Li'l Shaver

Apologies for missing the last few weeks.  My goal is still to post once per week.  The reason I've missed making entries is that I am still waiting to receive one of my tools, forgotten at my last location, which I thought was essential to this project.  Instead, being eager to continue and not fall behind my schedule, I've been "making do" without said tool and finding creative ways to still accomplish my goals.

I have continued cutting out pieces.  One thing which has me puzzled is grain orientation; but, I'm figuring that out with trial and error.  I've cut pieces for the sides, neck, toe, back and top. 

Yesterday, I whittled a bridge out of maple and will try to make another with the grain going the other way--the way the grain worked on this first attempt tells me that the bridge wouldn't be very strong, so try-try-again.

Because this first nyckelharpa is experimental, I haven't gone to much effort to select "premium" woods (as in, air dried material--though being Montana, I'm sure the air has played a role in drying the wood further if possible).  The redwood I picked up at Johnson-Madison Lumber and the gentleman who helped me was something of a musician himself--he went to a special effort to research lumber options for me.  He also went through their ENTIRE pile of redwood planks to find the best one for my needs.

Here, I'm ripping a piece in two so that I can glue it up "book-matched".  I'm not sure if the joint will be a mistake and weaken the top and bottom.  I thought I read somewhere that the glued joint is stronger than the wood around the joint . . .
And yes, I'm sitting on the wood so I have enough leverage to saw.  The next day, I felt like I had been through a spinning class at the gym!  Youch!







The local hardware store was having a sale, so I made an investment and purchased a few good clamps.  I'm making some clamps for gluing the top and bottom on and they're not nearly so pretty--I've always leaned more toward functionality anyhow. 

I found, as I continued to work without my joiner plane, that I could actually do a better job of evening edges with my little block (Stanley 220) plane.  I asked my woodworking mentor about it, and he said it fit my hands better and that I could "feel" where I was more accurately.  Someday . . . Lie Nielson . . .
That was actually quite a joke yesterday with my roomie.  I woke early to get to the sale at the hardware store, and told her I could hardly wait . . . most girls get excited about clothing or bath products, yet here I was, anxious to beat the rush so I'd be sure to get my clamps . . .  funny!

Yes, that's a cutting mat for sewing projects.  I think mom keeps hoping I'll become passionate about quilting someday.  There is something purely delightful about strolling between long rows of quilts at a show with my mom, and together admiring the hand-stitching and patterns and stories the fabric tells.

Setting Up Shop

Through good fortune and an acquaintance who has taken an interest in encouraging a new woodworker, I have a little bench!  Since my "woodshop" is also my apartment (how many girls can say they sleep with their tools?) I needed something small for now--mostly to protect the landlord's floor from dings & etc.

This small bench is just the size I wanted and measures 16d x 36w x 29t.  The laminated top is sturdy and will provide a good surface for clamping and gluing up.  I'm thinking about fitting a piece of plywood between the legs to make a shelf for storage and possibly the use of go-bars.  There is just enough space under that to make a "drawer" on casters where I could store my tools . . . instead of the pizza box.

I may post a picture of my old-tool collection in the next post where I hope to cover plans and layout.

Here's what I have collected so far for wood and my intention for each.
Maple : bridge, tailpiece, toe end and string nut
Alder: sides and neck
Walnut: I may or may not use this, but thought it might make nice tuning pegs for the melody strings.
Cherry: this will be for my keys and key box sides, and may become the back/bottom of the instrument's soundbox.

The cherry isn't quite wide enough to make a one-piece back, so I may rip it to book-match it and glue it up/plane it that way.

I "thunked" each piece and all are highly resonant.  All I'm missing is a piece for the soundboard.  I purchased these woods at Windsor Plywood, but they didn't have any redwood or spruce.  I was encouraged to check with our other local supplier, Johnson Madison, as they "might have some quarter-sawn redwood laying around".

The Project & Goals

The goal of this project is to build and learn to play a nyckelharpa, and in the process explore woodworking with hand tools.  I plan to post weekly, unless the project moves more quickly and I have more material to share.  I hope to complete the instrument by June, allowing extra time for gathering materials/ tools/ etc. and for picking the brains of local woodworkers on using hand tools and working wood.
 . . . learning to play? . . . well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there!

Because I tend to side-track and lose myself in every little distraction, I have taken the time to sit down and write an outline for this project; however, I'll keep the outline to myself so that readers who miss this first entry will think I'm wonderfully organised, on-top of things and dedicated to this blog (not just checking off a list of to-dos).

Initially I'll cover the whys, whatnots and what-the-hecks which will allow me to write something while I continue collecting materials so that when I'm ready to cut and carve I can dive right in.

In the meantime, where does a girl who is new to woodworking keep her growing collection of hand tools?

In an old pizza box.  Yup, it's true!