Finished sanding all the rims today and stained Rainier's ready for oiling, radiused Tom's fingerboard, fretted, slotted peghead and made a start on carving the neck. Should be able to start oiling both banjos next week.
Since I had a customer drop out last week, I decided to do a little more work on a banjo I started last summer. I've changed the specs so many times but finally settled on one of my 2 layer Cherry rims, brass rod tone ring, Walnut neck, 24.75" scale and went for a super cool brass Raven inlaid in the peghead. Being a Norse mythology buff, I originally wanted both of Odin's Raven's, Hugin and Munin, after cutting out a different design I decided it looked too crowded so just went for one Raven. I  will be inlaying a Raven into Corentin's banjo in a couple of months, so I guess this one is Hugin and Corentin will have Munin!

I took on an apprentice a few weeks back, my 6 year old son was off school with chicken pox, he wasn't too spotty, still full of beans and keen to help out in the workshop. He's been crazing me to build him a banjo for months, so I got him to draw some designs and helped him get started ona mountain banjo. He insisted on a battle axe peghead and the inlay has gone from pirates to skulls to vikings, he has now settled on a skeleton viking! He gets bored easily so not sure when we'll get it finished but I'm letting him do as much of the work as possible.

Just been left up 'shit creek' by a customer who thoughtfully let me know he could no longer afford the banjo he commissioned 3-4 weeks  prior to the finish date! 
I'll be putting this on the back burner for the time being so I can concentrate on banjos for paying customers, unless someone would like to take over the commission. The 1st two photos show  where it's at, the last photo shows  what it will end up looking like, except with Ebony instead of Rosewood and 18 hooks instead of 10. There is also the chance to add things like a scoop, fingerboard markers, geared tuners etc. If anyone is interested give me a shout, it can be completed within 4 weeks.

Should Have Rainier's tackhead ready for oiling by the end of next week, Tom's Tubaphone shouldn't be too far behind.

Just to prove I haven't been slacking too much, here's what I've been working on:
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​John's 'Ashborn' pot is ready for sticking on the lathe and the neck is all glued ready to start work on.

Tom's flamed Maple rim is glued ready for fitting the Tubaphone tone ring and Rocklite rim cap.
Should have the truss rod and Rocklite fingerboard/peghead overlays glued on sometime next week. I haven't played a Tubaphone banjo for around 10 years, so I'm looking forward to finishing this one.

Rainier's Ash block rim is also heading for the lathe next week, should get the neck roughed out too.

Check out Steve's banjo!
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11" Cherry block rim
Ebony rim cap
Goat skin head-stained
2-piece Cherry neck
Ebony peghead overlay
MOP stars, dots, man in moon, trout inlays
Ebony tailpiece

Been a productive week, finished 3 of the 4 banjos I've been working on and should have the fourth (Steve's tackhead) completed by mid week, hopefully I'll be able to make a start on Tom's Tubaphone and John's Ashborn at the end part of the week.

Cherry 6-string
Ebony 25.5" scale fingerboard
​2-piece Cherry neck
12" Cherry block rim with Walnut trim
​Goat skin head
​Unbleached bone nut

1-piece Ash neck stained dark brown
2-layer 11" steam bent Ash rim stained dark brown
Goat skin head stained brown
26" scale length
Ebony tailpiece, nut and pip
​Planetary tuners and friction 5th

1-Piece Walnut neck
Indian Rosewood fingerboard 24.75" scale
Rosewood peghead overlay
Maple fingerboard dots
Vintage spun pot
Goat skin head

This banjo will be for sale shortly, let me know if you are interested!

Been a long week carving, scraping and sanding and my poor old arthritic fingers are feeling the pain!
Finally got the first coat of oil on all 4 banjos except Steve's neck, which needs a little more sanding before cutting and inlaying the Trout and moon.
All being well, I should be able to start putting them together by the end of next week!

Some photos and sound files of Bertie's completed mountain style banjo, I'm really pleased with how it turned out, it looks and sounds great!
2-Piece Black Walnut neck
Sonokeling Rosewood fingerboard, peghead overlay and heel cap
Cherry pot with 4" rear soundhole
Tuneable 6" Remo head
Ebony violin pegs
Nylon Minstrel strings
​Maple bridge

Turned the rim walls down to size, glued rim caps on, just need to drill shoe holes in David's and shape the ledge on Mark's then they'll be ready for sanding.
Necks are all pretty much ready for carving the rears, hopefully that will be completed by the end of next week.
Bottom right banjo is a stock one I'm trying to sneak in! The pot had been sitting on a shelf for several years, I finally stretched a new goat skin on it last week, and the neck was made for a  customer in Australia but had to be abandoned when the Rosewood regulations came into place. It will be for sale once completed (hopefully by the end of May), let me know if you are interested in it (Europe only, due to the Rosewood).  Scale length is 24.75", price will be £650 plus shipping.

Had my head down the last two weeks, cracking on with the next commissions. Here's a little update:
Bertie's Cherry/Walnut mountain banjo is coming along, nearly ready for neck carving.

Still have to turn the inside of the Cherry rim and glue on an Ebony cap to Steve's tackhead, carve the neck and cut/inlay/engrave some mother of pearl.

Slotted and glued the Ebony fingerboard onto David's 6-string, I need still need to cut a little more out of the fingerboard as David requested the short string tuner be positioned at the 6th fret as opposed to the 5th.

Bent and glued the Ash rim for Mark's tackhead, still plenty to do on the neck!

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I've just listed a 'used'mountain banjo in the 'banjos in stock' page if anyone is interested.

Just finished Les's long neck banjo, it came together better than I'd hoped. I had anticipated action/string buzzing problems with the extra long 32" scale length, but it seems I was worrying unnecessarily, a nice playing action of 3/32" at the 15th fret, a 5/8" bridge and no sign of any fret buzz!

​Next week I'll be making a start on 2 tackheads for Mark and Steve, a mountain banjo for Bertie and a Cherry 6-string for David!

Just finished Dave's 'Greyhound' banjo this week and I'm pretty well chuffed with how it turned out!
Rim is another 12" Black Walnut block construction, with Indian Rosewood/Brass rod combo tone ring, I turned this one 1/16" thinner and installed  a super thin Calf skin head to make the nylon strings sing a little sweeter.
There'll be no video/soundfile for this one due to it being a lefty! 
My son has just moved bedrooms and is now sleeping in my makeshift photo studio, so now I don't have any room to take pictures, what with all of his superhero toys everywhere. Once I figure out an alternative I'll upload some nice snaps!