Standard Ukulele First Build (pics)
Standard Ukulele First Build (pics)
Here's some light viewing for you all.
My build steps.
1 of my Students
img]http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak- ... 031447.jpg[/img]
ITS GETTING CLOSE.
Fret Board finished with abalone dots and fret wire ready for oiling
First of 3-4 coats of lacquer (30% gloss).
First of 3-4 coats of lacquer (30% gloss).
Fret board and sound bridge sitting on for looks! still 3-4 coats of lacquer (30% gloss) to go.
Cheers
Tim Nicol
My build steps.
1 of my Students
img]http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak- ... 031447.jpg[/img]
ITS GETTING CLOSE.
Fret Board finished with abalone dots and fret wire ready for oiling
First of 3-4 coats of lacquer (30% gloss).
First of 3-4 coats of lacquer (30% gloss).
Fret board and sound bridge sitting on for looks! still 3-4 coats of lacquer (30% gloss) to go.
Cheers
Tim Nicol
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/ImBroken8/annoyingbug.gif[/img]
http://holeshotnitro.com/
http://holeshotnitro.com/
Yesterday I tried to bend some Sappele but the timber just cracked. Kiln dried timber just doest bend
So Im going to make some sides out of veneer again but a little thicker this time.
I have some nice sappele for the back and sound board.
So Im going to make some sides out of veneer again but a little thicker this time.
I have some nice sappele for the back and sound board.
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/ImBroken8/annoyingbug.gif[/img]
http://holeshotnitro.com/
http://holeshotnitro.com/
- ozziebluesman
- Blackwood
- Posts: 1538
- Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:12 am
- Location: Townsville
- Contact:
Tim, I just finished bending some concert ukulele sides out of sapele. I had no cracking problem and used an electric bending iron. It is my first time bending sapele and i noticed much less spring back than indian rosewood. Side thickness was a tad under 2mm thick.
Cheers
Alan
Cheers
Alan
"Play to express, not to impress"
Alan Hamley
http://www.hamleyfineguitars.com/
Alan Hamley
http://www.hamleyfineguitars.com/
That would be my problem to thicker timber I was trying to bend 2.4 but i thought anything under that maybe to thin. What is the optimum side, back and sound board thickness? What does your electric bending iron look like?ozziebluesman wrote:Tim, I just finished bending some concert ukulele sides out of sapele. I had no cracking problem and used an electric bending iron. It is my first time bending sapele and i noticed much less spring back than indian rosewood. Side thickness was a tad under 2mm thick.
Cheers
Alan
Walnut veneer sidesguitarcam wrote:Tim, what timbers was this uke made from?
sepele veneer back and sound board
Pine braces and sepele neck and toe blocks
Birds eye maple bind
sepele neck
Wenge finger board and saddle
white corian bridge and nut.
It sounds good but i think the sound hole is to small and is a little quite. It much nicer to play than my $30 mahalo
Regards
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/ImBroken8/annoyingbug.gif[/img]
http://holeshotnitro.com/
http://holeshotnitro.com/
I make sides on the concert and soprano ukes 1.6 - 1.8 thick. I keep running them through the drum sander until I get the flex that I'm looking for.
Backs around the 1.5 mm thick.
Tops are at least thinned down to 1.5, but will probably go closer to 1.2 or so.
They will get a bridge patch and in the case of the concert ukes, finger braces. On a recent soprano uke made from Myrtle, the sound board is about 1.0 mm thick, and has 3 very slim and fine finger braces. It has turned out as the standout in tone and volume.
Here's a link to Stew Macs bending iron.
Backs around the 1.5 mm thick.
Tops are at least thinned down to 1.5, but will probably go closer to 1.2 or so.
They will get a bridge patch and in the case of the concert ukes, finger braces. On a recent soprano uke made from Myrtle, the sound board is about 1.0 mm thick, and has 3 very slim and fine finger braces. It has turned out as the standout in tone and volume.
Here's a link to Stew Macs bending iron.
- ozziebluesman
- Blackwood
- Posts: 1538
- Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:12 am
- Location: Townsville
- Contact:
Tim here is a pic of my side bending session on the sapele. The electric bending iron is featured. Buy there at LMI, Stew Mac or ALS in Oz for around $250. They work well.
Most on the Uke Talk forum go with 1.6 mm as standard thickness and you can go as low as you feel game. Depends on the wood used! Just over 1mm will give you nice responsive uke using hardwood for a top. I haven't ventured that thin yet.
Cheers
Alan
Most on the Uke Talk forum go with 1.6 mm as standard thickness and you can go as low as you feel game. Depends on the wood used! Just over 1mm will give you nice responsive uke using hardwood for a top. I haven't ventured that thin yet.
Cheers
Alan
"Play to express, not to impress"
Alan Hamley
http://www.hamleyfineguitars.com/
Alan Hamley
http://www.hamleyfineguitars.com/
- Hippety Hop
- Blackwood
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:18 am
- Location: Moorabbin
Hi Tim.
You've done a nice job with your first uke. I congratulate your success with the cold bending method. I'm sure a lot of Hawaiian builders still bend them cold.
I also agree that you should aim for about 1.6mm. And the hole should be just slightly wider than the string span.
What do you mean by veneer? One or two layers?
Hip.
You've done a nice job with your first uke. I congratulate your success with the cold bending method. I'm sure a lot of Hawaiian builders still bend them cold.
