I was originally thinking that a 6 inch wheel would be an excellent compromise for both playability and ease of construction for the "kitchen table" builder. However, both of my home lathes -- a 7"x10" mini metal and a 10" wood lathe, will easily handle a 7 inch wheel. The current prices for a 10" wood lathe are under $200 so it's not impossible that a crafty-type person might have or get one.
The other argument for a 6 inch wheel would be the availability of materials. At least around here most conveniently sourced hardwoods come in 6 inch boards. Granted, high grade laminated wood is the best choice, but we are shooting for flexible design. (Also, its much easier to find a 6" pulley than a 7" pulley if someone wanted to use a pre-cast part.) That being said, several of the historical designs I've come across have actually had smaller wheels. The GAL plan, based on an old German gurdy, and several Swedish instruments in the museum catalogs, all have about 5.5 inch (140mm) wheels. The Dewit plans call for a 180mm wheel. As to the width, 19mm (~.75 inches) would seem to be a good compromise. That can be easily acquired in Baltic Birch or an American equivalent (ApplePly e.g.). It can also be built up from layers of 1/8 inch (3mm) boards. Anybody know if it's easy to play a Slangpolska with a 7 inch wheel? -Steve On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 8:57 AM, Kazimierz Verkmastare <[email protected]> wrote: > Since the most common hobby metal lathe is an Altas 6 inch or one of the > clones, there is compelling reason to consider parts that can be made on > this lathe, if there is no acoustic or performance reason not to. > Remember, this is not a thread to see what kind of a compromise gurdy we > can build, it is to see if a truly reasonable instrument can be built, at > or below the cost of a professionally built instrument, but an average > craftsman. > > I have no specific knowledge of anything that would make a 6 inch wheel > better or worse than a 7, so I will ask the builders and players if they > can give a reason to stay with 7 inch or can agree on the 6 inch (152 mm) > instead. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
