you have to be careful which type of podge you get, one that i have has a shiny finish but it tacky/rubbery to the touch
Which one is that Amanda? I mean that sounds just like what a shamisen player would want. When I met up with Grant we discussed the matter and he said that since he had a laquered one his arm would stick better to it and it would therefore not fall down. While it is a matter of technique mostly, it certainly helps if your arm sticks to the doukake.
My current dou is fabric and might be polyester only or a mix. It is therefore very smooth which is a problem.
will take a look for you tomorrow and post it here, am off to bed nao so gnight guys
OKIES
sorry for taking so long, manic day.
the product i used is called:
NapkinPodge - applique glue for fabric made by Plaid
BUT
i canāt find the same product online at the website, i think it has been rebranded to mod podge Fabric, youād have to check but thatās what i have so far.
If you get desperate i can send you my tub XD
mental picture of a bathtub in the mail That would cost quite a lot!
There are some Swedish online shops that sell Mod Podge. Do you have a picture of how it looks with a light source shining on it? When I saw a tutorial on the website the fabric one didnāt look very shiny, but made the fabric stiff. Almost looked like it was simply a bottle of glue.
Do it yourself Mod Podge:
I wonder if this really is Mod Podge.
I read the source of that idea.
HolleySeptember 22, 2011 9:21 PM
You can water down the Mod Podge and it will last longer. I like Mod Podge because it is shiny when it dries. Elmers isnāt.
The mod podge I found on the net was not very much more expensive than the regular glue we have here so as long as I know what kind to get it should just be a matter of ordering.
will have the camera out tomorrow so will grab my project and snap some
sources:
http://www.getcreativeonline.co.uk/shop/item.php?id=1493
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110985027913
Wow. This thread just blew my mind. Beautiful work!
I just used the gloss Mod Podge, but you need to use an acrylic sealer so that it does not get tacky.
I am too intending on building a shamisen for my brother Robert. I wish I had as many tools as you, it seems like you have an entire workshop set up there Gwyn.
OK guess its time to beak my silence on the forums. I have been quite busy lately but have barely had time to keep up to date with the forum. I wish I had more hands on time with my shamisen! But with closing up my shop for the winter in order to accommodate the needs of my garden and starting a new job that finally puts my horticulture degree to good use and temporarily appeases my love of studying plants I have not been able to continue my woodworking. On the other hand the new lessons Kyle has posted has filled what little time I have and has greatly improved my playing. So silver lining I suppose. But the weather has broken and my garden begins anew. With my potting bench and germination greenhouse out of my workshop I was able to clean up and as of today work can continue. So look out Bachido spring is here and my workshop is up a running again. Anyway its good to be back and keep a lookout for updates and I see you around the forum.
Welcome back Gwyn!
Haha! I know what you mean. This place is just so active, itās difficult to just ācheck inā and stay current. 
Fortunately, things have settled down a bit. It was pretty intense last year. Almost 12 new posts a day, it took stamina to stay on top of it!
Yeah, same thing here. As Spring comes, Bachido work must be balanced with much needed gardening. Weeds popping up and termites eating their way into the house.
Awesome! Iām very glad to hear the course is helpful!! 
Bachi on with that green thumb!
Hope you see this, Gwyn. How did you make your doukake?
I like mine alright, but I would really like to have one that expresses my personality more (okay, a pink one, lol) - I would like to choose the fabric myself, and get rid of the bruise that I get from that awful rubber pad. The one I have is just a square, and it sticks up, which hurts slightly and, as I said, leaves a bruise. The other people in my class have a strip, which seems easier on the arm.
I liked someoneās suggestion around here about putting Mod Podge on it to make the surface sticky, (I even have a bottle of that laying around somewhere, I think.) but I certainly donāt want to experiment with that on the expensive one that I have now.
Asked and answered on another thread, thank you Gwyn! 