Sapele scrap wood uke

Oval Soundhole
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Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2011 3:33 pm

Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by Oval Soundhole »

My dad and I are redoing our shop, so naturally I had to go through the scrap bins. I had a pile of scrap wood that was either headed to the fire place or the trash until I realized that most of it can be used for a soprano uke. The body shape is a shape I designed, and I will design the headstock and bridge. The kerfing is spanish cedar, as well as the neck, the binding, rosette, fingerboard, bridge, and headplate are indian rosewood, the body is sapele, the braces are lutz spruce, and the bridge patch is flamed maple.
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Rock over london. Rock on Chicago. Wheaties, breakfast of champions
Tony_in_NYC
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Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:11 pm

Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by Tony_in_NYC »

Nice job Brian! It looks kind of like an OM but little! Great job so far. It seems like you are really taking your time with this one. Sarcasm is one of my favorite comedic tools by the way.
Ken Hundley
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Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by Ken Hundley »

Don't ya just love finding a use for scraps? NICE JOB!
Ken Hundley
Nocturnal Guitars
http://www.nocturnalguitars.com

So, my big brother was playing guitar and I figured I'd try it too.
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
johnnparchem
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Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by johnnparchem »

Brian,

The uke looks good. It looks like you are using an inside mode, I like that idea. I have been holding back because of the time it take to build a mold.
Tony_in_NYC
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Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by Tony_in_NYC »

Why no Spanish heel? Will this be a bolt on butt joint neck? Mortise and tenon? Dovetail? I want answers!!
Oval Soundhole
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Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by Oval Soundhole »

Thanks, John, The inside mold took me 5 minutes to make and worked perfect. It was mostly to practice inside mold use so I can get ready for a violin build.

Tony, It will use a butt joint. Yes a butt joint. Yes an end grain to face grain butt joint. Yes with titebond. YES IT WILL WORK!!!!!!!!!!!
Rock over london. Rock on Chicago. Wheaties, breakfast of champions
tippie53
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Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by tippie53 »

interesting . Look great from the pictures Brian. We will be anxious to hear the end result.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Tony_in_NYC
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Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:11 pm

Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by Tony_in_NYC »

I know it will work. I did that on the grizzly uke I made for my son. The glue joint might fail if my son falls on the uke though. It happened to me. Less of a glue failure and more of a walking failure if I am being honest.
Will you do a Spanish foot on a uke one day?
tippie53
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Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by tippie53 »

I did a few Ukes at the tent sales for Grizzly. The design is simple but works. The neck isn't under the stresses of a guitar . I did make a bolt on with one that I had sold only for a bit of insurance .
They are fun little things and make a happy sound
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
johnnparchem
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Re: Sapele scrap wood uke

Post by johnnparchem »

Oval Soundhole wrote:Thanks, John, The inside mold took me 5 minutes to make and worked perfect. It was mostly to practice inside mold use so I can get ready for a violin build.

The violin mold idea gives me another idea to make the inside mold work well for ukeleles. Cut out a notch for the heel block and the tail block to fit into. Use a dab of glue to lightly glue them into the mold. One could also drill some convenient holes for clamps such that the sides could be fitted and possibly glued one at a time.

Now I think I can start the uleleles I have been saving scrape for.
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