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Challenge Ukelele
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10132&t=34850		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  Tai Fu [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Challenge Ukelele
I haven't started but I will start the thread first.

I will be building an Ukelele out of woods commonly available in Taiwan and Asia. I have the bridge and fingerboard wood, which is a Macassar Ebony fretboard that was sort of messed up, and Macassar ebony bridge blank. However I am still looking wood for the rest of the instrument. Sourcing wood isn't the easiest thing in Taiwan, while I could probably look for some cypress or lauan or primavera, I really wanted something that looks good. Taiwan does grow some Acacia but I have no stable source of those lumber, as they're generally made into charcoal... although technically I am allowed to simply buy some EIR and use that, since they are indigenous to Asia...
Author:  Tai Fu [ Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Update: I found my wood. I ordered some Padouk billet from a taiwanese dealer. I know its african but it was all I managed to find. I will have to resaw it but its nothing my saw cant handle. I have some narrow lauan sticks I can make necks from, and a cheap spruce top that was obtained in Taiwan.
Author:  truckjohn [ Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Sounds like a fun little build... Ukes are just so much fun - and there's so much to like about a well built Uke... The sad part is that so few people ever really get to play a good one... The majority of them are just cheap kid toys sold in department stores - not serious musical instruments like when they are carefully built by a Luthier....

Another idea... A Terz guitar is nearly the same size as a baritone Ukelele.... The major difference is the scale length and 6 steel strings....

Thanks
Author:  Tai Fu [ Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
truckjohn wrote:
Sounds like a fun little build... Ukes are just so much fun - and there's so much to like about a well built Uke... The sad part is that so few people ever really get to play a good one... The majority of them are just cheap kid toys sold in department stores - not serious musical instruments like when they are carefully built by a Luthier....

Another idea... A Terz guitar is nearly the same size as a baritone Ukelele.... The major difference is the scale length and 6 steel strings....

Thanks


I know someone who runs a Ukelele store and he did say that anything more than 600 USD is too much to pay for Ukeleles, because the market just isn't ready for them.

It's a shame because a Ukelele is almost as much work to build as a guitar. The strange thing about markets is that a Violin isn't too difficult to build yet it's not uncommon to see violins costing over 100,000+ USD. If prices really are an indication of the amount of work it took to produce it, you would never see 100 dollar guitars.

Unfortunately I don't think the Padauk I ordered is large enough to make a baritone uke... I was planning on making a Soprano because it's the plan I have...
Author:  Tai Fu [ Wed Jan 11, 2012 1:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Here are the materials for use in my Ukelele:

Image

A big billet of Padauk I will resaw into slices myself. I am now trying to figure out how I am going to do this as this is a HEAVY billet. I don't know if this is African or Asian (I think Padauk can come from either continent) but since the seller only sells Asian woods (including some Taiwanese Teak, Cypress, and Camphor), I will assume this is Asian as well.

Image

A scrap pine board for bracings, a lauan stick for necks, and Macassar ebony for fingerboard and bridge. Also a piece of scrap spruce for soundboard.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Wed Jan 11, 2012 4:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Image

I managed to resaw the billet on my little 10" 1/2 HP bandsaw. It took like 15 minutes to make one cut because I had to feed it in very very slowly, and after the cut I noticed the wheel had some Padauk crud on it so I had to scrape those off, I am not sure what to do to avoid that in the future. I used a 1/2" 4 TPI blade...

Instead of making thin slabs, I have decided to first cut out a 3cm piece first because this billet is HEAVY. The cut is surprisingly smooth, while not completely straight it was fairly good for the kind of saw I have. I will need to plane 2 sides smooth to proceed to the next stage, which is to make 4 thin slab cuts. I should be able to get a top/back side for a tenor ukelele out of this billet.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Image

Here is the set resawn. I think I need a better fence setup because The thickness was variable, being too thick on one side and too thin on the other, thankfully Ukelele boards doesn't need to be very thick.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
More update:

Thicknessed the back and the side. Since Padauk is supposed to be harder to bend and ukelele bends are somewhat sharp, I made the side about .070" thick. I also thicknessed the top as well, to about .090".

Image

I also made a form for the ukelele. I will do a video on the bending process.

Image
Author:  Tai Fu [ Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Author:  DennisK [ Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Nice bending! Heck of a lot faster than I've ever managed to do it.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
DennisK wrote:
Nice bending! Heck of a lot faster than I've ever managed to do it.


The key is to get it thin enough... on a small instrument it's almost like bending guitar cutaways so thin your side to match.

Also get the iron nice and hot.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 5:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Image

Laminated neck blank made from reclaimed lauan/meranti/philippine mahogany and padauk/rosewood/maple veneers.

Image

Neck blank profiled, ready to accept a fingerboard and carving. I may need to lengthen the heel, but now I am deciding on a mounting method. Either I try and cut a dovetail or I will do a butt joint bolt on neck with only one bolt.
Author:  Darrin D Oilar [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Very nice work thus far. I also like the bound fingerboard/neck in the background of the final picture. I look forward to seeing more progress.

Darrin
Author:  nyazzip [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
i'd like to see the bending rig in more detail....
Author:  Tai Fu [ Thu Feb 02, 2012 10:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
nyazzip wrote:
i'd like to see the bending rig in more detail....


It's just a steel pipe with a torch inside... nothing fancy.
Author:  alan stassforth [ Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Looks good Tai.
If I made a bending vid it would be a lot longer!!!!!
Author:  Tai Fu [ Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Image

Heel and tail block glued. Didn't take a picture of the tail block though...
Author:  Tai Fu [ Tue Feb 14, 2012 5:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Image

End graft glued.
Author:  truckjohn [ Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
I like that contrast... I would have thought that Padauk would be way too red - but it looks pretty good in your pix - especially with the maple and the darker purflings...

Thanks
Author:  Tai Fu [ Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
truckjohn wrote:
I like that contrast... I would have thought that Padauk would be way too red - but it looks pretty good in your pix - especially with the maple and the darker purflings...

Thanks


To be fair... I heard Padauk darken with age.
Author:  CWLiu [ Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Yeah it darkens toward a dim brick-red.
Author:  Tai Fu [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Image

Image

Top just went on
Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Looks good! I promised to make an ukulele for a cousin but I keep putting it off. Your thread has inspired me to get it in the line up for next winter's builds. Keep the pics coming!
Author:  UkeforJC [ Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
Hello! Tai,
The neck and tail blocks look too big to me. What is the dimension you used?
Normally, I would use 1/2" for tail block and 3/4" for the neck block.

Just a thought...
JC
Author:  Tai Fu [ Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Challenge Ukelele
UkeforJC wrote:
Hello! Tai,
The neck and tail blocks look too big to me. What is the dimension you used?
Normally, I would use 1/2" for tail block and 3/4" for the neck block.

Just a thought...
JC


I don't know the dimension... I only followed the plan and it was the size listed on the plan. Is there anything wrong with having a big block?
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