The progress reports

Each week we update this page with new photos of instruments in progress. The updates will usually be sometime on Monday, which is the end of our work week.

We hope that you enjoy seeing the progress on your instrument and those of others who have them on order.

Week ending March 24, 2003

This week has been overshadowed by world events. While we disagree with our leaders' approach to this conflict, our hearts and thoughts are with the men and women who are serving our country, and particularly with the families of those who will not return.

VG36: mounting the peghead in a jig for trimming it on the bandsaw

VG36: testing size and shape of the soundboard hole for the tuner

VG39: the drone strings are on

VG39: trimming the keybox top to length

VG39: almost done - just the wheel cover retainer and the drapeaux remain

VG39: preparing to drill the trompette drapeau

VG39: developing a new style of drapeau for the petit bourdon. It needs to fit into a very tight space, because of the sympathetic strings below.

[no photo]

VG40: fitting the chanter bridge and tailpiece to the body

LB4 - gluing in the strap button blocks

NQ's symphonie: after much discussion, we believe we've found a solution to the problem of where to put the lid when it needs to be removed

Justin's VG: making another wheel cover.

Justin's VG: usually I try to avoid glare from the lights when taking the photos, but this time I left it in, to show the smooth surface he's getting. He must be expecting to give it some hard use...

Colson: after what seemed like days of calculations and tests, I developed a mathematical model that lets me enter the instrument's measurements and gives me back the bearing positions, wheel diameter, and shaft angle. This x-ray shows what the model confirms: the head bearing is too low, lower than the tail bearing. Thus the wheel is too large and will need to be trimmed and rebanded. C'est la vie...

The Pajot: measuring for the mathematic model

Lute-guitar: gluing in the rosette with a reinforcing circle

Lute-guitar: Cali removes more of the cedar shavings

Lute-guitar: a blank for the replacement bridge

RTDWHG: Justin spent the hole day putting the binding in, and now he's sanding it all back off (almost).... ;-)

RTDWHG: and there it is. Next we'll experiment with where the strings go.

If you'd like to see or hear more about the garden, I can post the pictures here.

See other weeks for more pictures.

Please contact us if you have comments or questions about this page or other pages on this site.

Alden and Cali Hackmann
Olympic Musical Instruments

Beati illi qui in circulum circumeunt, fient enim magnae rotae.

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