The next batch are coming along nicely. Fingerboards are slotted, shaped and glued to necks, as are peghead overlays. Should be able to get down to business next week, shaping the various peghead designs, cutting heel to pot fits etc. Gonna be lots of cool stuff going on with these banjos once completed!

Bob's Minstrel banjo is finally finished and rumbling like thunder, its siblings have been put to one side until next year.

​12" 1 piece, bent Ash rim(stained)
Goat skin head(stained)
Maple bridge
Ash neck(stained)
27" scale length
Walnut fingerboard
Minstrel nylon strings
Ebony tailpiece with inlaid Mother of Pearl star
Ebony friction pegs
Brass hardware

The next 5 open back rims, turned down to size with rim caps and and tone rings.  Just need to shape the Rosewood and Ziricote tone ring edges, cut the ledges for the 2 Dobsons and drill the shoe holes. I'll get to work on the the necks later next week, slotting fingerboards, installing rods etc.

Since I'm well on track with commissions, I've spent the last few weeks flitting between jobs, getting various bits and bobs glued and roughed out as well as making new jigs and templates to make life a little easier!
I'll be focusing on Bob's minstrel banjo next week, hopefully I can get the carving, sanding and staining done before the end of the week.

Neck blanks and 12" rims glued, planed and roughed out for Davy, Bob, Tom and Andrew. Cut and planed this lovely Ziricote yesterday, ready for Bob's cool semi-fretless openback, which I'll be finishing early next year.

Left pic is Sam's minstrel and a stock minstrel. The right pic will be a stock banjo I've been slowly working on for the past 6 months. It's a flamed Maple neck with Ebony 25.5" scale fingerboard and a 12" 3 ply flamed Maple rim, which will be Ebony capped. The Maple will be stained to bring out the flames, not sure which tone ring I'll be using, possibly a simple brass rod or a rolled brass.
If you're interested in either the stock minstrel or the Maple, give me a shout :)