info on carving a banjo neck

Subject: info on carving a banjo neck
From: oombanjo
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 12:28 PM

About 3 years ago I acquired a 30 year old piece of rosewood, not a crack in it, 4ft x 3"x 4"qauter sawn and as heavy as lead. I had the idea of carving a 5 string banjo neck out of it and never got round to giving it a go. The urge has now rekindled and any advice on tools ECT, what, and what not to do, will be greatly appreciated. cheer3s Oombanjo

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: Les from Hull
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 12:33 PM

John - there are some local people who may be of help. John (Harpmaker) has good wood skills and knowledge. Norman Cross may also be able to give you some good advice. And Eric (don't know his other name) also does this sort of thing. But you probably aleady thought of these people, and I'm sure that there 'catters with plenty of experience.

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: ThreeSheds
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 01:12 PM

Wouldnt that make the neck out of balance,also surely the best use for rosewood is fret boards

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: DonMeixner
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 01:22 PM

I'd rethink the idea of a Rosewood neck. The weight would be an issue I would think. I don't believe I have ever seen a Rosewood neck on anything because of the weight issue. I imagine it would be a hard carve as well.

Try Mahogany, Walnut, Maple, maybe even Birch.

Don

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: oombanjo
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 02:06 PM

Thanks all, but I have the rosewood, I know it can be doneas I once saw a Temlett with a solid Rosewood neck, but thanks again these are the type of tips I am after before I decide to try it.

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: DonMeixner
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 03:26 PM

OK give it a shot. Some Rosewoods can be murder on cutting tools. Contact a Wood Carving guild in your area. They may suggest ways to go at the wood and a lubricant to lessen the impact on your tools. I have found it better to rough out Rosewood with a band saw, rough shape it with various rasps and then files. You may want to finally shape it with a cabinet scraper.

One builder I know uses white gas (Coleman stove fuel) to de-grease the head stock of natural oils before gluing on the headstock overlay.
I don't know how well this works as I've never done it.

Are you going to use a truss rod? I's still use a for real fret board as it gives you a way to hide the truss rod as well as give the neck more strength.

Good Luck

Don

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 06:29 PM

A lot does depend on whether you have access to a woodworking workshop with stuff such as a band saw, a thicknesser, disc and drum sanders, or whether you will be doing it all by hand.
Rough shaping by workshop tools cuts down the time scale before you get to the serious hand shaping.
You will need shaping tools, planes and chisels.
The fine shaping will need a spoke shave (curved profile).

I have a useful book on banjo repair somewhere, which essentially describes every task needed for making new parts. Don't know where it is without searching, but you are welcome to borrow it.
Quack!
Geoff.

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 06:46 PM

I have never carved a neck from rosewood, but have used Stanley Surform rasps on mahogony necks and an oak neck and they work fine.

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 09:43 PM

There is Banjo Building,Set Up and Repair section over at the Banjo Hangout. Some of the best banjo builders in the world post there regularly. I'm sure that you would get the kind of advice that you are seeking.   

Banjo Hangout

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 10:41 PM

Just thought I'd throw in my two canadian cents. I've built banjos and my take is to make a laminated neck without a tension rod,using either carbon fibre or ebony for the center strip. Truth is though that rosewood is very dense and resinous and is heck on bandsaw blades. Still , laminates of rosewood, maple and ebony would make a pretty, sturdy, and lighter weight neck. Good luck
Owlkat.

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 10:43 PM

Years ago Earl Scruggs put out a book with detailed instructions and plans on how to build an entire banjo.
It might be available on Amazon or e-bay.

Seamus

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 04:43 AM

There is a book by Roger Siminoff about banjo building from scratch, it's still available.

eric

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 05:06 AM

Please! Don't be responsible for bringing any more into the world.

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 09:09 AM

The traditional methods of course are hand carving.

IF you happen to know someone who has a "profiler" setup, a router can be set up to trace a profile along the length and to vary the profile depth with rotation around the piece, following a simple pattern/template.

This is a "fancy machinery" approach, and one wouldn't think many people would have these tools; but quite a few of them have been reported as sold in my area.

Although many are sold, nobody knows where they go after sale.

They usually are purchased by people interested in carving fancy table legs and such.

I have, over several decades, known about three people who had one. I have NOT, over the same several decades, known anyone who actually knew how to use one, or who had actually made a table leg with theirs. but in theory it could speed up getting to the rough shape at least.

And you might get lucky and find the person who has one and has RTFM.

Usual warnings about power tool safety required of course.

If you don't know of someone with this kind of setup, it's probably not worth much searching about, becasue few of those who bought one will admit they never managed to make it work: so make your plans around more conventional tools ...

John

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: GUEST,Brian
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 09:18 AM

There is a fairly intense banjo building group on Yahoo Groups.

Go there, join up and ask away.
Lots of good fellows from Canada for instance who know stuff..
Bill Rickard, Hugh Hood, Bruce Duncan, Jeff Menzies.
And other guys too who are not in Canada.
As if it mattered.

Subject: RE: info on carving a banjo neck
From: oombanjo
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 03:19 PM

Thanks to all. Geoff I will take you up on the book if you find it. I guess I will give it a try. Chee3rs Oombanjo