The last coat of oil should be dry on the banjo, so I went down to check it out. Here is the neck. It actually looks kind of nice from a distance.
The Neck Doesn't Look Too Bad
The tip end of the peghead now has finish on it (Yay!). It is still rough from all that abuse, but it has finish on it.
The Rough Spot Now Has Finish On It
The peghead actually looks pretty good if I don't look at it too closely.
Not Too Bad After All
I really like the look of the handstop on this neck.
The Handstop Is Nicely Formed
Just for grins I put the banjo back together to see what it looks like.
Slide the Dowel Through the Holes in the Hoop
Screw the neck to the hoop with the two wood screws.
Screw The Neck Down
There it is, with the tailpiece positioned where it will be after the banjo has been strung.
It is Looking Almost Done
Taking a close look at the tailpiece, you can see that it is very close to the hoop, but it does not touch the hoop. So all of the string tension will be transferred to the dowel stick and not to the side of the hoop.
The Tailpiece Does Not Touch the Hoop
I learned some lessons while I was doing this finish job. I hope I can remember them next time I do this. The finish came out OK but not spectacular. It is missing in places and is rough in others. I think that I got sawdust and/or steel wood scraps in the finish. I also ended up with bad places from the way I put it down to dry. It is somewhat uneven in places, and there are runs in others.
Lessons learned:
- Wipe down the banjo every time before applying finish.
- Put the finish on a bit thinner each time and do more coats.
- Figure out how to hang the neck up to dry.
- Don't sand it much after the stain is on.
- Make absolutely sure to clean up after using steel wool.
And you know what.... I never did get around to making those peg blanks.
