Close to finish

Did I use that pun before? Well. Nothing much happens in the pun department at Argapa Ukuleles.

I have picked out rosewood for the bridge but am considering putting the finish on first, like proper builders who know what they're doing. My excuses for putting it on before the finish have so far been that I hate acraping away the finish (for fear that I might bodge things up), and that makers of classical guitars are said to doing so.

And this one just became an orphan. So I have to check the order book to see if it matches the requirements of anyone else...

Strange going-ons

In the humble abode of the Argapanator, things are set in motion. I have this old guitar that a friend gave to me, with split braces and a bowed neck. No truss rod.

So I googled "straightening guitar neck" and found this method. The neck is heated carefully and placed fretboard down on a perfectly flat heated surface.

I used a stone sample and a thick piece of duralaluminium (at least in Swedish). Both was heated in the oven to 85-90 degrees centigrade. I shimmed the neck at the nut end and at the 12th fret, then clamped it down using cauls of moldable plastic.

After two attempts, it looks as if it worked! I might try it on another guitar as well.

Cherry uke for Jon, progress

I decided that I wanted to try a carbon fibre rod in the neck, even though the lamination makes it strong enough. But then I wondered how I would drill for the barrel bolt if the carbon rod was there. So I used two instead and the bolt goes between them.

The neck is attached and the fretboard is planed. Maybe things will be moving along fast. Or maybe the day job will almost kill me with all the stuff I need to do before christmas.

Safety measures

I don't use too many safety precautions, and since I avoid routers and rotary sanders I have all fingers left in decent condition.

But this, what a difference it made. The leather strip I glued on my depth stop for cutting the pegs helps me; before I put it there the saw always flew into my left hand at the last cut. And these saws are so sharp!

Mock lute / ukulute done

So the Argapa #55 turned out to be a strange beast. Half uke, half lute and it sounds just like an Argapa uke.

It has all the characteristics of a prototype, I "solved" problems as they came. But it's probably going to stay as a one off.