Photo report of a Kanailal & Brother surbahar kuti repair.
The main kutis of this surbahar are very specific. The surface is smooth and only cut with a saw. Original Kanailal replacement kutis are hard to find. When it is broken, repair is the most obvious solution. In this case it affects a cikari kuti. Note the peculiar position on the neck: it is mounted between the first and second tarav kuti.
Kutis are made out of sheesham (sissam) wood. This is a variety of Indian rosewood (Dalbergia sisso) which grows in the Himalayan foothills to Central and South India. Surbahar kutis are rather long. I used a 18cms long piece for this work.
![Broken kuti + new piece of sheesham wood](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti02.jpg?resize=150%2C116)
2. Cut the ball with a saw, sand the surface smoothly and mark the center precisely.
![Separated ball with centre mark](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti03TN.jpg?resize=150%2C123)
3. Drill a hole exactly in the center. (8mm diameter)
![Separated ball with 8mm hole](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti04TN.jpg?resize=150%2C115)
![Square hole and shaft (8x8mm)](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti04bTN.jpg?resize=150%2C115)
5. Make one end of the piece of wood square as well (8x8mm) and make it fit exactly into the ball.
![Ball on new shaft](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti05TN.jpg?resize=150%2C115)
6. Apply wood glue and lock it into a clamp. Give sufficient time to completely dry out. (24hrs min.)
![Drying out in clamp](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti06.jpg?resize=150%2C115)
![Starting to make the shaft round](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti07TN.jpg?resize=150%2C117)
8. Finish the joint and make the kuti fit nicely into the instruments neck.
![The joint in detail](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti08TN.jpg?resize=150%2C117)
9. Apply some new lacquer (Shellac) over the joint and fix the original deco pin on top.
![Finished...](https://i0.wp.com/www.sitarfactory.be/fotos/Kuti%20Repair/Sur/KanSurKuti01TN.jpg?resize=150%2C114)
See more kuti repair here.