Hi!  Noob here!  I was introduced to this site/board by folks on ukuleleunderground.com.  Cool site, this!

I have plans to build using cookie tins from Christmas.  But first...

1.)  My wife and I bought her grandmother's house  some years ago.  There was all kinds of cool old stuff that Grandma and Grandpa had left in their garage--old tools, etc.  One thing was Grandma's cane.  Plain old round-hook black lacquered walking cane.  I want to make in instrument from it.  I'm looking for more ideas on what to make.  I could use it as the neck for a long-ish diddly bow; just have it go through the box and put a tuning key on it, etc.  OR, I could make some kind of stringed instrument with just the cane.  I would need, of course, to put a pickup on it in that event.  Ideas?  Please!

2.)  I want to take one of the empty Christmas cookie tins I have and make a 5-string banjo with it.  Where can I find a reasonably-priced 5-string banjo neck with a dowel?  The BEST would be a short-scale 5-string neck. 

Thanks!

Andy