In the making: New indispensable piece of Bushcraft kit

[jojo]

I am a woodwork instructor working with people with brain injuries and, when one of my clients asked me if I thought he was capable to build an acoustic guitar, I said yes. Then after I realised the implications, I thought hum, I'd better try to be a few steps ahead of the game here and build a musical instrument of some description!

So I present: The Bushcraft Banjo...

I want to do it on the cheap, so my only expenses so far are the strings and fret wire, cost, about 10 quids.

What's the link with Bushcraft?? Well, I am using rawhide from a doggy chew from the pet shop. It had been sitting around for about a year now! Wood is off cuts of Ash and Oak and left over nails from another project.

Then, if you take it with you in your Bushcraft expeditions, you'll have a ready supply of: wood, rawhide, nylon strings, fret wire, the nails, you could even make a long strap with paracord!

So I feel vindicated in showing it off here!

This is it so far, I am going to glue the neck to the pot today, and will be awaiting the arrival of the strings and fret wire in the next few days.

Then, there will be the minor inconvenience: the fact I have never played a banjo, won't even know how to tune the thing! But Hey, part of being a bushcrafter is that you're adaptable to new challenges!!

 

[gowersponger]

nice work besure to show us the finished piece

 

[Indoorsout]

Nice one Jojo

 

[gregorach]

Well, I admire your confidence... Luthiery is to woodwork what surgery is to butchery. Good luck!

(You might find this useful. Or worrying... )

 

[Toddy]

Nice one Jojo very creative

Be interesting to hear how it sounds

cheers,
Toddy

 

[BOD]

Well done Jojo.

Admire your attitude

 

[MartiniDave]

That looks good, except you just gave me a "Deliverance" moment!

 

[sasquatch]

Nice one, not enough banjos out there, especially home made ones! I'm a big fan of cigar box guitars but admit I haven't made one yet... I'll be looking forward to the finished project, keep us posted!

 

[jojo]

Thanks all. It's a bit of fun as well. We'll see how it turns out. I am not expecting concert quality here.

Nice one Jojo very creative

Be interesting to hear how it sounds

cheers,
Toddy

Yes it will be!! At least I'll get some noise out of it! That rawhide is a bit rough, but now tight as a drum...

not enough banjos out there, especially home made ones! I'm a big fan of cigar box guitars but admit I haven't made one yet.

I agree, I like the banjo, ever since I heard Billy Conolly playing one, but never thought of making one before. As to cigar box guitars, they're are cool too.

a "Deliverance" moment

I thought about that, nearly called the thread Deliverance...

 

[John Fenna]

Dont bring it on any canoe trips - you could be missunderstood!

 

[forestwalker]

Nice. I'm currently looking for a chunk of wood for an anglo-saxon lyre. Living in the land of pine makes me jealous of all you guys that can find scrap oak and ash. I'll probably try to make it out of green birch.

 

[phill_ue]

Another musical instrument that may interest you is called a Strumstick. It is a three stringed instrument and is fretted to remove the "bad sounding" notes from a scale so anybody can pick one up and immediately start to play. They can be bought but if you can make an instrument like that shown so far then you'd have no issues at all with a strumstick.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

Don't forget to up lode an MP3 of the sound

 

[Matt.S]

Jojo I hope you have a pair of blue dungarees to go wit dat der banjer...

So long as you don't tell me I "haff a purtee mauth" I'll assume I'm safe?

 

[maddave]

Squeal like a pig boy !!! SooooooooooEEEEEEEEE lol

Nice work though !!

 

[locum76]

Don't forget to up lode an MP3 of the sound

what he said.

 

[launditch1]

Top stuff Joel.Would love to hear it..

 

[jojo]

Shambling Shaman;660251Don't forget to up lode an MP3 of the sound

Top stuff Joel.Would love to hear it..

Me too mates! Me too. I need to learn a bit when I finish it, never played an instrument in my life

Another musical instrument that may interest you is called a Strumstick

Oh, I'll look it up, thanks. One of my guys at works likes music and does not really know what to do as his next woodwork project, that could be good if it's not too complicated.

Dont bring it on any canoe trips - you could be missunderstood!

That could be good for keeping miscreants away though....

Jojo I hope you have a pair of blue dungarees to go wit dat der banjer.
So long as you don't tell me I "haff a purtee mauth" I'll assume I'm safe?

Nah..No dungaree, you're quite safe with me. mwahahaha..

 

[Miyagi]

Paddle faster, I hear banjoes!!!

We had a banjo and a Ukele banjo at home for years.

No one knew how to play them, or where they'd came from, but my late dad sold them to a bloke in the pub for quite a sum.

They only got used by us kids whenever a George Formby film was on TV, how they never got broken I don't know.

Good luck with this project.

Liam

 

[galopede]

Are you a Leftie? If not, you've got the fifth string cutaway on the wrong side of the neck!

Prefer the 4 string Irish Tenor banjo myself. I started on a 5 string but soon sold it and bought a cheap short scale tenor. As I played a mandolin (and bad fiddle) before the banjo, I didn't need to learn new fingering on the tenor.

Nice bit of work though. As someone said, don't forget the MP3 soon!

Gareth