New year new workshop

The title says it all. Ive just moved house so that means ive lost my cellar... my new house doesnt have a cellar so i have to build a workshop in my garden. This unfortunately means i wont be able to make any new work for a while (its only been a couple of weeks and im getting twitchy already!), i am however finishing of three current commissions (i'll be doing this in my freezing cold loft space). update pictures to follow.

here are some inspirational pictures of my future workshop (in my dreams) i especially love the Fujimori stuff!!

The latest from the cellar.

The result of all that leaf spring cutting and log splitting are a bunch of childrens rattles all made from plum wood from my garden and coated with Danish oil (non-toxic and child friendly). They were turned when the wood was green and have been slowly drying out in my cellar... they all have individual sounds... not just for children but they make great little percussive shakers too. You can take them to your local jam session and annoy everyone :-)

They come in various sizes and im selling them for £25 each. Including U.K. postage.

Im also making a couple of extra cute coffee can soprano ukes using these lovely old coffee tins.

They will be for sale for £200.


Im also about to start on a tin can tenor uke and a 3string CBG with some extra fancy carving... providing i don't cock it up... below are pictures of the beginnings of the CBG

Vintage box awaiting repair

Fretboard being laminated

Mahogany neck with maple centre strip and Peghead overlay being laminated

cast bronze bracket shoes

Just had my first set of cast bronze bracket shoes made. I made the original out of wood  then got  20 cast by a local bronze caster.

splitting and turning

Ive been learning some new wood working skills over the past few days. After the plum tree in our back garden was pruned i had a go at turning the pieces. First i had to split the logs. For that I needed a froe which I couldn't find on eBay or other tool sites (to be honest i didn't look very hard) so i decided to make my own.

First i got an old truck leaf spring... good high carbon spring steel.

Then cut it keping the bush ends... these will be for the handle. The bushes were burnt out using a blow torch.

I then ground down one edge. The first attempt was not so good as the angle was not acute enough.

This is better... easier for the froe to cut into the wood.

I made a handle from some ash then split my first log. Fairly hard work but worth it. The wood splits following the grain therefore releasing its own natural tension and avoiding grain run-off. The halfs were split into quaters then cut in half and used for turning the babies rattle below.

2 new CBGs

I recently finished this couple of 3 stringers.

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Some fancy heel carving

Stained Zebrano freatboard and peghead overlay

Paduak Freatboard and peg head overlay ... This one is for sale!! the one above is already sold..

 Both have walnut saddles with fretwire bridge and piezo pickups

Yesterday I went to the International Banjo Day organised by the Barker band in London... what a great day/night with tons of great music. here are a few photos (as you can probably tell i spent pretty much the whole day/night sprawled on the sofa in front of the stage... drinking ale. hence the photos are all from the same spot)

Gourd banjo #3

Just posted my latest gourd build to its new owner... I always get nervous at this time... did it get there in one piece? does he like it?...

This is an 8 1/2" U.K. grown gourd. with a walnut neck, calf skin vellum and leather tailpiece. The gourd has been reinforced with polyurethane resin which helps to strengthen it as well as improve the resonance. This banjo has a love deep tone and plenty of "plunk".

The figuring on the walnut was really nice and came up a treat with some shellac and rottenstone.

 The bridge is hand made from spruce. The spruce is from the sound board of an old piano

"f" sound hole

Appalachian Mountain Banjo #3

 My third mountain banjo is on its way.

The body is made from an antique Edwardian solid mahogany wardrobe door. The inlay is being incorporated into the back of the banjo. The neck is made from the same piano that my previous two mountain banjos were made from. Amazing how many banjos you can get from a single piano!

 All the parts roughly fitted together now to carve, scrape and sand sand sand.