Project Ukulele

[Folderol]

Lovely shine on that.
Probably the same for Andy

[zenguitar]

Another polishing day today. Did some more spotting with the 2000 grit wet & dry and Olive oil lubricant. Then cleaned up before going over the entire instrument with the rottenstone again.

And then I got out the cotton pads and Brasso and went over everything twice.

Result? Well, there are a few small spots where it could be better. But that would mean ladling on a load more shellac and then working through the grades of wet & dry to achieve perfection before polishing with more rottenstone and Brasso. But we aren't looking at anything major here, and besides, Sod's Law tells us that within a month of finishing general wear and tear would generate enough dinks and marks to catch the eye at least as much.







And now all that remains is to fit the machine heads, the nut, and the strings. Then mark the correct intonation ready to cut and fit the saddle. So here are most of the bits that are needed.



The nut is already rough cut and ready to fit. I'll pull out the fret press to press in the tuner bushings. And then I can drop in the tuners and adjust the post heights. Then I can mark out the nut slots and test fit the strings. With the strings fitted I'll use some temp saddles to mark the correct intonation for each string at the bridge and use the Dremel and saddle jig to cut a saddle slot. Then it's just a matter of fitting the saddle to the slot and profiling it with the correct intonation.

And then this uke is finished. And I promise to grab a decent recording for you all to hear. Then it's time to source the parts for the new back for the second uke and get that finally finished too.

Andy

[zenguitar]

First job of the day, fit the tuner bushings. So step one was to grab my Fret Press and then to look at how to make best use of it. A little experimenting found that I had a Star drive Hex bit where the Star drive was just smaller than the standard 6mm Hex. The Star drive tip passed through the bushings, but then opened up wide enough for the shoulder to press through. Everything was in place, and once held in the press it all looked good.



Once it went in neatly it was just a matter of doing the other 3.



The Gotoh tuners have Height Adjustable Posts. So I took a few minutes to get the post heights correct. A few more minutes with a drill for some pilot holes. And all 4 tuners were neatly fixed in place.





All looking good. And tomorrow I just need to make sure the nut is neatly seated, cut the slots, trim it to final size, and cut the slits to depth. Then I fit the strings, mark out the intonation points for each, and fit the saddle.

Finish the nut and saddle, and the uke is finally finished.

Andy

[Folderol]

that's all.

[zenguitar]

Easy start. Fit nut and mark the string locations. Cut start slots with saw, then take them deeper with the nut slotting files. Fit strings.



If you look carefully you can see the Allen key used as a temporary saddle

Then it gets frustrating GGGRRRRRRRR!!!!!

The StewMac saddle slotting jig for the Dremel and router base is brilliant. Let's you line up the saddle slot VERY accurately and lets you cut a very neat slot with a perfectly flat bottom. Ideal. However, it's designed to sit on a guitar, not a cute little ukulele so is just too big to use as designed. OK, flip it around 180 degrees and it will work.



Now I just need to work out how to assemble everything neatly and securely. If I had a proper workbench it would be easy. Screw down some padded supports for the uke body, screw down a couple of rails for the jig to sit on. Job done. Ten minutes work with a bandsaw and some scrap wood, easy.

OK, a petty problem, I know. And I'll come up with a solution in the next day or two. But still another small frustration and delay

Andy

[Folderol]

I notice a considerable use of soft cloths lately

[zenguitar]

Yep, plenty of protective cotton. And that carpet on the bench gets a regular vacuuming too.

And decided on the course of action. Monday or Tuesday should see it finished. And then I'll find a volunteer from the local ukulele group to play it while I grab a recording.

Andy

[Frisonic]

... then I'll find a volunteer from the local ukulele group to play it while I grab a recording.

Andy

Every village should have one! This is now officially an exciting week

[zenguitar]

This is now officially an exciting week

And a frustratingly wet week too. Waiting for the weather to ease so I can get the uke on the bench and fit that saddle. It's all marked out ready to go, just need a dry day to cart everything to the the bench in Mark's garage, knock up some support for the jig, and make some ebony dust.

Andy

[zenguitar]

And still raining !!!

I took my frustration out on the mandolin. Frets removed this afternoon. But it is fighting back far more than expected. I applied some SERIOUS heat to the fretboard but it just won't separate from the body. I bought it from a widow in the late 70's, it had belonged to her late husband and I do recall that she told me that he converted it (or had it converted) from an 8 string to a 12 string in the 60's or possibly earlier. Right now I'm starting to wonder what on earth was used to glue it back then. The fretboard is weeping resin under heat (and it smells great) but a hot knife is making no impression whatsoever. Looks like the next step is to apply a fresh Stanley knife blade and a hammer!!!

