Chapter 2: When I'm about to do somthing stupid...

I like to catalog the full extent of my stupidity for future reference.

While I am no stranger to wood working this is my first musical instrument and thus will demand a little more patience and care than some of my previous projects. Also there are some required tools that I still haven't acquired yet. A pillar drill, band saw, tuning peg reamer, and sound post tool are already on the shopping list. I also need to research and source glue, varnish and a bow to finish things off. There may also be somethings I have missed so far.

Now, just incase you haven't realised it already, this is not going to be a quick 'one or two weeks' job. I do have a full time job with awkward hours, and another big project on the go. I would like it to be done within six months though but we shall see how it goes.

Let's go back to the picture of the supplied kit and see what we have.

The simple answer is 'Lots of pieces of wood and a few extra bits', but lets put names to things. Some names seem a little odd but I'm following centuries of tradition here and this is how Sören Åhker's book and plans identify them.

From the top of the picture we have:
The Left Side of the Body with the Bridge on top and the Strings resting against it.
To the left of the Strings is the Tailpiece.
To the right of the Strings is the Neck and End Block (these are two parts to be cut from one piece of wood) with the Nut or Saddle (the small piece of wood) leaning against the Reinforcement Plate on top.
Then there is the Right Side of the Body with the Sound Post in front and, to the left, the four Tuning Pegs for the Playing Strings and the Guitar Tuners for the Sympathetic Strings.
There are four Fine Tuners for the Playing Strings beside the Back and the thinner Top.
The bottom left quarter of the photo is filled with a whole host of wood strips that will make the 37 Keys. The top one of the wood strips is much thicker because it will be used to make the three Bent Keys.
The bottom right quarter of the photo has the preshaped Bass Bar at the top, followed by some more Keys and the two Key Chest Attachment Plates to the left, and the pieces of the Key Chest including the precut Key Guides to the right. And finally, at the bottom, are the thin strips that will become the Tangents.

How many parts is that?!
Keys - 81 parts (30 two-part keys and 7 three-part keys).
Body and Neck - 9 parts.
Key Chest - 12 parts.
Tuning Pegs - 4 Parts.
Sound Post.
Bridge.
Tailpiece.
I make that 109 wooden parts to shape, glue, and varnish before adding 26 screws, 6 tuning parts, and 16 strings!

Good game, good game. Thirty seconds, starting now!

Chapter 1: The Prologue

For a while I have wished I could play the Violin but the thought of trying to find the right note unaided on an open string has always put me off. While I have always listened to rock or metal music I also like classical and Irish / Celtic music and that is part of what drew me to the Violin.
Some years ago I saw Dead Can Dance in concert and saw an alternative instrument called the Hurdy-gurdy. It uses keys to touch the strings for each note so it removes the problem of learning to get your fingers in the exact spot, but instead of the bow it uses a wheel turned by a crank to vibrate the strings. The Hurdy-gurdy is a bit limited for my liking as it can only be played on one string at a time (excluding the drone string). Some do have a few strings that you can switch between, but it's not practical mid-song.
A few months ago I came across a band on YouTube called Triskilian and one of them was playing an instrument called a Nyckelharpa and I found what I was looking for. It has a body similar to a Violin but larger, keys like a Hurdy-gurdy, is played with a bow, and multiple strings like a Violin.

A search of the internet again found some useful webites
UK Nyckelharpa Society
Nyckelharpa UK run by Vicki Swan a music teacher.
American Nyckelharpa Association
Holzman Folk Traditions an American maker who can also provide a kit.

I have now bought plans and a kit from a Swedish Nyckelharpa maker, Sören Åhker.

So now I have to turn this into a working instrument.