I purchased the blueprint for the Vega Whyte Laydie this weekend from Elderly (drawn in 1976, I forget by whom) and was surprised to see that the rim was...
Anyone ever considered 8" OD PVC pipe as a rim for a travel banjo on the cheap? I am thinking in terms of a short-scale nylon-strung fretless. Now I have to...
... Jamey, That sounds like a neat idea. Don't know how it would sound, but it would be well worth a try. As far as the neck is concerned, if you wanted to be ...
Hi Jamey, I have given it some considerable thought. In fact, there is somebody out there who markets a type of "collapsable" banjo with a PVC tone ring but...
Hi Gang, I have posted pics of some pictures in Hugh's Wooden Banjo Gallery of a rim drilling machine I just finished. In the past my biggest problem with...
Hugh: Why go to the trouble of laying the drill press on its back?? Looks like it would work just as fine standing up. Regards, Bill Rickard ... of ... cheapie...
Does anyone know what the exact angle is that the neck is set to, to suite a 5/8" bridge height? I usually just set it by eye, and have been told that it...
Bill, I use 3 degrees with a 5/8" bridge as a standard setup. Chuck Lee Banjo Company Ovilla, Texas WWW.LeeBanjos.com ... [Non-text portions of this message...
Hugh and Bill, My setup looks a lot like Hugh's driller but mine stands up on the standard drill press base. I have a brace that slides over the center screw...
I built my drilling machine to lay flat because that seems to be the most natural way to lay a rim to keep it from rolling about. It really wasn't too much...
It definitely does depend on scale length and pot size/length of neck (i.e.: where on the head does the bridge sit?). It also depends on how high the...
... to ... Banjo Neck Angle. I noticed that a couple of months ago the topic of neck angle came up in this group and I read all the responses with interest...
... Hugh, Neat jig! Do you use a backing block on the inside of the rim where the drill bit comes through to minimize splintering, or is that not a problem in...
As always, good information. What a real concentration of talent on this list. I have neck angle problems only when I'm sitting in a comfortable chair,...
In theory, this should be relatively simple to calculate using plain trigonometry. You need to know the following variables: -Length from nut to bridge -Height...
Does anyone know if the 20's-era Vegas had any neck reinforcement? I am hoping to build one, and was thinking of a steel tube rather than anything adjustable....
Don't forget that you can buy PVC fittings one at a time. In other words, a PVC coupler is nothing more than a short length of PVC designed to receive two...
I alwways back up a drilled hole with a scrap of wood. That's why the clamp is not in line with where the hole will be drilled through. I am also looking for a...
... Look for a Forstner bit. They will cut cleaner than a brad point bit. The wood block for backup is good, but be sure it touches all around. If there is...
In a message dated 12/2/2003 1:43:21 PM Pacific Standard Time, ... The southern institution known as the 'peckerwood sawmill' is an excellent source for this...
I'm in Michigan. Ann Arbor, specifically. ... _________________________________________________________________ Winterize your home with tips from MSN House &...
After working with wyatt in his shop I have become truely faithful to the centre laminate without a truss rod. I have seen many old Vega and Fairbanks banjos ...
The cherry and walnut make a wonderful looking mix. I have used this combination in the past, still straight and true. I also included a strip of black pear...
I'd like to try something other than standard MOP for inlay. One possibility is brass. I was thinking about using it as a binding strip, OR as actual inlay,...
... My brother has used some old piano key top ivory pieces for inlay on a couple of banjo fingerboard. He said it had a little softer feel to engrave than MOP...
I can't do inlay. On the other hand, I do use round things in drilled holes. Some material that works includes bamboo end grain. I take a bamboo round--from...
