# Banjo



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*The Neck*

After building my gas can guitar, I thought that I would build a canjo, or "banjo out of a gas can". Basically, the guitar with a 5th string. After doing some research, (web surfing), I ran across this plan for making a "real" banjo.

Here is my weekend progress on the neck of the banjo. It is made from three pieces of madrone laminated together with black walnut for the finger board, and quarter sawn sycamore for the peg head. I will use either ebony or a bone for the nut.

I don't know anything about playing a banjo or building one, so this should be an adventure.


----------



## toeachhisown (Eddie) (Mar 30, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *The Neck*
> 
> After building my gas can guitar, I thought that I would build a canjo, or "banjo out of a gas can". Basically, the guitar with a 5th string. After doing some research, (web surfing), I ran across this plan for making a "real" banjo.
> 
> ...


thats just to cool,how did your bother n law likh his can a git tar


----------



## robbiethewood (Apr 3, 2012)

Brett1972 said:


> *The Neck*
> 
> After building my gas can guitar, I thought that I would build a canjo, or "banjo out of a gas can". Basically, the guitar with a 5th string. After doing some research, (web surfing), I ran across this plan for making a "real" banjo.
> 
> ...


HEY COOL cant wait to here you play it 
maybe you and your bother n law can start busking


----------



## phtaylor36 (Jun 13, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *The Neck*
> 
> After building my gas can guitar, I thought that I would build a canjo, or "banjo out of a gas can". Basically, the guitar with a 5th string. After doing some research, (web surfing), I ran across this plan for making a "real" banjo.
> 
> ...


That is awesome. Loved the gas can guitar, this will be a great blog…


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*Clamps Removed*

Here are some images of the neck with the clamps removed. The fingerboard is glued on with some titebond II. One thing that I didn't do that was on the example on the website that I am following is a spar in the neck. The 2024 aluminum that I found was $50 for a 3' piece. Too much for me. So I left that piece out and we will see what becomes of it. If there is a noticable problem for me, I can always make another neck or just make a 2nd version of the banjo with the necessary improvements on it!


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*Starting the Pot*

I had a chance to make some progress on the banjo today.










Here I have some quartersawn sycamore glued to the sides of the head. When that is ready I will trim the edges and then glue some on the face and back.










Here I have started on the segments for the pot of the banjo. I made a template for routing the whole pot out and also a template for each segment. It takes 4 segments to make one ring and I will have 3 rings stacked on top of each other to make the completed pot.


----------



## robbiethewood (Apr 3, 2012)

Brett1972 said:


> *Starting the Pot*
> 
> I had a chance to make some progress on the banjo today.
> 
> ...


wow you are moving along nicely whith this one 
my son came home from school on Tuesday and he was saying i want to learn the banjo i better show this blog and say there you go lad start learning


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

Brett1972 said:


> *Starting the Pot*
> 
> I had a chance to make some progress on the banjo today.
> 
> ...


That's one way to learn the banjo! Ha ha


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*More Glue, More Clamps!*

This is getting fun! Seriously!

This is such a mental releif from the usual "box" type project that I seem to do. If you look at my gallery, you would ask yourself, "What is he talking about, usual box type project?".

Well, most of them are not posted on there because they were just that, a box type project. Nothing really unique or new to me. But since I have a lathe, I have been thinking outside of the box. At least the square box!

I have also been working on a pulpit and it has been inspiring and challenging at times but in essence, it is still just a box.

This banjo has been a great break from the usual and I am learning to pay attention to details a bit more than I have in the past. I am finding out that woodworking can be as simple or complex as a person wants it to be and I guess that I am starting to challeng myself with new projects and ideas. Enough of that.

The banjo is coming along pretty quickly. I find that if I just do one small step each day, that the project moves along nicely. I can see progress and my mind is stimulated with excitement to do the next step in the project. I really can't wait to get to play it!

As the title says, more glue and more clamps. More gluing wood (quartersawn sycamore) to the head and and another layer to the pot or body of the banjo.

The pictures will do the talking.

If there are any comments or questions, please let me know. This should be an experience for all of us!


----------



## toeachhisown (Eddie) (Mar 30, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *More Glue, More Clamps!*
> 
> This is getting fun! Seriously!
> 
> ...


that's looking like a banjo now .great job . i can see it with a nice finish, cant wait pulpit look good too


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*Shaping Up!*

I mounted the mounted the pot on the lathe, trued it and got it to a rough dimension. I have to wait until the parts that I ordered for it to come in to be able to get it turned to the final dimensions.

I have also started to shape the neck some. Nothing huge, just some progress.


