A bit of binding and a rosette

I pushed on and made some progress. I cut out the top for the soprano with a coping saw I got at a flea market. My expensive saw from Knew concepts is acting up and frankly this 2 dollar tool does a better job right now. And I couldn’t be arsed to whip out the tiny bandsaw. 

My Bavarian customer didn’t request binding, and all mahogany ukes don’t need any. But I will install a rosette. Here’s my favourite tool, my rosette cutter from Micheal Connor in Australia. Hefty. Reliable. Perfect. 



I bend the black veneer strip on a large soldering iron that I found in a barn. Apparently it was used for de-horning cows. But now it’s in my workshop so all cows are safe. 



After putting it into the channel and wicking in superglue I use a steel tool shaft to pres it down and slightly squash the veneer so it fills the channel nice and tight. 



Then a shot or two with the accelerator and it’s ready to take down with a chisel and the scraper from Stewmac. 



But what about that binding? I wasn’t thrilled with the look of the joint between the top and rim of the reso so I routed a channel and added binding. The weather was nice so I sat on the balcony (also good for the glue fumes).