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mike gregory - Posted - 08/10/2011: 15:12:01
Fish, cheese, and salad.
Salad bowl body, plastic jar from cheese balls for the head, and fish line for the strings.
Photos show large cheeseball jar (compared to 2-liter bottle).
Then using a RotoZip to cut the bottom out of the bowl. Wanted to leave a wide "lip" so there'd be more area for the epoxy.
Nice heavy line of epoxy.
Then upholstery tacks through a large chunk of plastic, cut from the cheeseball jar. It goes on pretty lumpy, but, next day, after the epoxy's hard, a few minutes with a 1250W hair dryer shrinks the film, tight as a drum.
Picture 5 shows the pot, film tightened, and the plastic trimmed with a hook bladed utility knife.
A maple 1x2 makes a good neck. I glue a shoulder on, since most people aren't going to be doing much other than drone with the 5th string. The frets are stainless steel reinforcing strips from a wiper blade.
Last picture shows a preliminary setup, with a scrapwood bridge, just to see if I got the string height right.
I want to let the neck glue dry overnight, before I really try tune it up.
Total labor time was under 8 hours.
thecirclebroke - Posted - 08/10/2011: 15:13:42
Ball-bearing pre-war! You should put a watermelon peel tone-ring on there
Youngpicker - Posted - 08/10/2011: 15:19:17
This is my favorite one of yours yet!
Slingerland - Posted - 08/10/2011: 15:23:41
Fascinating as always! Thanks for sharing. Does the 8 hour labor time include the time needed to eat all those cheeseballs? If not, that's probably another 1/2 hour right there....
Now you've got me in the mood for root bear and cheeseballs.
Edited by - Slingerland on 08/10/2011 15:24:46
PD Kirby - Posted - 08/10/2011: 15:41:21
Amazing concept Mike, just plain amazing... Please post bigger pictures of the finished product.
xnavyguy - Posted - 08/10/2011: 15:45:08
quote:
Originally posted by PD Kirby
Amazing concept Mike, just plain amazing... Please post bigger pictures of the finished product.
Knowing Mike, that probably is the finished product. Now, if he can only figure out a way to use Frito packages in a banjo. If he did, I would have banjo parts to last me a lifetime.
mike gregory - Posted - 08/10/2011: 16:25:20
Thanks for the compliments, one and all.
Everything in this project is a modification, or a direct copy, of stuff posted by other people, most of it on the HangOut.
All I did was cobble together a bunch of ideas.
Edited by - mike gregory on 08/10/2011 16:26:18
Dan Pennington - Posted - 08/10/2011: 18:57:40
Cheese balls??
You wouldn't understand. It's a Wisconsin thing!
Klondike Waldo - Posted - 08/11/2011: 06:28:42
quote:
Originally posted by oldwoodchuckb
Is it Bleu Cheeze?
No, Tony, it's Awrange Cheeze
stigandr5 - Posted - 08/11/2011: 06:29:15
Excellent work, Mike!
That's a smart looking cornucopia of odds 'n' ends. Can't wait to hear how it sounds!
SteveFiddle - Posted - 08/11/2011: 08:19:16
Brilliant! I hope you have someone who can play the spoons to accompany you
mike gregory - Posted - 08/11/2011: 08:22:58
quote:
Originally posted by Klondike Waldo
quote:
Originally posted by oldwoodchuckb
Is it Bleu Cheeze?
No, Tony, it's Awrange Cheeze
Awrange Yew happy that it sounds halfway decent?
Here's the Music File:
banjohangout.org/myhangout/mus...#comments
Jonnycake White - Posted - 08/11/2011: 09:07:08
OK, Mike, I gotta ask about the frets. I assume you glued them on flat, as discussed in the other thread. Therefore I also assume they would not be crowned.
1) you don't find that they buzz at all?
2) Since they aren't crowned, and have some width to them, do you center them on the fret measurement, or put one or the other edge of the fret on the measurment line? How wide are they anyway?
3) (not fret related) Fish line strings - solid & different gauges, or twisted from a single gauge of monofilament?
This looks like a good design for teaching young folks how to build something, that won't take forever and a day to get done. And it sounds pretty good too.
PS - Thank you for doing all my experimenting for me.
PPS - I wonder if sanding the head with 1000 grit (or so) would create a frosted head look.
Edited by - Jonnycake White on 08/11/2011 09:11:40
Brian T - Posted - 08/11/2011: 10:13:12
You certainly have cooked up a winner.
g3zdm - Posted - 08/11/2011: 10:58:42
Makes me think of Shakespeare - "If music be the food of love play on".
Perhaps that quote should be rearranged, e.g. "If food be the music of love" or other variant.
mike gregory - Posted - 08/11/2011: 12:24:43
Johnnycake White: If you want to build a ONE stringed banjo, the Wonderful One-Stringed Wunjo, I'll e-mail you the plans.
Takes 45 minutes to make, and, with only 1 string and 8 full notes, can be played instantly, using s song sheet with fret numbers above the words.
As to the other questions, about this banjo:
1. They don't buzz. 2. The edge of the fret nearest the head is right ON the line where the slot would have been cut, so, I guess, that's where the crown would be on a standard fret. 3. I get a nice thick 30 lb line, use single strands for the 1,2, & 5, and a double strand for the 3rd, 4 strands for the 4th.
The music file for this one has STEEL strings.
And if you're making a 5-stringer with the kids, a few lumps of free advice:
1. See the "Baby Squared Eel" thread, since it's easier to tack together a rectangular frame, than to find enough salad bowls for everyone in the class.
