks just like all the Puntolillo ones I've seen pictures of?

Should I consider cutting the rod, or replacing it?

All of the Punolillo banjos I've had have had a round steel rod attached to the heel. That rod went through a plated brass tube in the rim. You tighten the bolt at the tailpiece side to snug the rim up to the tube. There isn't really any option for adjustments. Since the neck is not original, I wonder if the current hex rod is not original as well.

I wondered that, too. I have found several nearly identical banjos online with the same hex rod. One example is this one

https://www.elderly.com/products/s-s-stewart-tenor-banjo-late-1920s-80u-223007?srsltid=AfmBOoqJ4xD05FyHPXUV1IvISJ1Oyc350o9d3ynOF5suswFS6GHPf1hO

quote:

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Originally posted by psparks60

I wondered that, too. I have found several nearly identical banjos online with the same hex rod. One example is this one

https://www.elderly.com/products/s-s-stewart-tenor-banjo-late-1920s-80u-223007?srsltid=AfmBOoqJ4xD05FyHPXUV1IvISJ1Oyc350o9d3ynOF5suswFS6GHPf1hO

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Ah, so maybe he used the hex rod on the earlier built banjos. Almost all of the Puntolillo banjos I've owned or repaired have had resonators.