Look what I made last night!
(Pictures from spouse's iPod - not best quality)
That's another student lyre, made with a $5 cigar box that I got for Christmas. My first quick lyre took me probably 6-8 hours over 2 days to complete. This one, I did in about two hours after work. And it works!
Lessons learned:
- On the first lyre, I drilled 3/16" holes for the tuning pegs all the way through the cross-piece, which splintered the back and made a mess. I decided not to drill through on this one - but probably did not drill far enough. Tuning pegs are definitely pulling down.
- The escutcheon pins for the strings stick through the wood into the box interior, and slip back and forth a bit. The bottom is curved - on a flat-bottom, I could probably nail them into the perpendicular side of the box. Or, put them on the bottom face so that the tension has to work harder to pull them out.
- Since the 30-lb fishing line didn't work so great, I used 80-lb for the two low strings and 60-lb for the other four. Now the 80-lb strings are on the floppy side, because I'm worried that if I tune them up, the higher 60-lbs will be under too much stress. I need to buy 40-lb line.
- Hammer on a hard surface, not on the carpet.
- Measure twice, hammer once. I got the crosspiece nicely aligned with the uprights - one end on the front side, and one on the back side. Ach, well.
- Center the uprights on the sides. I put them to the forward edge of the box, thinking this would help keep the pegs/strings well above the soundboard surface. And that's true, but it also makes a big lump in the back that you have to reach over to get to the strings. (Or use a narrower box.)
- They do sell "craft" cigar boxes for around the same price as these that offer a consistent size, shape and depth. On the other hand, they have less character.
- Ways to attach a wrist strap - screw-in eyes, or just drill a hole? Could get complex by buying jewelry findings (ribbon crimps), nailing down a jump ring or two and then crimping the strap in. Would that sort of crimp hold that much force or would it pull out? Chokers don't typically have to support much weight. Maybe multi-strand clasps? (Historically, would have been some kind of rivet plate... sew on instead?)
- But if I end up spray-painting it white and doodling on Trossingen-esque decorations, why not?
