Day 9: Permanent Patina.

Today Dwain and I talked a lot about the business of making dulcimers. Of course, this neophyte and block-head cannot get past the dulcimer as a machine to be made as an art object. And I do call it a machine, as you've read in other posts. The dulcimer is a mess of wood, metal, and bone to sit and oxidize on a shelf, inoperable without human interaction to send sound into the air to live as music. So I'm kind of stuck on how others will use my machines, my dulcimers, just as I consider how others use my mechanical folk art to make fun.

The reality of making a business making and selling dulcimers within a couple of years will be a challenge. Dwain describes the many variables--including my work ethic and drive to build--and it does seem like it will take a lot to get established. So I have to find an in.

I don't like the tuners, but I like the number of them.

There is a thread on a ning site where I belong. The site is Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. The thread post asks which is better, 3 or 4 strings on a dulcimer. Some styles of playing are better with one or the other, depending on the style. I like to finger pick, and to do so with four strings is a challenge because I like to do hammer-ons and pull-offs in chord and melody style playing. But a dulcimer can be constructed so that it has the ability to have four strings and can also be set up to play with only three.

On the thread there are many proponents of three-stringed instruments. So I have it in my head that I can make three-stringers because why put an extra tuning peg in if you don't need it--maybe to hold a tuner, as one poster said. In my mind I can see the machines, and they would be specific to a group who play in a certain way. That is, I'll be creating for a tiny niche in a small community. But, as all selfish artist do, I'm really just creating for me. I want one, so why wouldn't others?

This is a Sunhearth, made by Walt--and the predecessor
of Dwain's design. You can see why I love the design.

Dwain sees much farther down the road than I do, and his instruments are heirlooms. So he says why make a machine for a limited group or one limited to just one person. Good questions. As you can read, I'm still struggling--not with the design as I love the Bear Meadows instruments. Just with my own ideas of aesthetics and function and business.

Today we had to get the shop back in order after all of the cutting we did last week. We started out by cleaning off all of the shelves and machines, as well as cleaning up the floor. There was a lot of wood dust left over.

Then we took the bandsaw apart to clean and service it. I got to take the blade off and put it back on.

 At some point we got to take a watermelon break. This was the last of it, these two pieces. So Dwain had to have only one. He told me about the times when he was a kid growing up in Texas and they had watermelon parties. They'd set up tables outside and go to town on watermelons. I told him of the times when I was young and we'd share time and meals with other families. My favorite place was with the Trotter family, where we'd get boiled peanuts, smoked mullet, ice tea, and other Cracker goodies. I miss those gatherings, and perhaps the relationships, but I don't know how to host. Perhaps I learn so that I can share with others like the Trotters shared with me.

I didn't make this, the imagecomes from this site.

Then I had a lesson in book-matching two pieces of wood for the tops and backs of the instruments. This is a pretty cool process that makes sense. And it is pretty. So all of that wood I cut last week has to be joined together. There are rigs and jigs and chocks and blocks for all of the work to be done in the shop. I asked Dwain where he got this method, and he said he got if from Walt. So this is the tradition of the work coming to me. I still cannot believe that I'm here and learning this. I told Dwain just today that I've been working my whole life to be here now.

After the boards are glued
they have to be wedged
and weighted for six hours.

Dwain uses hide glue to connect the planks. Hide glue is really strong, and if an instrument is ever damaged there is a better chance of fixing it if the machine can be taken apart. Hide glue allows for that. So I got a lesson in how to make and use hide glue, which I've never done. I did a bit more research when I got home--because I'm studying and all--and I learned that the stronger the hide glue is the faster it dries. Dwain had to prod me along a bit today, but as it was my first time I was just taking it in. I'll be practicing making book-matched boards for a day or so more, and I do need the work.

I also got to use a joiner plane. There is definitely some technique to doing this! I wore away a sixteenth of my boards getting it right, which I did. I'll be better at it as I practice since it is just an exercise. I didn't run my marathon after training for only a month.

Since I'll be working on more book matching and we couldn't do anymore at that table today I got a lesson in finishing the instruments. Dwain was working over this one that is nearly done and talking me through his process, describing what to look for and how to fix blemishes if they are found. It was a great lesson, and, as I told Dwain, I came to this eager to learn about finishing the instruments because this will help me in finishing my other artwork, which I'll have to make until I make it as a luthier. And even then I'll probably still make art other than the instruments.

And then I got a lesson in making the shellac, what types to use, alcohols, and the like. Then I got a lesson in making jigs for custom fretboards. My eyes didn't glaze over when he was describing the method of making them, but it was hard to keep up. He told me that he wants me to stay away from doing this for others until he gives it up because he really likes it. I told him not to worry about that because it is so technical. I'm going to need several more lessons with that!

Then we had dinner, veggie sausages and vegetables. After all of the fried foods I've been having this is probably a great thing.