I also agree that you should aim for about 1.6mm. And the hole should be just slightly wider than the string span.
What do you mean by veneer? One or two layers?
Hip.
[img]http://planetsmilies.net/not-tagged-smiley-10140.gif[/img][img]http://planetsmilies.net/person-smiley-1062.gif[/img]
Hippus Erectus
Hippus Erectus
- DarwinStrings
- Blackwood
- Posts: 1877
- Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:27 pm
- Location: Darwin
Each layer of veneer is around .5mm-.6mm, glued together (3 layers)Hippety Hop wrote:Hi Tim.
You've done a nice job with your first uke. I congratulate your success with the cold bending method. I'm sure a lot of Hawaiian builders still bend them cold.
I also agree that you should aim for about 1.6mm. And the hole should be just slightly wider than the string span.
What do you mean by veneer? One or two layers?
Hip.
Here is the thickness which seems to be spot on.
The hole is slightly wider than the string span. Strings at center of hole measure 39.5mm and the hole measures 44.5mm.
How high should the strings sit of the sound board at the center of the hole or the saddle?
Cheers
Tim
next uke is made from light fiddleback blackwood
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/ImBroken8/annoyingbug.gif[/img]
http://holeshotnitro.com/
http://holeshotnitro.com/
- Hippety Hop
- Blackwood
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:18 am
- Location: Moorabbin
Tim. I took some string height measurements from some factory made ukes I have. The height over the hole and at the bridge would both largely depend on how thick the fretboard is, so I'll give you the string heights at the 1st and 12th frets.
Epiphone soprano - 1st=0.4mm - 12th=2.2mm
Kamaka soprano - 1st=0.5mm - 12th=2.0mm
Cole Clark concert - 1st=0.75mm - 12th=3.0mm
This is the gap between the fret and the string.
Doesn't seem to be any set standard. As long as they feel comfortable and don't buzz.
What are you going to bind the blackwood uke with? Is it a soprano, concert or tenor?
Cheers Hip.
Epiphone soprano - 1st=0.4mm - 12th=2.2mm
Kamaka soprano - 1st=0.5mm - 12th=2.0mm
Cole Clark concert - 1st=0.75mm - 12th=3.0mm
This is the gap between the fret and the string.
Doesn't seem to be any set standard. As long as they feel comfortable and don't buzz.
What are you going to bind the blackwood uke with? Is it a soprano, concert or tenor?
Cheers Hip.
[img]http://planetsmilies.net/not-tagged-smiley-10140.gif[/img][img]http://planetsmilies.net/person-smiley-1062.gif[/img]
Hippus Erectus
Hippus Erectus
Thanks heaps for this hop.
This is a soprano size and I'm unsure what to bind yet. I have to order some bits and pieces.
I have some Osage I might give a go.
My string heights are similar, 1st fret .9 and 12th fret 2.3.
This is a soprano size and I'm unsure what to bind yet. I have to order some bits and pieces.
I have some Osage I might give a go.
My string heights are similar, 1st fret .9 and 12th fret 2.3.
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/ImBroken8/annoyingbug.gif[/img]
http://holeshotnitro.com/
http://holeshotnitro.com/
- DarwinStrings
- Blackwood
- Posts: 1877
- Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:27 pm
- Location: Darwin
- Hippety Hop
- Blackwood
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:18 am
- Location: Moorabbin
- Matt_Blacka
- Beefwood
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sat May 09, 2009 6:08 pm
- Location: Sydney
- Contact:
Hi Tim,
I haven't gone down as small as a concert or soprano uke, but for the tenors I have made, I have aimed for a spruce top that starts about 2 - 2.2 mm thick and is thinned out to about 1.8 mm around the outside 40 mm of the soundboard. For hardwood tenor tops it is more like 1.6 - 1.8 mm, again thinned out around the perimeter to loosen it up. These thicknesses are based on what felt right, and on lots of research on what other people use.
These tenors are typically braced with three spruce fan braces, as per Hana Lima plans, with a spruce bridge and soundhole patch.
Your first one looks great, well done.
Matt
I haven't gone down as small as a concert or soprano uke, but for the tenors I have made, I have aimed for a spruce top that starts about 2 - 2.2 mm thick and is thinned out to about 1.8 mm around the outside 40 mm of the soundboard. For hardwood tenor tops it is more like 1.6 - 1.8 mm, again thinned out around the perimeter to loosen it up. These thicknesses are based on what felt right, and on lots of research on what other people use.
These tenors are typically braced with three spruce fan braces, as per Hana Lima plans, with a spruce bridge and soundhole patch.
Your first one looks great, well done.
Matt
MAKAIO Ukuleles
www.makaioukuleles.blogspot.com
www.makaioukuleles.blogspot.com
Hi Tim,
I am building a travel guitar, small version of an OM a bit like a big uke and have some veneer I wanted to use for the back and sides.
Im assuming you laminated the sides out of sheets of veneer. Can I ask you what glue you used to glue them together??.
I just had a go at gluing with some plies using titebond and disaster would be too kind a word.
Cheers
Richard
I am building a travel guitar, small version of an OM a bit like a big uke and have some veneer I wanted to use for the back and sides.
Im assuming you laminated the sides out of sheets of veneer. Can I ask you what glue you used to glue them together??.
I just had a go at gluing with some plies using titebond and disaster would be too kind a word.
Cheers
Richard
Richard
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 71 guests