Watco is good. I just finished a guitar neck with Birchwood Casey's Tru-oil gun stock finish. It is easy to apply and makes a really great finish. I have nothing against oil. I just don't like to get my fingers messy. HaHa.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I'm coming late to the party. I can't tell from the photos, but it looks like your fret board is unfitted. This gives you some latitude in VSL. Like KenH, I would add an end piece to the body and fret board and anchor the strings to it. I've used #2 three quarter inch (or half inch) round head wood screws as anchors for loop end strings. They work very well. Adding the end piece and strings in this way will keep the fret board from bowing up.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
A finish I like to use is a satin finish lacquer. I use a rattle-can spray (Deft), but I think any spray can lacquer would work well. The instrument in my hands in my avatar has a sprayed satin lacquer finish.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Yeah, I've never experienced that before, but it is a cheap import a friend picked up at the thrift store. I adjusted the action and put on new strings.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
John, I sprayed a little silcone along both side edges, but it is still holding on there. In fact, I have to put on leather work gloves and push from the bridge side of the tailpiece to tail end of the mandolin to get it off. It's not going to slide off. I can assure you of that.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
You pull the top piece off. Pull it away by pulling toward the bent end which is where it attached to the instrument. You may need to turn it over and spray a little lubricant along the edges to help it out. It is meant to be tight so it does not fall off the instrument. That type of tail piece is typical of mandolins. If you need me to, I can run down to my shop and photograph one on a mandolin that I've had in for some work. I'll pull it off and show you what it looks. Let me know quickly as I'll be away Saturday and Sunday.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
The work to do doesn't seem too bad. I'd try to clean the top, back, and sides before doing any sanding. Of course I would take all the strings off before doing this. Make sure you keep a list of the gauges of all the strings in order: from high to low or low to high whichever youosr prefer. After clean up you can decide whether you need to sand the finish and refinish the instrument. You will need to see if the bridge and need any work. Although it is hard for me to see, I would probably add a brass rod all the edge of Kantele just under the top edge along the side to keep the strings from eating into the top. Keep us posted on your progress.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Assuming a standard size guitar with around a 25" VSL, the bass "E" string is anywhere from 0.046 to 0.056. The Blue Lion bass dulcimer I play in our dulcimer group has a 27.5 inch VSL. The string gauges are 0,024, 0.028, 0.032, 0.052. All of them are bronze wound. In a set of medium guitar strings, the 4th string (D) is usually around 0.035. If you use that as your "melody" string, you can size the middle and bass appropriately.
Hope this helps.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thanks, Ken, for that explanation of the string anchor photo. I must have been tired last night as I looked at it. I could not figure out why there would be vertical grain wood in the "nut" by the anchor pins. Now I see that is the top and the strings anchor on the side of the instrument. Duh. I just couldn't see that when I first looked at it.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I am somewhat familiar with the Kantele as well as the Kalevala having graduated from Suomi (Finland) college. I, too, would like to see a photos of the whole instrument front and back. Some things to consider are whether the tuners work smoothly. After 20 years some may be stuck in place or no longer hold when tuned to pitch. These are easily resolved problems. Make sure all the joints are secure. If not, you will need to glue them. Do you know who made your Kantele? If it has a finish on it, you can test to see what type of finish it is. If it is lacquer you should be able to put a new coat or two over it. It could be shellac. Or it could be some type of varnish. You may need to sand it down to bare wood, but I would avoid that if I could as I don't like sanding. If you like to sand, go for it. It looked like some of the dents could be raised using moisture and a hot iron. Looking back at your photos, I do not understand what is happening in the first photo with the string anchors. What are the strings going over in the photo? Also, if you want to you can replace the tuning pins with shiny new ones.
Just a few thoughts. I hope some of them are helpful.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
At one time I had one of their dulcimers, but I couldn't find a photo of it in my files. If I recall correctly it had a triangular shaped bridge and was made of walnut or rosewood. I'll try and do some more searching to see if can find a photo.
Okay, I was wrong. From the photos I found on the internet the bridge was rectangular or square in profile rather than triangular. It looks like the bridge matched the wood of the fretboard.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I agree, John. Looks like a Hughes Church dulcimer. If it came in to my shop I would recommend a new nut and bridge.
Ken
"The dulcimer sins a sweet song."
