| Handmade Dulcimer, Part 3: Assembly, Glue-Up and Finish |
From "Handmade Music"
episode DHMM-108 |
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So far in this episode of Handmade Music, luthier Gary Mahoney has built all the components needed to make a dulcimer -- the back, top, fret board, curved sides, peg head and tail piece. Now he can begin to assemble and glue up the pieces to create a dulcimer. Later in this segment, he adds a wood finish to the instrument.Materials: Table router
Hand scraper
Drill press
Sanding drum
Tuning pegs
Paint-spraying equipment
Spray sanding sealer
Spray lacquer
Woodworker's glue
Clamps Safety Equipment: Spray booth
Eye protection
Ventilator mask Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when
working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc. Safety Alert: When working with wood stains, finishes, varnishes, solvents and other harmful chemicals, work in a well ventilated area. In some circumstances, a ventilator mask may be required.
- To begin the assembly, Gary applies wood glue and sandwiches the tailpiece and peg head between the top and back (figure A).
- He clamps the pieces securely (figure B) and allows the glue to dry.
Now, using the instrument as his guide, he can trim the sides to length. He checks the fit in the kerfs of the peg head and tailpiece, and checks the length against the top and back (figure C). He trims any excess length at the band saw (figure D).
Wood glue is applied carefully to the edge of the sides. The sides are then inserted into the kerfs of the tailpiece and peg head and wedged between the top and back. Gary clamps everything together (figures E and F) and allows plenty of dry time before moving on.
After he removes the clamps, Gary uses a sanding drum to trim the excess top and back portions left hanging over the sides (figures G and H). Masking tape wrapped around the drum will act as a depth gauge to keep him from sanding into the sides or digging too far into the top and back.
The sanding drum leaves the edges rough, so Gary cleans them using a cabinet scraper (figure I). Next, Gary can fit the dulcimer for tuning pegs. For this instrument he'll use four-quarter violin pegs (figure J), which are traditional for dulcimers.
Gary marks the peg head for the four holes in the peg head. Using just his finger as a gauge, he marks half the distance of the channel he drilled earlier (figure K). He marks the halfway line with a pencil, and uses the tuners to evenly space the marks for holes (figure L).
A drill press is used to cut the holes evenly (figures M and N).
With the dulcimer assembled and the peg head drilled, the final detail in the creation of the mandolin is the finish. Gary prefers a hard finish on stringed instruments. For this dulcimer he begins with a sanding sealer and follows that up with lacquer. Any type of finish that dries as a hard finish, such as a varnish, is acceptable on a dulcimer.Gary uses a spray booth to apply sanding sealer first (figure O). After the first coat of sanding sealer he looks for glue remnants on the surface. If he sees any (and usually does), he removes them with a chisel.
Next, Gary roughs up the finish with .0000 steel-wool to level the sealer and give it a "tooth" so the next coat will adhere. Then he adds another coat of sanding sealer after removing those glue marks. And again he rubs the finish with steel wool when it's dry. After wiping it clean, he puts on a coat or two of gloss lacquer for the final finish (figure P).
RESOURCES :
Luthier's Mercantile International, Inc.
Website: www.lmii.com
Pioneer Valley Luthier Supply Company
Website: www.pioneervalleyluthier.com
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