Cookie Tin Banjo Part 4: Bed Post Banjo

Step 7 Cookie Tin Becomes Banjo Body

It's easy to cut the tin with a knife. I made my first one by cutting a square hole. I did the second by cutting a "Y shape and folding the flaps open.

Some people like to put the can right side up, some like it upside down. I make mine upside down so the lid is the back of the banjo. That way I can still open the can and put cookies inside :). Also it lets you make a neck out of a piece of wood that isn't so thick. That will be obvious to you once you have the parts in your hand and are figuring out where to cut them.

The widest part of the dowel needs to be right where it meets the fingerboard part of the neck. If you make a little shelf right there for the front of your banjo to rest on, it'll raise it up above the rest of the dowel and won't buzz. The face of your banjo body needs to be below the level of the fingerboard to keep the strings from hitting it. The tail edge of the face needs to be at least a hair below that, or your strings will be too high.

The body is done. Gee that went quick.
Cut the end of the dowel off at just the right length.