It is time for the butt blocks, Glued to the soundboard they will receive the sides soon.
Now that they are attached and all parts made it is time to bend the sides.
First I bent the mahogany sides. Boy they were tough to bend, but I finally succeeded and got a good bend and will let them dry and set in the mold for a day. Next is Cazzie's East Indian Rosewood.
The East Indian Rosewood bent very easily. Got a great bend and put it in this open air jig to dry and set. This is a low tech form that works very well. I will leave the sides at least over night, Maybe attaching them tomorrow.
After the bend, two ways to dry and set the sides. Both work well. After 12 to 24 hour the wood will hold its shape and be ready to attach to the soundboard.
Stephen's uke is beginning to get the shine. Its about half way through the finishing process. French Polish is a labor intensive finish but it preserves the tone of the instrument better than any other finish.
It's 5:00 pm, time to head upstairs for a martini, I took a last look back at the busy shop. A fun and funky place.