Along with others, I am happy to answer any questions you have about building dulcimers, etc. I started building in 1974 but only as a hobby. I've sold a few over the years, Right now I'm more in to making reproductions of old dulcimers and Pennsylvania German zitters.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I purchase bone for guitar nuts and saddles from Stewart-MacDonald. Dan's eBay source looks good too. A lot depends on the size of bone you need for the dulcimer nut and bridge and how much you are will to work it down. Some folks don't like the odor created when cutting, filing, and sawing bone. If you really want to start from scratch you can probably get a beef bone from the butcher at the grocery store. You'll need to boil the meat off and then let it dry. To get a nice white color you will need to bleach it as well. Then you will have to cut it to size and shape it. Have fun however you choose to tackle this project.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Sounds like a nice birthday present. I'm sure it can drown out a dulcimer, but please don't do that. Enjoy your accordion.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I have a Martin guitar with a Richlite fretboard. I think it is a little faster than the ebony fretboard I have on my other Martin. Taylor is involved with planting ebony trees. They have their own plantation of ebony and (I think) subcontract the harvesting and processing of the ebony.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thanks for sharing your, and your brothers, work. I like the way you painted them.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Micarta has been around for a long time. It was developed by George Westinghouse around 1910. You see it used in knife handles because it comes in a great variety of colors and textures. Micarta has been used to make dulcimer nuts and bridges for years. As natural materials become scarce, I think we need to open ourselves to using other materials for instrument making. I was skeptical of doing this for a long time until I purchased a Martin guitar made of HPL (high pressure laminates). That turned me in to a believer. I would not hesitate to use Micarta for a fret board.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Welcome back! Glad you are beginning to play music again. Keep at the dulcimer.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
The low D is the D below middle C. The A is the A below middle C. The high Ds are the note above middle C. If you do no have access to a keyboard, you can call up these notes on your computer to hear how they sound. This should help get you in the neighborhood. Remember to keep the note sounding as you turn the tuning peg. If your Korg gives the octave of the note you are tuning to the notes are (low to high) D3, A3, D4.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
That's a really good album. I wore out the vinyl version.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thanks for the link to your website Riksgewijs. That is a very nice lyre. I enjoyed seeing how you made it.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thanks for the update Greg.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I am happy to do that.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
It's on my calendar for 2020. I will not schedule any overseas trips near the date again. Originally my trip to Italy was to start on May1, but the tour company had to move the starting date to May 8 which meant coming back on May 19 rather than May 12. Had the original schedule worked I would have arrived home on Sunday and left for Berea on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to next year.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Dusty, thanks for the more complete reply. I was just heading out this morning when I saw this post and offered a quick reply. I put new strings on my uke and use a D tuning. It is much easier to play to with the dulcimers that way.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
It depends. Are you willing to retune your dulcimer to play with the ukuleles? Most ukulele groups today tune their instruments to the key of C rather than D, so you would need to tune down to CGc or CGG. Of course if the songs the group plays use only the D, G, and A chords you can play along without any problems. It's all about the music.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
You will like those pegs. I've replaced the violin pegs on a couple of the first dulcimers I built with the geared pegs. They work really well and make tuning easier. The back looks really nice. I like using wood bindings.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Checking on the Folkcraft website, the Folkroots dulcimers that have a 29" vsl the string gauges are: .012, .015, .024RW. Howard Rugg may see this and comment on what he initially put on the dulcimer.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
You can use the Strothers' string calculator to get a good approximation of the strings to use. I think it tends toward the light side. http://www.strothers.com/string_choice.html Just follow the directions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Looks like nice wood. I trust that when it is finished you will share that with us as well.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Very nice instrument, Jack. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
That's really nice John. I bet it sings sweetly.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Since the fretboard is level I do not see a problem with playing it on your lap. As long as the glue joints are solid I do not see a problem with it coming apart. Some dulcimer builders put a curve on the bottom intentionally.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I knew Ruth from several dulcimer events I attended. I enjoyed sharing music with her. We talked about her on another dulcimer site (probably one of the Facebook dulcimer pages). She is missed by many.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
That is a beautiful instrument. Enjoy and have fun playing it (which I am sure you will). Richard makes wonderful instruments.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Nice, Randy. I could sit and listen to you play all day. Might need a break for pizza though.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Wow, really nice figured rosewood. It is a beautiful instrument.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
