Dulcitar

Gather the Supplies and Materials You Need

The first step is to gather the supplies you need to make your brand new cigar box dulcitar.

Supplies

  1. cigar box - you can find these at tobacco shops, this will be the body of your cigar box dulcitar.
  2. 1"x2"x3' poplar board: you can pick these up from your local DIY warehouse. If you don't know much about wood, the actual measurements are about 3/4"x1 1/2"x3'. Make sure you get a good straight piece with no knots and the grain should run lengthwise as much as possible.
  3. tuning machines - pick these up from your local music store, you CAN make homemade tuners but it is much easier and more accurate to buy some, I will offer some ideas for homemade tuners in the Alternate Methods page.
  4. Fret Material - I use 14g copper wire used for household electricity, scrounged from a construction site. I have also used cocktail toothpicks. You MAY also be able to use nails, hardwood doweling etc.
  5. Carpenters Wood Glue - to glue the neck joint
  6. 2 Part Epoxy or Superglue - I had better luck with epoxy, but both worked well. The epoxy dried a bit slower so it was much easier to clean-up.
  7. Polyurethane - to add a protective coat to your masterpiece.
  8. Bridge material
  9. Nut material
  10. small screws to secure the top of the cigar box closed.
  11. OPTIONAL: A bit of paint to make fret markers, I use craft paints that come in little bottles and cost about a buck a bottle. Model paints would probably work also.
  12. OPTIONAL: Masking tape - to mask fret markers

Tools

You can use a lot of tools or just a few basic tools. I will tell you what I use so you have an idea of what you can use, everyone has their own favorite way of doing things and their idea of the best tool to use.

  1. Spoke shave. Used to round the back of the dulcitar's neck. A small or mini hand plane will also work here.
  2. Small/Mini hand plane. Used to plane the headstock thinner. A small handsaw and sandpaper may also do the job.
  3. A coping saw. To carve out the sound hole design. A drill, needle files, or a Dremel tool will also work.
  4. Sandpaper for smoothing everything out. The grit will depend on how much you like to sand. I usually use 60 grit and then go to an 80 or 100 grit.
  5. Circular Saw. To cut the scarf joint that forms the headstock.