----------



## robbiethewood (Apr 3, 2012)

Brett1972 said:


> *Shaping Up!*
> 
> I mounted the mounted the pot on the lathe, trued it and got it to a rough dimension. I have to wait until the parts that I ordered for it to come in to be able to get it turned to the final dimensions.
> 
> I have also started to shape the neck some. Nothing huge, just some progress.


looking good it will be interesting to see how you join the two together


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*Weekend Progress*

Todays banjo progress was getting the pot to final thickness and shape. I did this on the lathe. The quartersawn sycamore edge band was cut, bent and glued to the outside of the pot. This should look really nice, at least better than the block rim look. Yesterday I was able to get some more shaping and sanding done on the neck. I have more to do still but it's getting closer.

I may run into some problems with the strings rubbing on the head but I will address that issue later. I should have made the head longer or just got banjo style tensioners that mount in straight from the back out the front instead of the ones I did get.

I also got the parts in that I ordered. I will show these in a later post.


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*Installed Hardware and Head*

If any of you follow my blog, you know that I don't "say" much. I let the pictures tell the story.

You will be able to see that I have installed the tension brackets (12) and have put the head on too. It actually looks like a banjo! I am really excited to get to hold this instrument and try to learn to play it!

After I had started on this project, I found a banjo on Craigslist that I wanted to buy but, I had already ordered the parts for this one and I couldn't swing the money for both. I actually contacted the place where I ordered the parts (Stewart-McDonald) to see if I could cancel my order but it had already been processed and was out to be shipped (fast service). If I could have cancelled the order, I would have bought the CL banjo. But as the order of the universe would have it (orchestrated by God) I had my parts on the way and MAN, I am soooooo glad that I did! I think that I will appreciate the banjo so much more than if I had just bought one.


----------



## andyboy (Jun 9, 2009)

Brett1972 said:


> *Installed Hardware and Head*
> 
> If any of you follow my blog, you know that I don't "say" much. I let the pictures tell the story.
> 
> ...


Brett is a clever lad. This is looking cool mate. You'll have a band soon!
Are you going to skin a goat for the drum? I have a drum (not a banjo) we bought for the kids from a gypsy fair. They must have used an old Billy. Still smells of Billy goat.


----------



## phtaylor36 (Jun 13, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *Installed Hardware and Head*
> 
> If any of you follow my blog, you know that I don't "say" much. I let the pictures tell the story.
> 
> ...


It's coming together nicely.


----------



## robbiethewood (Apr 3, 2012)

Brett1972 said:


> *Installed Hardware and Head*
> 
> If any of you follow my blog, you know that I don't "say" much. I let the pictures tell the story.
> 
> ...


looking relay good like a prow are you making a video of this build


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

Brett1972 said:


> *Installed Hardware and Head*
> 
> If any of you follow my blog, you know that I don't "say" much. I let the pictures tell the story.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys!

Robbie, I am not making a video for this one. I might make one when it is all finished to show it off.


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

*All Done!*

It's finished!

Not much to say really. I had fun and now I have a banjo to try and learn to play! Ha ha

Here is a link to the finished project and here is a video of how it sounds.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/65783

I didn't blog a whole lot on the build but I think most will get the idea, it's definately NOT a how to blog!

Thanks for watching!


----------



## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


Nice build Brett !


----------



## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


Freakin beautiful! 
Get some New Skin for your fingertips; you're gonna need it. 
When you get a song or two under your belt shoot us a line and post up on Youtube. 
Again very NICE!


----------



## jjw5858 (Apr 11, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


Thats awesome Brett, really awesome…...I would love to try it I play a little myself. Great job!


----------



## toeachhisown (Eddie) (Mar 30, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


Brett its got good ring to it ,nice build .great looking banjo . i pick a little myself and you have a good roll there its just practice .when i learn what im doing im going to try to buid one too, thanks

ps my cat was going all over the place looking for those birds LOL


----------



## Brett1972 (Nov 5, 2010)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


Hey, thanks to everyone for the compliments!

I am pretty happy with how it turned out. There are things that I know now that I would have done differently, but not much. I might have tried to make it a little fancier. I can always build another one later, right? Now I just need to be patient and learn to play.

Thanks again!


----------



## hhhopks (Nov 22, 2011)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


Well done!
Sounds great.


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


A beautiful instrument and well done.

helluvawreck
https://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


----------



## thecarpentershands (May 20, 2012)

Brett1972 said:


> *All Done!*
> 
> It's finished!
> 
> ...


I love banjos and woodworking, nice combo. God bless!


----------

