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Jul 22, 2026 - 5:48:04 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Pot in hand..!
Thanks Ks-5 Picker..!:0)

Turns out it is too big fer me lathe..
But hopefully not me Buddys lathe..
Now a quest fer parts..
Got cheapo hooks n nuts commin...ebay..
Gonna need a hoop..
I do have a coupl'ah heads..
Asorted loose tuners n tail pieces..
Bridges i have..
Neck is the big item..
I do have a long neck..here..
But I suffer from..T-Rex arm syndrome... :0/

Jul 22, 2026 - 5:49:07 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

quote:
Originally posted by Helix

STUD. I was waiting for Mike to ring in.
Good old domestic agricultural grade aluminum tubing @ 11” is cheap and available in the banjo belt.

I happen to have 3 different rims I’ve worked on over doing rim changes.

The one offered by Rod is one of the lower priced banjos with thinnest possible flange. But it’s free.

You got a saber saw I know and you could cut that flange off with a little care, otherwise be careful not to tighten Toooooo much, cause bending back could be tricky. Crack!!!!!

I also have the high quality Guild aluminum banjo rim with Lo -Spec parts and patent dodger stuff.

WARNING: SAFETY CONES
official secret: Washburn brand aluminum rim has a flat spot cast into it where the neck joins the rim .?????? .
I built a rim and neck for somebody who actually paid me fair and donated to me the Washburn with the broken neck and that’s how I learned this. I repaired the neck and she plays again.

That means that it eliminates the need for a jig or shaper to cut an accurate 5” radius round heel!!!

Just an accurate 90 degree tangent cut with a table saw or chop saw or compound miter saw or radial arm saw or even a band saw and or a chisel and mallet if no electricity.
And it means the neck heel angle can be either cut or adjusted in a swing like other new banjos- uh oh ?? and then etc!!

Don’t anybody run off and “big boy” everybody with a patent. This should be shared with all. It saves a bunch of time and trouble.

Tote that charge, lift that jail.


Remember older Vegas and Bacon and Day and even STAMM rims with sideways adjustments? Well……???

Hope this helps everybody. STUD. Let us hear or see the result.

(    ):)====‘= : : }


Thanks Larry... :0)

Jul 22, 2026 - 10:43:57 AM
like this

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Turned the rim down as far as I dare to more of an open back configuration..

 

N..as mentioned the flat spot that was milled in fer the neck..




Edited by - STUD figmo Al on 07/22/2026 10:46:05

Jul 22, 2026 - 4:01:25 PM

Helix

USA

17716 posts since 8/30/2006

Very nice

Jul 22, 2026 - 4:18:40 PM
likes this

2715 posts since 6/19/2008

I've built a few from old aluminum pressure cookers. It should be possible to get 2 or 3 rims from one pressure cooker. They might not be exactly 11 inches in diameter but they make fine banjos




 

Jul 23, 2026 - 4:34:11 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Now that is a cool idea... :0)

Good job..!

Jul 23, 2026 - 4:43:04 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

OK fessin up

I cheated...
I made an offer on an old beater banjo...with a wood pot...n it got excepted..
But same Era n I think a lotta parts that will fit...
Neck n turn buckel rod being the most important parts..
So waiting on the mail now..
It did not break the bank at all ..

Jul 23, 2026 - 4:47:47 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Also on a side note.. me Buddy has found another lathe..
This one in the pick is kina pretty lapped out..

He says that I can have it n take it home..if I treat it nice...
;0)

Just gotta move it n help him set up his new found lathe..

I may have many more banjo projects commin up in the future.. ;0)

Jul 23, 2026 - 5:11:34 AM
likes this

4231 posts since 5/1/2003

Methinks I've created a monster! ?haha
quote:
Originally posted by STUD figmo Al

Also on a side note.. me Buddy has found another lathe..
This one in the pick is kina pretty lapped out..

He says that I can have it n take it home..if I treat it nice...
;0)

Just gotta move it n help him set up his new found lathe..

I may have many more banjo projects commin up in the future.. ;0)


Edited by - Ks_5-picker on 07/23/2026 05:12:52

Jul 25, 2026 - 6:02:27 PM

210 posts since 5/18/2019

My Star Sun is aluminum or some similar alloy. It is by far the worst instrument I have ever had in my hands. (I play it fairly often). I posted about it back in the archive somewhere. A clever BHO contributor named it the Iron Butterfly.


 

Edited by - Maurice McMurry on 07/25/2026 18:12:22

Jul 26, 2026 - 8:53:37 AM
likes this

2926 posts since 2/9/2007

It's not hard to find one of those early (1960's) Japanese imports with a plain cylindrical aluminum rim. Put the right neck on one of those and you've got better tone for Cockerham/Creed style than you'll hear from a lot of fancy "boutique" openbacks, IMO.

Jul 26, 2026 - 10:36:30 AM

9802 posts since 9/21/2007
Online Now

quote:
Originally posted by Maurice McMurry

My Star Sun is aluminum or some similar alloy. It is by far the worst instrument I have ever had in my hands. (I play it fairly often). I posted about it back in the archive somewhere. A clever BHO contributor named it the Iron Butterfly.

 


This is not a banjo, it is a Chinese instrument, Qinqin, I think.

Jul 30, 2026 - 5:43:31 PM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Well here we are from the beater banjo project..
The first Pic is the pot I turned on the lathe..
The second is a nice sounding pot that needs a better neck..
It actually sound pretty good with the neck that is on it..
But it really has been bassturdised at the heel..

The neck from the donor banjo has an old friction 5th peg tuner that will be leaving..




Aug 1, 2026 - 5:13:31 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Every time I do one of these type of projects I learn something..

In this case..the second banjo...project to wich i thought was an aluminium pot turns out to be steel..
The heel job on it that some other fellow banjo luthier..wannabe...
Needed help..I I obliged..
Made shims n installed..
Adequate job ..fer a hack.. ;0)
When I attached it I tightened it down real good...
Gave the rim a much muddyer sound...
Just a bit of loosening..(but not too loose).. n the pot rings again..

Love tinkering.. :0)

Aug 1, 2026 - 8:47:50 PM

RDP

USA

415 posts since 2/27/2009

Turn a bottlecap banjo rim flange off. That’d work

Aug 2, 2026 - 1:55:04 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

quote:
Originally posted by RDP

Turn a bottlecap banjo rim flange off. That’d work


Well..

It did make it closer to an.open back..

Which is what I wanted.. :0)

 

I would have perfured shoes..but that is not what I was granted to work...with....

 

Sometimes ya just gotta work with what comes ..along... :0)

Edited by - STUD figmo Al on 08/02/2026 01:58:04

Aug 4, 2026 - 11:32:36 AM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Pics of the neck that came in..
A bit shorter..
Dose not go well on the wood pots I have..
But..it dose look to be a pretty good fit on the steel pot..
The bridge is apx local..




 

Aug 4, 2026 - 4:27:20 PM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

Neck is on..
Used heavy strings
10..26..16..13.. 10..
Found on the internet that they would work better in G...


I dunno..but I had them..soooo....

Tuned up fine no buzzes..
Not as loud as the banjo was with the other neck..
But sound good..

Can not play as close to the bridge as before..but still has the same range..

Feels a bit differnt..but ..works with Mr. Trex arms here.. ,0)


 

Aug 5, 2026 - 2:50:30 PM

45324 posts since 3/5/2008

It needed a new nut..
But all I could find was a..Bolt...

Works really well..the frets on the first string were not angle cut correctly. Too steep...
Needed to move the string just a tad...as so it noted n not muted..




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