Mountain Dulcimer Making

[@TheWest2323]

Very nice job. Thanks for sharing.

[@NoahCline]

Thanks for watching!

[@denisecline2294]

Thank you for making this video. Enjoyed watching and listening. Shenandoah is, as you know, one of my favorites tunes. We'll done😊

[@DavidHite]

Oh man, using the drill press with a block of wood to press in the frets? Brilliant! I'm in the incredibly slow process of building a banjo with next to no time to work on it, so I probably won't be at that step for another year or so, but it's great to know. Thanks!

[@NoahCline]

Thanks, David. Stew-Mac actually carries a fret press tool that’s quite pricey. So if you have a drill press, you have a fret press. I’d heard someone else mention using a drill press to press the frets in (never liked the idea of hammering them in, even with a nylon hammer or mallet). I just start them in just enough with finger pressure so they stand up straight, set and hold the block level on top and bring the chuck down slowly, watching the fret as it’s pressed in (in case it flips to one side, wanting to go in at an angle). Usually you can feel it slip in and then I just give it some pressure, usually pressing the ends and back in the middle to make sure the fret hadn’t lifted on either end. I’ve not used super glue much in conjunction with fret work as the frets I’ve installed without it have usually held fine, though I did recently have to repair a couple loose ones on my personal dulcimer, but I guess it’s nice to have that little bit of extra insurance (and peace of mind) knowing they’ll stay put.

[@DavidHite]

@@NoahCline thanks for the info!