Nik Seifter and a friend saved the trunk of the old maple tree that had lived so long in the Fountain triangle in Bellingham's Fountain District. The City cut it down in order to install a new fountain but were wise enough to save the wood and give it to Nik for artistic purposes. He has shared some of it with me for ukuleles. The wood is quite spalted, making it very beautiful but difficult to bend.
I am delighted to report that by using Supersoft the night before, and by soaking the wood with water before bending I was able to bend it and get it into the mold without breaking it. After two days of drying in the mold, I took it out today to find a perfect shape and no spring back.
This will make a beautiful tenor ukulele. What it will sound like remains unknown.
This will be its Western Red Cedar soundboard. Hopefully it's punch will make up for what I expect to be a bit muted spalted body. If this uke is successful, we have enough of this amazing wood to make several other ukuleles. Exciting.
