- 1). Place the 1-by-2-inch board -- the "neck" -- across the inside of the cigar box lid an inch from the end of the lid, allowing the end of the neck to hang over the edge of the lid by an inch. Mark the location on the neck where it meets up with each side of the lid in order to make the lid notch.
- 2). Remove a section of wood as deep as your lid is thick between the markings on the neck using a saw or wood file. Measure the center of each side of the cigar box along the top edge and mark the location. Measure and mark a spot 3/4 inch on each side of the center point and, from those points, 3/4 inch from the top edge of the lid toward the bottom.
- 3). Mark the lines and cut with a saw. Fit the neck into the hole to make sure it fits snugly. Drill or cut sound holes in the lid in any pattern you choose.
- 4). Mark four spots in the top 4 inches of the neck where the strings will go, making sure that the strings will not overlap each other when the dulcimer is finished. Drill the four spots using a 1/4-inch drill bit.
- 5). Mark four equally spaced locations 1/2 inch from the bottom of the neck and drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit. Glue the neck of the dulcimer to the box lid using wood glue and wait for the glue to dry completely.
- 6). Thread each string through one of the holes at the bottom of the neck. Place the 2-inch strip of wood just below the string holes at the top and run the strings over the wood, securing the strings with the eye bolts in the pre-drilled holes at the top.
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