Constructing a hurdy gurdy

[Andrew Orrison]

Hello!

I wanted to share with you all the ambitious project I am working on for my senior keystone in medieval studies. 

I am going to be building a hurdy gurdy. I don't have the most wood working experience in the world, and this is the first project like this I have attempted. I am logging my process on a blog. Which I have linked to at the end. I hope to be done with this project by early april, this give me time to learn how to play it before I need to show people what I have finished for a project.

I am working with some amazing people, a professional luthier, who works mainly with double basses and violins. If I am lucky I am going to have an amazing person to help me learn to play my instrument, Jordan Sramek of the Rose ensemble (an early music group in St. Paul).

If you have any questions please ask, if you see me making any mistakes, please tell me(I need all the help I can get). 

My blog:
http://buildingthedewit.blogspot.com/

--Andrew

[Augusto de Ornellas Abreu]

Do try and get in touch with luthiers with real experience with gurdies. Mel Dorries from hurdygurdycrafters sure will be able to help, and even provide you with some parts that are difficult to make yourself without extensive molds, access to a metal lathe and a fully equipped shop...

--Andrew

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[Karl Christoffers]

Greetings Andrew,

You do not say so in your post, but have you checked out the Page of corrections and amplifications to the DeWit gurdy on Alden and Cali Hackman's Olympic Musical Instruments website?

http://www.hurdygurdy.com/info/dutch.htm

Good-luck with your project,

-Karl

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From: Andrew Orrison <ahor...@gmail.com>
To: hurdy...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2013 12:59 AM
Subject: [HG-new] Constructing a hurdy gurdy

[Andrew Orrison]

I probably should mention that. Yes I am using that page. The supplemental instructions are one of the reasons I chose to go with this design.

--Andrew

[robert baldwin]

hi augusto,,, have the gumption,, i have the tools,, i have the time,the money and the  wood,,, where did u get the  plans,,,,,  indianbob

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From: Augusto de Ornellas Abreu <augusto....@gmail.com>
To: hurdy...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 21, 2013 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: [HG-new] Constructing a hurdy gurdy

[Rob]

hi Andrew (and everyone)!

thanks for sharing! - if you don't mind, i might like to feature this in "The Hurdy Gurdy Weekly."

also: you may find this to be of interest (from my Hurdy Gurdy Instruction playlist on my youtube channel, 40 videos to date) -

Homemade Hurdy Gurdy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw4ZozSU9Bw&feature=share&list=PL98FF6E1A530A8420

HG Instruction playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL98FF6E1A530A8420&feature=plcp

see also - HG listening playlist (165 videos): 

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB21B15CC058F9B03&feature=mh_lolz

  Rob Cherwink

home: http://robertcherwink.com

The Hurdy Gurdy Weekly > http://tinyurl.com/HGWeekly
 twitter: #HurdyGurdy : #HGWeekly

youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/robertcherwink

[Andrew Orrison]

Sure that would be awesome! If you want more info about my project let me know!

--Andrew

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[robert baldwin]

hey andrew,,,do u have any measurments for  placing  the braces,, i see none in those plans

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From: Andrew Orrison <ahor...@gmail.com>
To: hurdy...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 2:48 AM
Subject: Re: [HG-new] Constructing a hurdy gurdy

[Andrew Orrison]

All I have is the plans. If they are not there then I cannot help you.

How is your build going?

--Andrew

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[robert baldwin]

its going good,,,frame is made,,, everything out of honduraa mahogany

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From: Andrew Orrison <ahor...@gmail.com>
To: hurdy...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 5:21 PM

[Andrew Orrison]

Wow, you are fast. Got any pictures?

[robert baldwin]

2 picks off the  gurdy in progress,,, all honduras mahogany

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From: Andrew Orrison <ahor...@gmail.com>
To: hurdy...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 5:27 PM

[robert baldwin]

construction progress,,, glueing the back,,,,if i  was to do another id  steam bend the back or put  long kerfs,,i did develop a small crack

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From: robert baldwin <indy...@yahoo.com>
To: "hurdy...@googlegroups.com" <hurdy...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 8:56 PM

[Roy Trotter]

Re: Dewitt Plans:
If I remember correctly, The plans didn't show any (or enough) bracing on the back.  One should use ladder bracing on the back --- like on the top. (If I remember correctly) each brace should be an inch wide and "generally" 1/2 inch thick. By "Ladder Brace", I mean = Each brace extends completely from side to side. In Alden's Supplemental Plans he also runs  inch-wide strips of bracing up the sides ... from top to bottom --- just like a real hurdy-gurdy(!). These side-braces fit in at the points where the top & back braces are. (These "side braces" are needed even though the sides are uncurved on this model.) So they make little "frames". One frame is located at the bridge, one falls about half-way up the scale and a third brace is on the end, yeah, up there, near where the tuners go.
  There are several reasons for ladder bracing. All I remember is "Why do you want guitar bracing (X-braces)?" "It's not a guitar..." & "Why do you want  all them herky beams for anyway?" "You'll need them" Some of that massive woodwork is to stabilize the tone.
 I hope that helps but I doubt it does. I'll look for my notes next time I'm down that way.
Later, huh
Roy

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[David Gillett]

Andrew,

You might want to check out this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W05WdqD2UJ8&feature=youtu.be - there's a section on bracing, and it's highly inspirational!

David

[Roy Trotter]

   Oh, BTW ... Them braces shots on the video are NOT Gurdys. Ref the tiny holes on the near the bridge ... (I'm guessing) 2-3 inch x about .5 inch between the very large (for gurdy) soundholes ? .... Definitely not a wheel - hole  Our luthier is probably red-handedly luth -ing (making lutes) or guitars. (Why is he pretending that ?) They COULD be flat - topped hurdy - gurdyies but there is no evidence of the type of instrument that German Diaz (e.g.) is playing later in the video. I'm not nay-saying the encouragement factor, but be advised that what you can learn from the pictures here may not be immediately & directly useful.
     Get the "Dutch Supplemental" from the Hackmans, if you haven't yet. And a metric/standard ruler (yardstick) ... It helps...
Good luck &c ...

   Oh Well. gotta go do some OT garbage ....

Later
Roy Trotter