I am in the French Polish phase on # 100, and already it is beginning to shine, Now it is time to turn my attention to building the next ukulele, a tenor ordered by some Bellingham friends. I would like to get this one done as a Christmas gift, and I already have a pretty good start. Ought to be able to finish it in two months, I will try.
The Rosewood sides are bent, The back is joined and thinned to .070. The Honduran Mahogany neck is roughed out, and today I put the rosette in the cedar top and thinned it down to .080. That is a huge head start on Christmas.
To cut out the sound hole, and cut the channel for the rosette I used this wonderful device invented by my friend Jon Dale in PA. It attaches as the base to a Stew Mac. Dremel holder. You can see the 3/16th pin in the white board. The diameter that the Dremel cuts changes 1 16th of an inch larger or smaller when you use the next hole. Very easy to use. If you want one, google "Jupiter Ukulele". Thats Jon's website.
First I bathed the channel with dilute shellac to seal the cedar. If you don't do that, the superglue will penetrate the wood and stain it. Next I glued the rosette into the channel
being sure that it was up tight against the inner wall of the channel. It fit tightly and left room on the outside for purfling. The thin applicator tip on the superglue is very handy allowing you to get the glue only where you want it.
being sure that it was up tight against the inner wall of the channel. It fit tightly and left room on the outside for purfling. The thin applicator tip on the superglue is very handy allowing you to get the glue only where you want it.
Next I slipped in the purfling and soaked it with superglue. Then you run it through the thickness sander sanding off all the backing down to this point. Then the soundboard is turned over and run through the sander thinning it down to .080 and at that point the sound hole center falls out. A little more light hand sanding and the slight stains will disappear.
Guess the next step is whittling braces, Wow, a great head start. Santa might have a ukulele to deliver.
But it is Halloween first. My daughter visited today and we tried to figure how best to make a back out of these three pieces of Spook Wood. This was her solution. What do you think?. Note the plexiglass tenor template over the proposed instrument back.