2. It DOES take several hours, preferably overnight, for the epoxy to harden.
3. Staples or tacks through the plastic, into the wood, will make sure the plastic is down as far as it will go, onto the epoxy. Makes for a better head.
vernob - Posted - 08/11/2011: 12:37:19
I will never understand but I like it.
PD Kirby - Posted - 08/11/2011: 13:47:52
Mike that thing sounds great!! My wife just caught me measuring her salad bowls and gave me a real dirty look , I was hoping she wouldn't see me so now I have to be real sneaky. I just gotta find me a bucket of them cheese balls, where did you find those? Anyway I am duly impressed with you ability to take some normal household items and make a pretty good sounding Banjo. I want to build one for my little 5 year old nephew, that will make me real popular with his mother . Thanks for posting this...
Edited by - PD Kirby on 08/11/2011 13:48:43
Jonnycake White - Posted - 08/12/2011: 09:02:03
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregory
Johnnycake White: If you want to build a ONE stringed banjo, the Wonderful One-Stringed Wunjo, I'll e-mail you the plans.
Takes 45 minutes to make, and, with only 1 string and 8 full notes, can be played instantly, using s song sheet with fret numbers above the words.
1. See the "Baby Squared Eel" thread, since it's easier to tack together a rectangular frame, than to find enough salad bowls for everyone in the class.
0) Yes please
1) I figured I'd give them a choice between bringing their own wood salad bowl or making a square body banjo. I've been following that thread, and this one, with extreme interest.
stigandr5 - Posted - 08/12/2011: 13:48:08
Mike, the sound of that banjo blows me away! Sounds at least as good as my Goodtime did (pre-hairy goatskin upgrade). As to the Wonderful Wunjo, do you have any videos of that guy?
mike gregory - Posted - 08/19/2011: 09:27:11
I will be making a Wonderful Wun-Stringed Wunjo video in Sept.
Meanwhile, I was over at the Dollar Tree store, to get cheap batteries, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but 3 liter bottles of sody-pop.
It may be a while before I manage to drink that much diet cola, but when I do, I'll put up a banjo with a 3-liter head.
Maybe I'll call it the Squared ThreeL .
Jonnycake White - Posted - 08/19/2011: 11:10:11
Mike - can I convince you to post the dimensions of the plastic sheets you obtain from 2 & 3 liter pop bottles as well as the cheese puff jar?
Thanks,
Jon
Youngpicker - Posted - 08/19/2011: 11:22:33
I found a 3-liter one in the local Pamida for $1.29. It's pretty small, though. It would only make an 8 inch pot.
mike gregory - Posted - 08/20/2011: 06:53:30
It's a bit late for the cheese puff jar, as it has been cut up, glued down and trimmed off.
But I will post the sizes of the 2 & 3 liter sheets.
By the way: If you're wondering if steel wool might make the head look frosted, just steel wool a bottle. It doesn't have to be empty.
And spraying it with KILZ or white auto primer WILL make it frosted.
BrianBanjos - Posted - 08/22/2011: 09:17:53
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregory
I will be making a Wonderful Wun-Stringed Wunjo video in Sept.
Meanwhile, I was over at the Dollar Tree store, to get cheap batteries, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but 3 liter bottles of sody-pop.
It may be a while before I manage to drink that much diet cola, but when I do, I'll put up a banjo with a 3-liter head.
Maybe I'll call it the Squared ThreeL .
I humbly suggest that should you ever make a four string plectrum version, you call it the plectro-pop
mike gregory - Posted - 08/22/2011: 19:17:04
BrianBanjos, bear in mind that I did not invent any of this.
I took information which was offered by many others, and just stacked it up.
Anybody who wants to, can make any kind of banjo they want, any number of strings, and call it any name that's not previously registered.
blindsniper - Posted - 08/23/2011: 23:52:12
Great work Mike. I have a question for you. Have you ever experimented with e-ray film for the head? Is seems strong enough.
Regards
Ian
mike gregory - Posted - 08/29/2011: 18:59:17
quote:
Originally posted by Jonnycake White
Mike - can I convince you to post the dimensions of the plastic sheets you obtain from 2 & 3 liter pop bottles as well as the cheese puff jar?
Thanks,
Jon
Turns out that the 3L bottle isn't that much TALLER than the 2L bottle.
So, plan on a useable head from a 2L bottle to be no more than 7 1/2 inches x 11 1/2.
And 3L gives 8 x 15.
Can't post the cheeseball barrel size, since I've already cut it up and trimmed one head from it.
Jonnycake White - Posted - 08/30/2011: 08:56:46
Thanks Mike - I've got a couple of 3 liter bottles now to experiment with. I used to see them all the time, but nowadays they don't seem to be quite as common. Still, as I said before, there are plenty of other forms of PETE to recycle and use.
Now, can you tell me how to get more shop time? Curse this real life!
mike gregory - Posted - 08/30/2011: 09:09:04
Shoptime upgrade suggestion sent as PM.
OldPappy - Posted - 08/30/2011: 10:09:27
I absolutely love this sort of thing.
When I was in the Cub Scouts, about a half century ago, our "pack" made some Guitars out of cigar boxes, 1X2s, and fishing line and used them in a skit we put on in front of the whole troop.
This was so much fun it still stands out as one of my favorite memories from when I was a kid.
I don't have any Cub Scout troops around, but I do have 11 grandkids, and am thinking it sure would be fun to get one or two busy making their own banjos, that I can then teach them to play.
Going to look at that Square one if I can find the thread.