Lets hope the weather improves tomorrow so I can deal with a sensible ukulele instead.

Andy

[zenguitar]

Typical !!!

I commit to taking on the freezer in a fight to the death (defrosting with the aid of the steam cleaner) and the weather makes a turn for the good !!!

But arrangements have been made, and the bridge will be slotted tomorrow afternoon. HURRAH

Andy

[zenguitar]

And so it came to pass that the sun shineth all afternooneth. So I packed everything that was needed and made the epic stroll up the road to Marks house where there was space on the workbench.

And with coffee on hand I found the bag of cork padding and worked out a nice clamping arrangement.





Frustratingly, I could have done this at home if my bench was 6" deeper !!

Anyway, then it was time to line up the router cutter. I had marked the location of the temporary saddle (the allen key) by making scalpel marks either side at the bass and treble sides. The jig allowed me to align the back of the saddle on base and treble sides with the router bit.

And after some fine tuning I could make the first cut.



After a few passes, going deeper each time, I had to widen the slot. Easiest way is to use feeler gauges to measure the width of the 1st cut, then compare that with the saddle and see how much more you need to add. One important thing to remember is that you fit the saddle to the slot, not the slot to the saddle. So I picked a feeler gauge that added enough extra width without getting as wide as the saddle blank.

And once I had the gauge I used that to space the jig for the second cut.



And after checking and double checking, I made the second cut with a few passes of the Dremel.

And here it is all finished.



Tomorrow I fit the saddle and nut finally, shape them, polish them, and tune up.

And then I need to find the local tenor Uke champion to grab a recording.

Andy

[Frisonic]

And so it came to pass that the sun shineth

Andy

And as the sun sort of rises over smelly old London I learn even more about how luthiers put fretted stringed instruments together. Somehow I have no worries that it's going to play and sound as it ought. Very cool Andy

[zenguitar]

Trimmed the saddle slightly over width, then 'Old School' thicknessing followed. Ages spent sanding the saddle blank to the correct width to fit the slot. And, lets be honest, it hurt

Then I roughly profiled the saddle with a curve to match the fretboard radius.

And at that point my hands hurt too much to do much more. So I strung the uke up and brought it up to pitch and decided to let the strings settle down to pitch before doing anything else.





So, almost done. And some test strumming shows plenty of tone and volume on tap. And more importantly, I know what needs to be done to get it finally finished.

Andy

[Folderol]

Woo! Strings! The uke's a real instrument now

[Kev Adams]

Mixed up a potion today. Some rottenstone, a drop of soap, and some White Spirit.
Add a piece of felt.
And then apply potion to felt and start polishing ukulele.
Andy

Andy- could you tell me more about this polishing mixure (or is it a Zen master's secret??)
How exactly do you mix it, what sort of soap, proportions of each ingredient and so on?
Would it serve to polish down a violin which has been revarnished with an oil based violin varnish?

I'm a self-taught violin repairer. I've happily learnt most of the skills of violin making and repair, and bow rehairing, all to my own and to my customers' satisfaction and I've made a couple of violins. However, the one thing I've always struggled with a bit is finishing. You can read as much as you like, but there's nothing like getting as much personal advice as possible.

I've got a couple of nice old student violins to hand which were so badly distressed I decided to strip and revarnish them. I'm about to polish them down, and I'm intrigued by your 'potion'.

I've loved dipping into this thread, can't wait to hear the recording!

[zenguitar]

Thanks Kev.

Nothing magical or mystical about the polishing mixture. I just read the instructions that came with the Rottenstone I bought from Luthiers Mercantile and used those as a starting point.

As I mentioned much earlier in the thread, these are the first instruments I've finished with shellac so I am learning as I go.

The instructions basically pointed to using the Rottenstone with a mineral oil as a lubricant and applied with felt pads. There was also a recipe for a polish based on methanol that scared me (as that would soften the shellac) but was more directed at restoring old finishes.

So I searched online, and found some more articles. Read through them, and then bit the bullet and came up with something that made sense to me. I took some Rottenstone, added a drop of washing up liquid as an antistatic/antisurficant and then added White Spirit (mineral oil) until it was the consistency of pancake batter.

So, basically, I relied on existing knowledge and experience, did some reading, and came at it from 1st principles. It worked well, and there was nothing in the mix that could have done any harm.

Andy

[zenguitar]

OK...

I needed to trim a little off the width of the nut, so I did. And then I applied a couple of tiny dots of glue to the bottom of the nut, put it in place with the strings on, and left it to dry.

The nut is never permanently glued in place, just enough to stop it slipping and sliding and dropping off when you take the strings off. A neatly applied tap with a hammer will ease it off if needed.

