I confess to an inordinate fondness for the "Hook" that I carve into the foot of my instrument necks. I see the flat stubs on most ukes and think, what a wasted opportunity for a bit of grace and beauty. So today, I was engaged in the carving and shaping of "hooks" A bit of sanding tomorrow and they will be done. Ain't they purdy?
I use these razor sharp Exacto blades for much of my carving. They hold an edge for a long time, and when they dull, just slip in another sharp blade. Love them.
Got a nice fit on the black/white/black trim. It is going to look great when all done.
The heel plate had to be carved down a bit with the finger plane and scraper. The blue paper lets you know when things are getting close.
Got a good match on the Concert too. This hook is about where I want it, Now lots of smoothing up.
Pays to watch for new tools on the market. This is a tiny scraper that I find very useful, Especially in tight corners and in carving necks.
With the hooks where I want them I turned to gluing on the fretboards. The little brads in the fret slots are driven in when the board is just where you want it . They hold the fret board in the proper place when you put the slippery glue on and apply the clamps. They are the reason you always leave two fret slots un fretted until the very end.
Whoa !, I am running out of clamps, but the two fretboards are clamped tightly.
And finally the peg head plates get glued and clamped.
