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Related Manuals for Musicmakers Mountain Dulcimer KIT
Summary of Contents for Musicmakers Mountain Dulcimer KIT
- Page 1 Mountain Dulcimer 6 5 1 - 4 3 9 - 9 1 2 0 www.harpkit.com...
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Page 2: Hardware Parts
Musicmakers Mountain Dulcimer Kit tail end Fretboard Hourglass Teardrop Peghead Peghead head end Back End Block spacers spacer Braces for back End Block WOOD PARTS Teardrop Sides Hourglass sides Solid wood top Solid wood back OPTIONAL Fretboard DECORATIONS 2 End Blocks &... - Page 3 _____2. Mark a centerline on the outside of each END BLOCK, as shown below. It does not matter yet which block you put at which end. The blocks for the Hourglass kit are identical, and the blocks for the Teardrop kit will determine the head and tail of the instrument after you glue them.
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Page 4: Installing The Back
_____3. Find the spacer(s) for your kit and position them as shown to hold the shape of the instrument. The single spacer for the Teardrop kit can be pushed toward one end or the other to shift the center of the bout one way or the other. - Page 5 _____6. When satisfied with the fit of the BACK, put a bead of glue on the edges of the SIDES and END BLOCKS that contact the BACK, all the way around the instrument, and clamp the entire assembly down on the BACK, against a flat board or table top so that you end up with a nice flat, straight frame.
- Page 6 _____8. Once the BACK is installed, you can trim it down to the shape of the instrument. Some people like to leave a small overhang around the instrument. This is one benefit of having solid TOP and BACK panels, and it looks nice if you are not planning to trim the box with inlay banding.
- Page 7 CUTTING SOUND HOLES _____10. Set the body aside so you can plan the placement of your sound holes. Center the FRETBOARD on the centerline and mark its outline on the inside of the TOP also. The FRETBOARD need not span the entire length of the body, so don’t worry if it seems a little short.
- Page 8 _____11. Once the soundholes are cut (or drilled), you can glue the frame to the TOP, as follows: a) Set up your clamping board again, as you did for the BACK, and apply glue to the edges of the SIDES and END BLOCKS, just as before.
- Page 9 OPTIONAL INLAY BANDING _____13. If you trimmed the TOP and/or BACK flush with the sides of the instrument, and are interested in really customizing the appearance, you can use a router to cut ledges around the perimeter for INLAY BANDING. Inlays are very thin (about 1/16”), so they do not weaken the joints appreciably when inlaid around the TOP and BACK.
- Page 10 _____14. Once the ledges are cut, you can glue the inlay strips in place. If your Inlay Bands are made of wood, use regular woodworking glue. If they are plastic strips, then you’ll need an adhesive that works with both plastic and wood (Duco Cement and Sig-Ment are commonly available, but we like Weld-On #16 best for acrylics).
- Page 11 _____16. Now you are ready to install the frets. Place your FRETBOARD on a good firm surface for this opera- tion. A flimsy table top will not do. Better to work on a concrete floor or a cement block. Otherwise, your wood will just bounce around as you try to pound the frets into place.
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Page 12: Side View
INSTALLING THE PEGHEAD _____21. Check the PEGHEAD so see how it matches the width of the fretboard. The instrument looks best if these two parts meet with the same dimension, and that may require a little tapering or extra shaping on the peghead, as shown at right. It also looks best if you sand the sharp corners to make the peghead feel smooth and nice in your hands. - Page 13 d) Once the PEGHEAD is glued in place, you’ll want to reinforce it with a screw. Use a 7/64” drill bit to bore a pilot hole into the END BLOCK, as shown. Then install the screw provided. e) You can cover the screw head with the wood plug provided. Put a little glue into the hole first, and then tap the plug into place and let it dry.
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Page 14: Final Sanding
_____24. If you plan to install a pickup in your dulcimer, this is your last chance -- before covering the soundholes with rosettes. A single Piezo pickup from Musicmakers works beautifully in this instrument for amplification. You’ll need to drill a 1/2” diameter hole through the tail END BLOCK. Then you can fish an electric patch cord through that hole and out one of the sound holes, plug it into the pickup jack, and pull the jack into the instrument to the END BLOCK where it can be permanently fastened with the nuts and washers provided with the pickup. - Page 15 STAIN -- STAINS are coloring agents and should only be used if you dislike the natural color of the wood. We usually do not apply stains to our projects, especially when they are made with naturally beautiful hardwoods such as on this project. These woods look very nice with just a clear finish.
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Page 16: Installing Strings
_____29. The BRIDGE is a small triangular wood piece that will rest on the 38 mm overall FRETBOARD near the tail end. We do not glue the BRIDGE in place. It is much better to leave it as a “floating” piece, held by the strings. That enables you to fine 13 4 4 tune the scale length for perfect intonation after the instrument is strung. - Page 17 a) Begin with the thick wound string (.025” diameter). This is the bass string, and it goes to the far right-hand posi- tion shown in the photo at right. Push the ball end into the tail end of the FRETBOARD from the right hand side. b) Thread the other end of the string through the hole in the first geared tuner (closest to the “nut”...
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Page 18: Troubleshooting
TROUBLESHOOTING _____34. Fine adjustments can be made in the placement of the BRIDGE to make sure the dulcimer plays perfectly in tune. The measurement given earlier (27-1/8”) should be very close to the exact placement, but some variations may occur depending upon final string height and string thickness. The technique for finding the exact location of the bridge requires a good musical ear or an electronic tuner. - Page 19 Now that you are done with the woodworking, standard procedure calls for baking a pan of brownies or a batch of cookies. These are Jerry’s favorite family recipes. Oooh, the perks of kit-building! MOTHER’S 29-MINUTE BROWNIES Ingredients 2 oz baking (unsweetened) chocolate 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups sugar...
- Page 20 Then she introduces harmonies and chords to embellish the melodies. Order these books and more from our web site, www.harpkit.com MUSICMAKERS P.O. BOX 2117 Stillwater, MN 55082 651-439-9120 info@harpkit.com...
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