Work Page 2026
1920s B&D Montana No.1
22 fret plectrum
Repair as needed to play per customers instructions.
Neck has severe uplift
Dowel needs reset
Celluloid back needs sealing and sanding/compound/buff/wax
All detail in fret markers and overlays need new paint.
Rim assembly needs to be gone through as well, and setup but the neck is the main issue here.
Banjo was subject to neglect and a hot dry environment , and it shows.
Someone tried some things on it in the distant past but no real "fix"
This is one of many banjos that I have worked on, with celluloid fingerboard and overlays that are shrinking from loss of moisture over the years, lifting, cupped, cracked, all the way to disintegrating.
Original binding long gone, some wood veneer as a replacement.
There is delamination of the fingerboard between the bottom pearwood laminate and the maple laminate. Pearwood was subjected to a corrosive chemical that blackened it in a factory process that was called "ebonizing".
Over this many years it has degraded to a point of no strength at all, but it still is black and until the glue releases you never see it.
So the process will be to get the fingerboard celluloid removed and flattened, and the pearwood fingerboard under it removed with the maple laminate.
Then I will replace the lower laminate after installing a 1/4" bar truss as was used in later B&D's (For obvious reasons.)
INITIAL PICS
Repair as needed to play per customers instructions.
Neck has severe uplift
Dowel needs reset
Celluloid back needs sealing and sanding/compound/buff/wax
All detail in fret markers and overlays need new paint.
Rim assembly needs to be gone through as well, and setup but the neck is the main issue here.
Banjo was subject to neglect and a hot dry environment , and it shows.
Someone tried some things on it in the distant past but no real "fix"
This is one of many banjos that I have worked on, with celluloid fingerboard and overlays that are shrinking from loss of moisture over the years, lifting, cupped, cracked, all the way to disintegrating.
Original binding long gone, some wood veneer as a replacement.
There is delamination of the fingerboard between the bottom pearwood laminate and the maple laminate. Pearwood was subjected to a corrosive chemical that blackened it in a factory process that was called "ebonizing".
Over this many years it has degraded to a point of no strength at all, but it still is black and until the glue releases you never see it.
So the process will be to get the fingerboard celluloid removed and flattened, and the pearwood fingerboard under it removed with the maple laminate.
Then I will replace the lower laminate after installing a 1/4" bar truss as was used in later B&D's (For obvious reasons.)
INITIAL PICS
Older Montana.
Heavy scoring on back
Non-orig pegs.
Whatever works, I say. :) I will replace it.
Non orig. celluoid, came right off. Not orig. underneath.
Twuist to treble side-arrow shows direction.
Worn markers, no detail
Dowl was loose, came right out. Will reset
Cupping seen in fingerboard , concave.
I will stop here and discuss things with customer.
Overlay is loose.
Wood veneer used as binding long ago
All of this area needs work.
Overlay OK.
Sequence #2
After discussing the battle plan with the customer and got an OK, we are going forth.
After discussing the battle plan with the customer and got an OK, we are going forth.
First this veneer, it will get correct binding.
Warmed for flex, easing the blocks off.
Showing the delamination.
Heat and go, nothing weird.
Easier to cross chisel on pearwood.
Cleaned up good.
That is the cupping caused by celluloid shrinkage.
1 block fell off, was held by veneer.
repair area will be re-done correctly.
Over the break, now the peghead.
It is a straight grain, hard to do straight-on.
Finish up here for now.
Easy to see that very little fret tang goes into wood.
Always glad when this goes well.
That is all like a wood putty, crumbly.
One spot pulled, that is where the bow was.
Go slow, do not gouge the maple.
Center laminates are tight, thank goodness.
Time to heat/press/cool/hope.
Sequence #3
I was out of 1/4" bar stock so ordered some, and in the meantime I will work on getting the resonator back celluloid in better shape.
I know the thickness of it, and know the depth of the worst gouges so I will get to some dry/wet sanding done. You have to know to stop before you get the celluloid too thin , it will start becoming translucent and cause a shadow look.
I got around 95 % of it gone, and ended up at a 2000 grit wet paper.
