Doing the final touches on the Old Timer lefty mountain banjo before i fit the head.
First off is to hand carve the tuning pegs. I used Iroku for this. Used the tapering tool for the shaft and various other tools for the grips. My aim was to make them look like they had been made using pretty rudimentary tools... which they had and also be comfortable to use.
The nut is made from buffalo horn. I then used bees wax and a blow torch to deepen and enhance the effect of ware and old grime.
Im pretty pleased wth the results. next is to make the tone ring/ head tensioner and fit the head.
Im also working on a walnut neck to fit onto a 1920s Vega pot. Here is the first part of the process. Laminated some nicely quarter-sawn walnut using maple and fumed oak for the centre stripe. Then cut the radius using the jig on my oscillating spindle sander. Next step is to cut a channel for the carbon fibre rod.