Then I watched the cricket and a vintage England batting collapse just as I was settling in for a commanding 2nd innings lead.

Then it didn't take long to file the nut slots to final depth, take the saddle down to final height, shape the top of the saddle, polish it nicely, remove the excess from the nut and polish that too.

And now it's looking and feeling good. I'm leaving it overnight for the strings to settle, but basically it's all done. The action is satisfactory, but I might take the nut slots a little lower tomorrow.





I've tried out a few chords and all sounds good. But, as always with nylon strings, it takes a while for the tuning to settle. And yes, it needs a truss rod cover. But I am always lazy when it comes to putting them on my own instruments. I'll get around to it sooner or later

But, essentially, this one is now finished !!!!

Andy

[Frisonic]

I've tried out a few chords and all sounds good.. essentially, this one is now finished !!!!

Andy

Far out Andy As for the strings, I always think steel ones take three or four days, maybe a week to settle in to my ear. Nylon ones somewhat longer... You may disagree (if you don't keep us on the hook before you record it). Have you signed it yet? The back of the truss rod cover might be a discreet place. Has anyone done that?

[Goddard]

And then I applied a couple of tiny dots of glue to the bottom of the nut, put it in place with the strings on, and left it to dry.

The nut is never permanently glued in place, just enough to stop it slipping and sliding and dropping off when you take the strings off. A neatly applied tap with a hammer will ease it off if needed.

Yep, deduced that bit long ago when I removed all the strings on my old cheapo archtop jazzbox and the bridge fell right off, and I had to line it back up using the outlines on the top left by glue reside.

Although violinists will scoff at gluing a bridge (and will sensibly change only one string at a time)...

Nice to see project uke back in action! Can't wait to hear it!

[zenguitar]

Thanks chaps.

The strings are settling in nicely. But I might give them a fright tomorrow when I fine tune the nut, still need to take the 1st fret action down by 1/3rd of a millimetre. But that's just a matter of popping the strings out of the slots, running through them with the fret files again, and re-polishing the slots.

I really must get around to making a label, but that can wait for now. When I do, it will probably be a piece of parchment lettered with Indian Ink and glued in place with hide glue.

I really am lazy about truss rod covers for my own guitars. I like to think of it as the luthier's equivalent of the plumber with a leaky tap, one of those easy jobs you keep meaning to get around to doing

One thing though Goddard... Whilst a dab of glue is normal for fitting a nut to a guitar, we don't glue arch top bridges in place because the exact location will vary depending on string gauge and action. And besides, its fun watching guitarists work out where it should go when it drops off unexpectedly

Anyway, by tomorrow I should be recovered from an accidental overdose of cayenne pepper in my chilli tonight. Trying to cook and watch the cricket at the same time. Note to self; pay attention in future.

Andy

[Frisonic]

I really must get around to making a label, but that can wait for now. When I do, it will probably be a piece of parchment lettered with Indian Ink and glued in place with hide glue.
Andy

Jessie Hoff of Lazy J Projects told me he spent his last few quid having the labels for his amps knocked up when he built his first one and never expected to be asked to build another. Those were desperate days for him, which is on record. He only wanted a minimum number but had to order a batch of 100. Nearly broke his heart to part with the money because it pretty much broke him on the day. When he told me he'd just put one of them on my amp, which was number 75. And he was in the process of ordering another hundred. Never know, do yah! Parchment is probably a good way to go. Less stress and that has to be good for the ukes.

[Goddard]

One thing though Goddard... Whilst a dab of glue is normal for fitting a nut to a guitar, we don't glue arch top bridges in place because the exact location will vary depending on string gauge and action. And besides, its fun watching guitarists work out where it should go when it drops off unexpectedly

Well, I'd assumed the crud on the top below the "feet" of that archtop's bridge was some kind of glue residue but it might well just have been "crazing" of the top's finish rather than any glue, as it certainly didn't keep the bridge from popping off once the string tension was relaxed.

I didn't use any glue when remounting the bridge, only lined it back up with the "crud" marks on the top before bringing the strings to tension. It was a cheapo Harmony "imitation L-5" model (but still quite a nice playing and sounding box for what little it cost) with thumbwheel height-adjustable bridge, like this:

http://harmony.demont.net/images/0/H1407_Patrician_05.jpg

Actually a better bridge imo than the tune-o-matic on ES-330/Casino hollowbodies.

[zenguitar]

Nut tweaked, 1st fret action top-notch...

Has anyone ever mentioned that a ukulele is a [email]d@mned[/email] silly instrument? Far too small for proper fingers, and no relationship to guitar tuning!!! Who's idea was this anyway?

At this rate I'll be making a truss rod cover rather than playing it.

Andy