NOW TO ATTACH THE NECKS TO THE TOPS. This is a very important task as the neck must be perfectly aligned with the center line of the body, Otherwise you will have a crooked uke. It is a pretty simple task but must be done very very carefully.
First- mark and cut with the jeweler's saw or coping saw, the notch that accepts the neck piece. Fit and trim with a sharp knife until you get it to closely match the curve of the neck piece and so that the neck and the top are perfectly aligned. It helps to make a pencil mark at dead center of the top on the bottom edge and to have a straight line drawn up the center of the neck flat.
Once you have it fitted and perfectly aligned it is time to apply the gluing caul and tack things down firmly
The gluing caul is a piece of plastic with two holes drilled into it to accept small brads. Tack in the first brad when you think you have things aligned, then measure again to be very sure- and drive in the second brad. Now you have established brad holes to guide you back to the proper alignment after you have taken neck and top apart to apply glue to each.
Here they are- glued and clamped. Time to walk away and work in the garden for a few hours (which is just what I did)
After dinner I took the clamps off- another step made. Soon I must face bending the rosewood sides, the maple sides I had from a previous bend. It is a bit scary bending valuable and scarce wood like Brazlian Rosewood for the first time. Cross your fingers.