THIS NICE TENOR is headed to Maryann in Pennsylvania. She wanted a strap button installed. I thought you might like to see how I do it. I make the strap buttons out of a good hard wood, or bone, or sometimes ivory. This one is turned on my lathe from Honduran Rosewood. Really tough wood and very pretty.
1. First you must get the patient strapped down on the operating table. I pad the work bench with a soft cloth and use a foam pad under the wood spanning the bout. You want to be sure the clamps are positioned at the vertical sides and clamped only as tight as necessary 
3. Carefully measure and mark the exact center of the inlay at the rear and then prick a little hole at that point just to help the drill bit to not wander as you drill the pilot hole with a small bit. | 
2. Then the surgical tools. I have found that a step drill works really well to cut the hole through the side wood and the walnut butt block inside very cleanly. These drills are really made for cutting holes in sheet metal. 
4. I always start with a small bit 1/8th or smaller. then a little larger one, then a third bit which will allow the step drill into the hole to expand to the size of the strap button shank. This may seem a bit fussy, but you want to keep absolute control over that drill bit and you would feel very bad if the patient ended up with a big scratch or a hole in the wrong place. |
5. The operation was successful. Smack in the center. That is a little bit of glue squeesing out of the hole which I wiped off. Now to put a little French Polish on the button and it will be beautiful. Be sure that you don't push that button in too far, remember that a piece of leather will be cut to slip over that button. The leather wants to have two holes, one for the strap and one for the button. Cut a straight line through the center of the button hole long enough to slip the leather over the button. Use a thick enough piece of leather and it will stay on the button very nicely. Then tie a festive and colorful mexican belt to the leather, and at the other end a round shoelace to tie around the peg head. Maybe I had better show what I mean in tomorrow's blog.
