Binding, third attempt

My thumb looks weird, doesn't it? First I glued ivorid binding on Grant's uke. It looked bad. So I removed it and put walnut binding on. But there were gaps.

I removed that tonight, cleaned out the channel and now I'm making a multi layered wood binding. It'd better be good.

Boxed up, with neck

Looks a bit like a uke, now.

Short post, have to put the kids to bed.

Sides glued on Grant's uke

Progress. From here it feels like assembling.

Completed, at last!

So. Here's the group pic I've waited to take. Stringing up, tuning, de-stringing and adjusting, re-stringing, tuning once then twice again...

Hard work I tell you! But they are done. Maybe one of them needs a bit of tweaking at the bridge, but I don't have to ship that one until maybe wednesday.

And these were made for having some stock. But they're all sold now.

I started on three more this morning.

And yes, one is pink. It's for Aya, and I do hope it's the right nuance.

The most beautiful tools

This is the high point of my career as a hobby builder. Steve Caldwell (aka ecosteel) of Weazel Wharf Ukuleles has sent me these hand made special tools for review. I could not believe my eyes when I got them today, they are so beautiful and they smell so good.

I will try them out right away, and tell you how it goes.

Thanks Steve!

Labels

Brilliant pic! I was wondering how to mask number 34, and the stupid camera did it for me!

While I made and glued bone nuts, the art department made all the labels. Unfortuneately, the gold pen ran out of ink after three.

Resawn wood, and molds

Sometimes I think this is my favourite type of blog pic - with loads of newly resawn wood. But then I take a pic of some extra nice plane shaving, or of a sharp knife.

Anyway, you can see some of the mahogany (2 or 3 sets), a load of really wide cherry boards, and some ash I thought was long gone. It comes from the same tree that provided the wood for the wedding uke I gave to Jukka and Aya. Next ash uke will get a cedar neck though, I couldn't get a neck blank out of it.

And I got some juniper fretboard and bridge blanks, it'll be fun to try.

Resawing mahogany and cherry

This pic was taken early in the morning. Family was still asleep, and I wanted to resaw some wood before we leave the big workshop. Some cherry, some juniper, and the ancient plank in the picture.

I doubt you can see the scribbling, but it will be cut into at least seven sets of various sizes.

Molds, duplicating parts

I asked my beautiful wife to help me screwing the templates onto the rough sawn parts, and shift them while I routed with a flush cut bit. But she chose to route, and I was was left with the shifting job.

But after half an hour we had all parts, and now the glue is setting. I plan to seal the inside surface with some epoxy to secure it against moisture and wear.

New molds

Who will get the first Argapa concert? I'm making a mold just in case, and at the same time a new tenor size mold. The new shape will be more elegant than my earlier tenors, and Ronald will get to try it out on his eight string of mahogany.

Progress on Grant's uke

Neck carved, sides bent, blocks and topside lining installed, soundboard braced (one brace left).

The Spanish cedar neck was dead easy to carve. And it's light. I like it.