How to make a 2 string instrument from an oven pan ( panjo )

I made this instrument from an oven pan and spruce.

On a piece of 2x4 I designed the profile of the neck and cut it out on the bandsaw.

I used the disc sander, to shape the front of the neck.

I then marked the sizes of my round overs and started shaping the neck with my spoke shave.

I used a rasp to shape the areas that the spoke shave could not reach. For even more difficult areas, I used sand paper wrapped on a cylindrical marker.

I then used a center finder to mark the center of my pan.

I drilled a couple of holes. The pan is pretty hard steel, so I first drilled smaller holes and then opened them up with a step drill bit.

The neck is mounted on the pan with two large bolts. This technique is inspired by banjo making. In order for the neck to receive those bolts I drilled the holes.

I cut the bolts to size with my hacksaw.

I sanded the edge of the cut on my disc sander. I did that on the edges in a conical shape, in order for the nuts to get bolted on easily.

I then used 5 minute epoxy, to glue the bolts in the neck.

I drilled the holes for the tuning pegs.

I measured my scale at 58cm from nut to bridge, and used a fret calculator to find the exact positions of the frets.

I marked the positions of the frets with a pencil and used a saw and a miter box to cut the fret slots.

I then drilled the holes of the fret position guides. Two of them would act as pins to prevent the fretboard from slipping during the glue up.

For fret position inlays, I used bamboo sticks.

I trimmed the bamboo sticks flush, using my flush trim saw and a piece of paper to prevent the fretboard from getting damaged by the saw.

I then cut the fret wire to size and pushed the frets in place with a clamp and two stop blocks.

To secure the frets in place, I added two drops of super glue to their sides. 

I used my rotary tool, with a cutting disc to trim the frets to size. I then finished that job with a sanding block.

I used my wood burner to burn dots on the sides of the frets.

At this point I assembled the pieces of the instrument, that were ready.

Using my hack saw I cut a metal piece to act as string holder. I drill the holes needed and bended it to size on my vise by hammering it against a screw driver.

I added the tuning pegs, predrilled pilot holes and screwed the string guides in place.

Using the bandsaw and the disc sander, I made the nut and the bridge. I mounted both on the vise, and used a V shaped file, to open the slots for the strings.

My instrument was ready, I tuned both strings in A octaves.

I hope you like it!