The attempt to build Stuart Fuch's second ukulele in 30 days made huge strides today. I put in six and a half concentrated hours and accomplished more than I could have imagined. Here is the story.
It began with the soundboard, I had to trim it to shape to get it into the clamping device for cutting the sound hole groove.
Carefully located and then screwed down tight over the soundboard, this multi-purpose router guide of 1/4 inch plexiglass will create the correct shaped oval channel for the Rope purfling I use around the sound hole.
 The router is fitted with this round guide with the cutter bitt protruding from its center. |  The result is a channel with a width and depth that mimics the size of the Rope purfling. |
That channel wants to be cleaned up a bit with fine sand paper. The purfling will be a tight fit.
Next, paint in a little dilute shellac so that the super glue won't invade the wood when it is used to secure the purfling.
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I have found it easier, and a lot safer to cut the sound hole this way instead of with a router. I sand to a pre-drawn pencil line to create the oval.
Now I must get out the hot pipe to bend the rope purfling, but I must also bend the sides and the binding- so I decided to do all of my bending at one time.
 'first I had to thin the sides down to bending thickness |  'while I was doing that, the hot pipe was heating up |
And before long everything was bent.
And the purfling was gently tapped into place and glued. Now it was time to sand the top down to playing thickness.
 Into the drum sander |  The finished product |
Next, the back was sanded down to final thickness, the braces made, and into the go-bar deck for gluing.
And I even got the soundboard tone bars cut, notched and some of them shaped.
What a productive day. 6 1/2 hours today, 2 yesterday, Can't believe how far along I am. Looking good so far Stu! You may get to play this in your Anacortes, Wa. gig on September 29th.
