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Concert Ukulele (The Acacia model neck is pi$$ed!)

This is where we don't want anything but evidence of your finest wood butchering in all its glorious, and photograph laden glory. Bring your finished products or WIP's, we love them all, so long as there's pictures, and plenty of 'em!

Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby novocaine » 01 Feb 2021, 19:12

As with almost everything surrounding sound and tone of a guitar I heir on the side of caution. :lol: (think tonewood for an electric guitar). being half deaf helps with that I think.
Carbon fibre is just corduroy for cars.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 01 Feb 2021, 19:17

Pardon.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby novocaine » 01 Feb 2021, 19:21

Malc2098 wrote:Pardon.

Half past two dear.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 01 Feb 2021, 19:27

novocaine wrote:
Malc2098 wrote:Pardon.

Half past two dear.


:lol:
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 02 Feb 2021, 15:16

No spring back from the outside former (or is it inside?).

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No spring back from the inside former (or is it outside?!).

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After a few passes through the drum sander to tidy them up and to make them all the same depth.

They fit.

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One of them didn't quite glue up true.

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(250.9 KiB)


So a squeeze of glue in the gaps and a couple of strong clips.

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For two instruments, I need eight, and a more efficient way of laminating them. So why not press them between an inside and an outside former.

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And instead of the big clamp, how about some sting to tighten and retain the two ends. And if I have run out of whole lengths, as these are laminations, can I laminate with shorter lengths all wrapped up straight in clingfilm before bending.

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(341 KiB)
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 02 Feb 2021, 18:22

It didn't work. Not surprising really. But I learn from trying.

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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby novocaine » 02 Feb 2021, 18:48

Try placing the joins in less stressed locations (assuming the break is a join).
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Andyp » 02 Feb 2021, 18:53

thinner laminations perhaps?
I do not think therefore I do not am.

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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 02 Feb 2021, 19:16

novocaine wrote:Try placing the joins in less stressed locations (assuming the break is a join).



Thanks, Dave. I was trying to use up off cuts, and I get what you say, but had little choice with what I had. Yes, it was a join and expanded because it was on an outside bend.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 02 Feb 2021, 19:17

Andyp wrote:thinner laminations perhaps?



The laminations are thin enough when in one whole length each, but I was trying to use up offcuts to see if I could reduce waste. The gap you see is not a break, but where to short ends meet, then parted! :)
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby DaveL » 02 Feb 2021, 19:25

How about using long lengths on the outside of the lamination with the shorter bits on the inside?
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby novocaine » 02 Feb 2021, 19:34

It would still work it just needs planning. Bare in mind that the outer lamination only needs to hold till you glue it in place then its no longer the outer lamination.

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Cut and join like this for the outer lamination. The inner lamination would be cut in the shoulders.
Overlap of at least 3" if the centre is from short bits top.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 02 Feb 2021, 22:26

Thanks, Gents.

I milled a bit bit more ash into <2.0mm strips. I could spend more time trying to reduce waste than making full lengths to start with.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 03 Feb 2021, 19:12

Eight solid linings laminated and stacked while I check out my own stock for mahogany neck and heel blocks and rosewood bridges.

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One of the suppliers sent a CNC carved neck which is twisted and of no use now. He also sent a premade fretboard. The other sent a neck blank and a fretboard blank. So, I'm checking my stock for more timber to create neck banks.

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(285.86 KiB)


That'll do nicely. I think I could make four necks from that.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 06 Feb 2021, 17:31

Question - Where on a stringed instrument would you find a scarf?
Answer - On the neck of course.

Scarf....neck. Neck....scarf! Oh, please yerselves!

Time to start on the neck blanks. Mill that piece of 1/4 sawn mahogany into four blanks.

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(349.6 KiB)

Band sawn.

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Drum sanded.


From the drawings the head angle from the neck is 13 degrees.


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(210.56 KiB)



Two blanks marked out for two instruments.

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Off to the bandsaw and DST stick a square scrap to the side to hold it vertical and to ease its straight passage through the saw at such an angle.

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I was pleased with that. Less planing to do.

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Overdid it a little on the blade lube!


Not bad.

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(309.11 KiB)


More DST and onto the vice to true up the mating faces. Cover with chalk and plane till the chalk is gone, keeping the 90 degree pencil marks alive.

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(302.73 KiB)


Squared up nicely.

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(265.27 KiB)


And to confirm it's 13 degrees from the neck....
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Last job while they're still stuck together is to reduce the thickness of the head to 11mm. On the Bandsaw again.

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(254.8 KiB)


Enough for today. I offered them to the plan and they fit.

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(257.26 KiB)


I've got to cut the necks to length and the offcuts become the laminations for the heel and tenon. But that's for tomorrow.
Last edited by Malc2098 on 09 Feb 2021, 12:24, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 07 Feb 2021, 18:49

Glued and clamped.

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(334.04 KiB)


Ready for marking out.

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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Custard » 07 Feb 2021, 19:16

This is inspirational stuff! Thanks for posting.

I'd love to make a musical instrument, but without being able to play I guess I'd never know if I'd done a half decent job or not.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 07 Feb 2021, 19:30

Custard wrote:This is inspirational stuff! Thanks for posting.

I'd love to make a musical instrument, but without being able to play I guess I'd never know if I'd done a half decent job or not.



Thank you. Supportive comments like yours keep me going on work that I've little experience with, but enjoy having a go at.

Why not take up the uke? It's only got four strings and much of the time you're not holding down all four.

You could buy a cheap one to start you off, giving you the incentive to make your build sound better.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby novocaine » 07 Feb 2021, 19:51

I paid 25 quid for my first uke. Changed the strings for something other than fishing line and have enjoyes it ever since. A lot of chords are 2 fingers or less.


Give it a go.



Looking good Malcom, a delightful scarve joint. Look forward to the glue up and neck shaping.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 07 Feb 2021, 22:30

Cheers, Dave.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 08 Feb 2021, 17:50

Trying to make some headstock veneer out of some gnarly ash.

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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Robert » 08 Feb 2021, 23:28

Think I'm seeing where your ideas on angles and curves come from.

Wish I could come up with something to make it a little more complex for you. Guess you'll just have to carry on as you are ;)

My work has slowed somewhat due to my feet getting so cold in the workshop I give up and come in after 30 minutes!

Good watching your progress but try and make it look more difficult.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby Malc2098 » 09 Feb 2021, 12:47

Thank you, Robert, for those kind words, I think! :)

But I can assure you this is not easy for me. I like following instructions of a kit, (if they are correct!) but I am finding working from drawings much more difficult. I don't have all the jigs to make components easier. At the moment, I'm trying to work out a way of accurately cutting the neck tenon and body mortise without the jigs that luthiers use. And I propose making those jigs before then next guitar I make.

It keeps the grey matter from going stale.

And, I put 125mm of insulation under my workshop floor which helps when it's this cold!
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby thetyreman » 09 Feb 2021, 17:14

this is coming together nicely! look forward to seeing what's next.
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Re: Concert Ukulele

Postby novocaine » 09 Feb 2021, 17:18

I suggest that the ash is far to pretty for a mudane uke build and you should package it up and send it to me instead. :D

was worth a try. that's a rather delightful book match and something I'm wondering about for the guitar build that at the moment is rather brown looking, it would allow me to carve away to reveal the wood beneath so I might see if I can find the 2 small sheets of maple veneer I'm sure I have around here somewhere. :D
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