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 April 28, 2003

Well, it's been a little while... here's what happened: the stars aligned to bring us more events than we could reasonably participate in AND document at the same time. That's the short version. The long version: it was my 40th birthday on April 22, and we had a party on Saturday the 19th. People came from far and wide. In a completely unrelated event, I received a legacy from my grandfather, Alden F. Megrew. Some people would have bought a new car, but not me (though I kicked myself for this oversight when the old Jetta blew its head gasket a couple of weeks ago). Instead I ordered tools and a workbench for improving the shop. Unfortunately the diskette with the photos of the arrival of the tools and bench has gone missing. Suffice to say that we now have a Delta Unisaw and a Dieffenbach workbench and a new set of French doors for the shop, plus a few other odds and ends. (Yes, those are French doors, not Freedom doors - I refuse to be swayed by the vagaries of public hysteria and nationalism masquarading as patriotism. Vive la France!)

I also took a few pictures at the party. They were on the same diskette. My father took some very nice photos, which I hope to scan and put up here one day soon, but not tonight. I got some lovely gifts at the party, and "thank you" notes will be on the way soon.

So our shop is reorganized, we have new tools, we went to parts of Maxou's workshop, we've had house guests, we had a big party, we have a new lawnmower, and we've made a little progress in the garden. The weather is lovely, and the frogs are singing. (I had some nice garden pictures on that diskette for you, Graham. Bother!! Well, I's sure it will show up.)

Meanwhile, back in the shop, here are a few of the projects. If you don't see yours here, our apologies, but we're working on it too.

LB5: stock for the ribs

Colson: the new wheel band is on and the sides are being refinished. Soon we'll know if mathematics really does work... ;-)

VG38: the soundboard is on and has been sanded flush

Esprit prototype: laminated MDF for the body form

Esprit prototype: the bending jig for the new body shape

The new edge sander.

VG32: laying out the electronics positions in the body

RTDWHG: designing the bridges, ears and tuning machine positions.

See last week and 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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