Perhaps a better title for this post would be “I Do Better Work When Tools Are Sharp!” The other day I found myself enjoying working at the bench less that I usually do. I was having a hard time clamping a dulcimer firmly enough to the bench so that I could plane the fingerboard flat. [...]
Tag Archive 'fretboard'
I have long relied on a steel straightedge to assure that anything that needs to be straight or flat is indeed straight or flat. I have treated this steel straightedge very well, keeping it from direct sunlight to avoid warping and storing it where it would not be bumped or abused. Today I was having [...]
Here’s a bench shot of a dulcimer just after installing the frets. Scattered around the dulcimer are the tools I use when installing frets as well as some random stuff that tends to live on the bench. Speaking of random stuff; I’ve been told to live by the rule, “A place for everything and everything [...]
Just thought I’d put up a few pictures of #81 as it moves through a few stages of construction. This sides and back are from a very nice piece of curly Walnut and the top is a very stiff piece of Sitka Spruce with a fair amount of bear claw figure. Unfortunately my lack of [...]
I fret dulcimers after the instrument is completely assembled. Some dulcimer makers fret the fingerboard before gluing it to the soundboard and have good results but I prefer to true up the fingerboard once I know the fretboard won’t move or warp during the construction process. I use a long sanding block to sand the [...]
Here are a few photos of what I’ve been up to in the shop. The peg head is sawn to rough shape with a Japanese style saw. Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke so they are easy to control. They also cut with great precision and leave the surface of the wood relatively smooth. [...]
I’m currently building prototypes of the Appalachian dulcimers I will be producing. First I come up with a concept of what I expect from the instrument. I prefer an even response and voicing throughout the entire range of the instrument; every string at every fret should speak well. There is a unique quality in the [...]
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- I'm about to put binding on a dulcimer and will start making the peghead while the glue dries. Lutherie multitasking! 1 day ago
- Making sawdust. 2 days ago
- Just got back from a trip to the sawmill. I came home with some beautiful quartersawn cherry and walnut. 3 days ago
- I have a pile of odd dulcimer tops, sides and backs left over from resawing. None match the others. I'll make a patchwork dulcimer someday! 4 days ago
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