Standard Ukulele First Build (pics)

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:20 am

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).

Fret board and sound bridge sitting on for looks! still 3-4 coats of lacquer (30% gloss) to go.

Cheers

Tim Nicol

Cam · Post by **Cam** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:20 pm

that looks very nice! I Like it.

How's the side bending jig working out for ya? I've been thinking of trying the same jig.

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:48 am

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.

ozziebluesman · Post by **ozziebluesman** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 11:36 am

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

Cam · Post by **Cam** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:49 pm

Tim, what timbers was this uke made from?

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:01 pm

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

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?

guitarcam wrote:Tim, what timbers was this uke made from?

Walnut veneer sides

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

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sat May 02, 2009 6:49 am

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.

ozziebluesman · Post by **ozziebluesman** » Sat May 02, 2009 6:54 am

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

Hippety Hop · Post by **Hippety Hop** » Sat May 02, 2009 11:14 am

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.

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Sat May 02, 2009 11:40 am

Tim, this is my side bending iron from ElCheapo Inc.

Jim

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Sat May 02, 2009 3:56 pm

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.

Each layer of veneer is around .5mm-.6mm, glued together (3 layers)

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

Hippety Hop · Post by **Hippety Hop** » Sun May 03, 2009 12:40 pm

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.

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Sun May 03, 2009 5:10 pm

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.

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Mon May 04, 2009 6:21 pm

Have a listen

Here is some of my average playing.

youtu.be/

Cheers

Tim

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Mon May 04, 2009 7:14 pm

Veeery schweeet Tim,

She looks great and sound pretty bloody good as well.

Well Done!

Cheers

Kim

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Mon May 04, 2009 8:50 pm

Well done Tim. It is great to get to hear the instruments that get built here, thanks very much mate. I am aiming to get up to the uni this week to drop into the music school there so will try to catch you then.

Jim

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Tue May 05, 2009 8:16 am

Thanx

Yeah pop in, Thursday noon will be the only time I'm out.

Hippety Hop · Post by **Hippety Hop** » Tue May 05, 2009 9:47 am

Tim. Do you have a press for laminating your tops & backs?

Hip?

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Tue May 05, 2009 10:54 am

yep

just about to add some pics to the work bench topic.

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Fri May 08, 2009 12:01 pm

look what I found for my next two Ukes.

Cam · Post by **Cam** » Thu May 14, 2009 7:20 pm

wow! Thats nice, what is it?

(i am no wood guru as you can see)

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Thu May 14, 2009 7:28 pm

guitarcam wrote:wow! Thats nice, what is it?

(i am no wood guru as you can see)

Cant remember will have to do some more research.

Matt_Blacka · Post by **Matt_Blacka** » Thu May 14, 2009 9:21 pm

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

obmit · Post by **obmit** » Thu May 14, 2009 9:59 pm

guitarcam wrote:wow! Thats nice, what is it?

(i am no wood guru as you can see)

Im trying my hardest It looks similar to this which is MAKORE

seeaxe · Post by **seeaxe** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:32 pm

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

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Standard Ukulele First Build (pics)

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