J.C. Rockwell | Mountain Dulcimer Building Workshops

Building a Mountain Dulcimer

Building Outline: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | SPiCYAM Class Syllabus |

The April 25- May 30, 2003 SPiCYAM workshop was planned for 12 brand-new builder-players who would spend 5 Friday evenings (4 hours per night) building as a group at the Sunday Creek Associates office in Shawnee, Ohio. Jerry Rockwell was assisted by Tim Kanke and Mary Lautzenheiser.

Mountain dulcimers were available for playing anytime during the evening, as builders got stuck, took turns helping each other, or experienced a moment of woodworking burnout. We had some excellent moments singing together as well (we found forgotten lyrics on the Internet).

A two-hour beginner playing lesson at the Holland Center in Corning was scheduled as an extra session after completion of the instruments.

The SPiCYAM dulcimers are a special JC Rockwell pattern, with multiple molds (gluing jigs) built just for the class.

The instruments are teardrop-shaped, all Honduras mahoghany, have 3 strings, a straight, slotted-style headstock, traditional circle soundholes, and a one-piece back. They have a 26-inch VSL or vibrating string length (the distance from nut to bridge) which is shorter than most of Jerry's instruments and provides an easier reach for small or arthritic hands.

A one-person master class in building is very different from building with a group.
Adam Lawrence built a 4-string large Kentucky hourglass-shaped dulcimer with a back made of two book-matched pieces, a three-piece joined and angled headstock with a custom designed shape, and heartshaped soundholes. He stayed with us in Guysville and worked in an intensive one-on-one project with Jerry from October 17 to 21, 2002.

Adam took extensive notes as he built his instrument, and compiled them into an overall list of steps which are presented and illustrated here. Some intermediate/advanced playing sessions were inserted during the hourglass building process as well.

Preparing Bookmatched Back, Sides, Endblocks

NOTE: the text in dark red represents building steps that the SPiCYAM builders did not carry out, but which are part of Jerry's overall building procedure.

Preparing Back (Bookmatched Two-piece Back)
1. Use long level with sandpaper glued along edges (coarse on one side, fine on the other). Clamp one back piece (over a thin board to elevate the edge) to clamping table and slide level back and forth against wood to straighten edge (first coarse, then fine). Repeat with other back piece. Note: covering the table with wood or plastic will keep level from wearing grooves into table surface.
2. Run a glue bead along one edge of a back piece. On the clamping table, lay down a plastic sheet (to avoid glue bonding to clamping table), the two back pieces, then a heavy flat board. Clamp ends down over the heavy board.
3. Allow at least 45 minutes for glue to dry.

Adam bends hourglass shaped curves in his dulcimer sides.

Preparing Sides
1. Position each side next to your dulcimer mold, and mark the tops of the curves with a small ink mark.
2. Soak the wood by rubbing all sides with a wet cloth.
3. Slowly bend the first side to match the curvature of your mold, using the heated violinmaker's bending iron (shown on the workbench, left above)
4. Bend the second side the match the curvature of the first side. (Above: Adam Lawrence bends sides for his large Kentucky Hourglass dulcimer. The hourglass shape requires a series of bends, while the teardrop is less complicated).

Tim helps SPiCYAM builders clamp dulcimer sides into a gluing jig.
5. Clamp sides into mold using small pieces of wood to keep clamps from marring sides.

Planing end blocks on a shooting board.

Endblock in place: hourglass dulcimer assembly

Preparing Endblocks
1. Use shooting board (planing jig with a built-in angle: see above) and jointer plane to form angles on endblocks. The endblock shown above has been placed in Adam Lawrence's hourglass dulcimer.

Jeff clamps teardrop dulcimer sides into a gluing jig.
2. Glue endblocks to the sides that are in the mold. Use many clamps to ensure a solid connection.
3. Allow 45 minutes to dry.

Building Outline: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | SPiCYAM Class Syllabus |