harp ukulele build blog - together at last!.

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darren
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish too blue - I will refin

Post by darren »

johnnparchem wrote: Note to you all having woodworking skill can be dangerous.
too true!

Sounds like a neat project though -share a picture or two when you get it set up.
Darren
johnnparchem
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish too blue - I will refin

Post by johnnparchem »

I waited long enough to update this build log. Those that have followed my post will note that after spray with EM7000 the instrument was way to blue. Not a tint but a very muddy blue finish. I usually try to follow a rule that when things go wrong put the tools down to think things through. I was so frustrated I went after the finish with an orbital sander. Not so bad while I was using 600 grit paper but a gin and tonic at dinner 200 grit sandpaper on the sander. Well, one can imagine. I ended up sanding a small section of the harp neck almost paper thin. Luckily I did not sand a hole in the side. I removed the back, in one piece, but thought that it was also bit thinner than I wanted. Not really bad, but luckily I had a koa back set without sides that was a very good match.

So after following my rule of putting the tools down, and resisting the urge to trash the instrument. I decided to glue a bit of veneer in the area where the side was thin and to build the new back. I also learned that a better way to remove WB lacquer is to use denatured alcohol and a scraper. I soaked a rag in the alcohol and placed it on an area of finish. This softened the lacquer and allowed me to remove it without removing wood.

I am just starting to put the whole thing back together. Hopefully this time it will turn out OK. I will use EM6000 to finish it the second time. The error on the EM7000 was probably mine. It builds much faster than the EM6000. Also care must be taken not to spray it thick. The EM6000 seems way more forgiving.

Here are some pictures about where I am. In the first picture you can see the patch.




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darren
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish too blue - I will refin

Post by darren »

for some reason I'm not getting the images. Sounds like your going through the wringer on this one John. Hang in there!
Darren
johnnparchem
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish too blue - I will refin

Post by johnnparchem »

darren wrote:for some reason I'm not getting the images. Sounds like your going through the wringer on this one John. Hang in there!
Sorry about the pictures my hosting site has gone up and down. I plan on moving my website to a more reliable hoster.
johnnparchem
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish blue no more.

Post by johnnparchem »

I have the instrument back in the finish room with a couple of coats of zpoxy. I am so happy to see the wood again without the blue tint. This weekend I will start to spray, Em6000 instead of EM7000. I have finished 4 instruments with EM6000 and trust my ability to get it right. I will retry the EM7000 but on prepared test panels. I need to develop the skill of spraying coats of the correct thickness.

I took a French polish class with Cyndy Burton and she taught to apply and remove epoxy with a straight edge razor blade turned into a scraper by grinding off the edge. Her point was you only want the epoxy in the pores so remove as much as possible from the plate before it cures. The technique is working very well. Besides cleanly removing most of the epoxy you are are going to have to sand off anyway I found that it was easier to push the zpoxy into the pores with the blade than with a squeegee.

I am so glad that I removed the blue finish.
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johnnparchem
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish blue no more.

Post by johnnparchem »

I changed my mind with regard to finish. After I put a wash coat of shellac on the pore filled back and sides I noticed that the instrument has an older time feel to it. So I decided to apply a French polish finish. I like doing FP as each night you can leave the instrument looking better than the night before. Also no Blue tint!
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darren
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish blue no more.

Post by darren »

beautiful!
Darren
johnnparchem
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish blue no more.

Post by johnnparchem »

I am getting very close. I need to wait a few day to let the finish set, but I have finished the French Polishing. I should be able to get the bridge glued on this weekend and start setting it up.


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Darryl Young
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish blue no more.

Post by Darryl Young »

Looks great! Good call to remove the blue tint.
Slacker......
johnnparchem
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Re: harp ukulele build blog - finish blue no more.

Post by johnnparchem »

Sorry about the pictures that are hosted on my site. It went down yesterday and there is no one at the hoster:(

I figured out how to glue on the bridge! (Hopefully). I was struggling how to glue the bridge on to the harp ukulele. My main problem was my hand is too big to get a caul in the right spot in the instrument. I was working on a vacuum clamp, but ran into two problems. The first was as this is an 8 string instrument with four of the strings off on one side, I could not make a vacuum clamp that would give me enough space around the bridge and still stay on the instrument. I could have gotten the one I made to work except for the second problem, my impatience waiting for the gasket material to come in the mail.

Anyway I finally had a flash on how to get the caul in and hold it as you can see in the pictures. I took off the blue tape before I glued down the bridge! I did run the whole procedure twice by my self before gluing for real. Also on the real run I had my son help.
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