I cleaned the concentric lines of the grit, and of the old original gold leaf paint that only showed black from age, on the surface.
You can see glints of it as I clean slots. I will add new gold leaf after all buffing and waxing to get the original look. No finish is on these backs.
I was out of 1/4" bar stock so ordered some, and in the meantime I will work on getting the resonator back celluloid in better shape.
I know the thickness of it, and know the depth of the worst gouges so I will get to some dry/wet sanding done. You have to know to stop before you get the celluloid too thin , it will start becoming translucent and cause a shadow look.
I got around 95 % of it gone, and ended up at a 2000 grit wet paper.
I cleaned the concentric lines of the grit, and of the old original gold leaf paint that only showed black from age, on the surface.
You can see glints of it as I clean slots. I will add new gold leaf after all buffing and waxing to get the original look. No finish is on these backs.
After some 180, to get the worst of it down.
Doing the worst areas one at a time from 180 to 800 grit
I am at 2000 wet here, beginning to show promise.
I will fill; those 2 holes.
That is as good as can be done.
Makers mark
Painted over the repair with acrylic.
You can see the gold leaf glinting.
I am at 320 grit now, they are almost gone.
Found a new pin for the dowel.
Will remove paint/rust on hooks.
Again.
Filling with wood flour.
Ready for a new head.
Now back to the neck.
After buff/wax.
Time to clean up the overlay.
Someone ran elecs. thru the mute hole ,and burned it out.
Soaking and abrasive wheel on hooks.
Sequence #4 -adding the rod.
`1/4" bar stock. Cavity routed.
When you hear a SNAP...
Ready for new laminate veneer.
Good squeeze, ready to wipe and cure 24 hrs.
Board on-Ready for final leveling. I will rebuild the block at the end next.
Glue-press-set, clean slot-move on.
Smoothing with riffler, prepping for binding channels.
Correct grained ivoroid to replace old plastic piece.
I'll bet no one noticed it did not have the final fret from the beginning pics :)
All polished up, here we go.
Rubbing in gold leaf acrylic.
Glue/Clamp/Cure
...You let off, get some glue in and press again. Now it is flat.
Angle set.
Veneer arrived, going forth.
Cross-hatching for better glue bond.
A coat of clear before I make new binding channels.
Making sure that you stay over the original slot to keep scale correct.
2000 grit to polish as I go.
And giving it its last fret slot back.
Correct ivoroid binding.
Stew-Mac 147 wire.
Color Magic Ruby Red.
Ready to removed detritus from overlay.
Removing all old dirty finish from graved lines.
I will use my own theme, The artist taking license.
Clear to protect the new detail.
Dowel re-glued and angle set.
Everything is block sanded flat.
Getting my clamps and caul ready.
Starting the celluloid re-attachment.
Moving along, you cannot rush this stage.
Cleaning and deepening slots as I go.
Ready for fret wire.
Adding side markers.
Cleaning the engraved lines
Ready for clear.
Adding clear.
Dremel sanding drum will make short work of it.
Ready for gold fill.
The next pics show me hiding the numerous tuner peg screw holes that were drilled over time. There were 8 drill-outs for the 2:1 Grovers, not original. It will be fitted with a modern 4:1 geared tuners Since this version of Montana had no back strapping and rear peghead celluloid I merely mimicked that look with white lacquer.
Then a light coat of an amber tint wash before clear coats to give it an "ivoroid" look.
I prefer this to the look of filled holes in blond wood.
Then a light coat of an amber tint wash before clear coats to give it an "ivoroid" look.
I prefer this to the look of filled holes in blond wood.
ABM Pegs installed with new ivoroid buttons.
Cleaning what lines were left on the heel cap.
All 4 lugs missing, I will use inserts into the rim.
Installing a BD armrest, same era.
4:1 ratio planetary.
Better than it was.
Installed flush to the rim.
Resonator has a slight warp but will attach OK.
8/32 knurled brass inserts.
Setting up on simple "window" tailpiece with downforce screw adjuster.
Almost all settled in, I will check frets and head tension once more and then send it home.
MORE TO FOLLOW