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So Todd, you're saying that the patch alone, even if large, will not be sufficient without re-lining that area over the patch?

I do not want to do a shoddy fix. The wood was expensive, but more importantly, the end result is important to me. This uke is not for me (though I'm making it for the cost of materials to get the experience and the "owner" is aware of this). Even if it were for me, I want something I can be proud of and learn from. So, that's where I am coming from on this project.

Filippo had earlier suggested an internal patch. I thought I could do that successfully, so my plan for that was to bend a piece of body cutoff that was at least one inch longer on either side of the defect, and which would be nearly the width of the side, and patch that in and feather the ends. I would glue it's "back" edge to the lining to kind of minimally tie it in.
Before I do anything more (and while I prepare the patch) I'm going to continue to watch the discussion...it is very instructive. Thanks, Beth

I agree with Todd. I guess it all depends on how you feel about your repair skills; removing a back and realigning it is not an easy job, and it may generate new and bigger problems than the one you have now.

If you go with the internal patch solution, I would try to gently chisel off the small portion of linings that is in line with the hole. This way you will be able to apply your patch all the way to the top and reglue lining on top of the patch. This will result in a repair with no fragile spot (stress riser). Of course, chiseling off linings on such a thin side is also tricky stuff...

Good luck!

_________________
Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

I'm certainly not one of the experts here but from the perspective of a newer builder I suppose if I was in this situation I would pull the back off (although I've not had a need to do that yet). Then you could remove part of the lining and measure the thickness of the sides to figure out how big the patch needs to be and do it up right. Good experience for you and lots of help from the experts here.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Hey, Beth,
First, I agree with the notion of laying some veneer on the inside. You could put on a few layers, in fact, and have a nice, discrete, and strong structural repair. You could also add the tentalone or some other inside reinforcing brace.

Now, on the outside, I think The Padma actually had a very good idea that he camouflaged as a joke. (He has a lot of good ideas.) Why not call attention to the mistake? After reinforcing the inside, consider inlaying something on the outside. Maybe a little pearl leaf or something similar...right over the sand-through. When you're asked about it years from now you can say two things with absolute honesty: "I inlayed that leaf to prove to myself that I could fix any flaw. And I left it there as a constant reminder to myself that I mustn't make the same mistake again."

If you prefer to try to reinforce and then fill, you'd be surprised how easy it is to camouflage these areas with a little artist's oil paint. You'll have to practice to get the colors right, but you can do an amazing touch up that way. I chickened and did that on a layered, wood binding sand through once.

Good luck with it.

Patrick

The non shoddy fix would be as I tried to describe earlier. It's similar fix to repairing a guitar that had a hole poked through the side. You cut out around the hole a square or rectangle and patch it with a piece with the closest grain match you can get. Being that you probably have side extras then that's real close. I'd think since it looks like it's on the upper bout and accessible through the sound hole that this would be easier then removing the back, especially if the back is already bound.

I think you should take the back off as well.
Clamping the patch would be a lot easier.
Nice tighter joint.
If the back doesn't line up very well,
you might need a purfling along with the new binding.
DAMHIKT.

After over 40 years of building instruments, I must say that one of the most painful lessons that i finally learned was the ability to recognize when it was best to just "walk away." I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned this option.

In my experience some instruments just don't want to be built. It's a bit like fixing an old car: first you change the valve cover and then the head starts to leak. You then do a valve job and the rings take a hit. Once you've replace the rings, then the oil pan decides to leak.
My point is that unless your objective is to make this an endless 'learning experience.' one can easily end up spending way more time and aggravation trying to fix a problem, than just simply stopping.

For me, stopping has come to mean that for the sand-through to the lining which happened to me more than once since I'm such a slow learner, you get to a point where you''re better off taking the uke (or guitar) body to a one-way meeting with your bandsaw. Then, quite deliberately, saw the body in enough pieces so you are not
the last bit tempted to try to fix it. Then with your newly acquired lesson to not sand so often "just to see how it will look" during the course of the build, start a fresh, new instrument.
While this may sound harsh and will probably invite criticism from some other forum members, I can say from experience that for me, when I learned when to stop chasing my tail with a fix, and just walked away, it was extremely liberating. And, you know, it's only a bit of wood!
For this sand-through, the only acceptable solution short of the guillotine approach- for me - has been to make a new side. And, actually if you really want to save the back and top, you can carefully disassemble the box and reuse the top and back for you next attempt.
I would walk away.
OK..forum police - criticize away.

I've definitely taken the band saw approach myself. Since this instrument is for some one else after some consideration I agree, it should be done up right. The other option is, fill it, keep it for your self, and build another one.

I don't think this project is ready for the bandsaw solution.
I do think Unkabob's suggestion of an outside binding should be given some consideration. Done right it could enhance the appearance of the instrument.
Weymann did external bindings on some of their mandolutes and on a few guitars. The Jimmie Rodgers' guitar comes to mind. There is a discussion of it in the UMGF archives at theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com/topic/69312 . Toward the end of the discussion are some pictures of the guitars showing the external binding. John Arnold made some very nice replicas of this instrument.
This approach might be a good alternative for a novice builder and would look like a feature rather than a correction of a mistake.

So...I think that scraping this one would be unnecessary. First of all, while I agree in theory that you can chase your losses on any project, this problem is not a deal breaker for me. The time and effort to investigate solutions, weigh them against my skills, and execute a fix is well worth it, for what I learn and for the time I've already put into it to get it to this point. I have learned alot already, and I've only just started to address the problem.

I have a side cutoff which I thicknessed (but not too much ) and put on the bender yesterday.

I am thinking about a hybrid approach: I am not going to pull the back. I agree that that is the best option for exposure and fixing more of the side, but I am not confident that it won't end up in the scrap heap if I do. (BTW, the guy I'm building this for knows about the issue and understood when he chose the wood that this is my second uke and 3rd instrument, and a learning experience). I will laminate the inside of the side and pull tentalones like Filippo suggested, and then reline the patched area.
Then I think I'll try the "outside" binding or banding technique. I am assuming that it wouldn't be very durable to just glue a band of binding onto the edge, so I was thinking of routing the binding channel shallowly, and gluing the binding in but leaving it proud. Then add a band of purfling on the inside edge to give it a finished look. I looked at the Jimmy Rodgers guitar (thanks for that link), and it doesn't look bad....just different.
If I can not get a solidly glued patch, then I may change my mind about pulling the back because at that point, it will be all I have left to do.
Thanks guys, Beth

Padma...Not all music store salesman will lead you down the garden path...Just some of us
Michael

Hi Beth,
If you do the outside binding you shouldn't need to rout a shelf for it. Applying it to the flush trimmed side should be fine. You can make it with several layers of veneer so it combines the look of purfling and binding.