Sans banjo, or Even more motivation
January 3 2012, 5:38 PM
I made a little progress over the holidays by learning some things that won't work to complete my brackets and tension hoop (you don't know until you try!), learning one thing that will work (rotary diamond bit to bevel the drilled holes for a good fit for the hooks), and carving on the back of the peghead with my trusty cheapo carving gouge in my mother-in-law's living room during the Bears/Packers game. Yesterday I spent time agonizing over dye options and further tool and parts purchases for neck attachment and in preparation for the daunting task of drilling 20 holes in the peghead. With me playing devil's advocate and Monica the sane one, we reached a confident decision to try TransTint Honey Amber to try to match the neck to the rim. I can't guarantee it will work, but it seems like a safe bet, and I do have scrap to test.
With those decisions out of the way and another household project in the books, here is my ample motivation to press on:
With those decisions out of the way and another household project in the books, here is my ample motivation to press on:
- According to a particularly momentous email among the many I exchanged with Nick last year on all things banjo, guitar, and life, March 7 is the day I decided to build. I would be thrilled to complete the cycle in one year.
- Seeing really cool results on a new builder's just completed first build. Nice work, Bob!
- Seeing the latest batch of Romeros and reading tales of their excited owners. Can you imagine getting that in the mail on Christmas Eve?!
- Baby girl #2 should be here this month, and things will get crazy!
- Today I returned the loaner banjo on which I've learned my meager playing skills. That leaves me with no banjo until my Project is done. (Technically I still have my wine box plunker, but it appears baby girl #2's older sister lost the bridge a while back.)
Onward in 2012!