Fitting the neck

I started fitting the neck after some scraping and sanding. Close to the head I ran into some reversing grain so I had to use sandpaper more than I usually do for the final shaping. 

First I hollow out the heel a bit, with a gouge. 

And, demonstrating the versatility of the Zyliss vise, I clamped the neck carving jig with the jaws upside down and taped some sandpaper on it. Then I can drag the neck across, constantly checking the angles. Most of the hollowed out recess disappears during this stage but it being there prevents the neck from rocking. 

With low tack masking tape I mark out a centre line, which I don't have - this is a one piece top. 

And the jig I rigged up for a neck re-set a while back tells me I'm in the ball park. The jig was built for using on a neck with a fretboard but it works sort of. 

The drilling jig for the barrel nut and screw, also clamped in the vise. 

And the same jig used on the body for the matching hole. I had to enlarge this last hole a bit to get the neck perfectly aligned, but it won't matter. 

Restoring a couple of saws

Something must've happened to my local fleamarket - I've scored several quality hand tools lately. These two saws I got for just 50 kronor (4 quid or 6 dollars). The smaller one is filed for ripping and the larger is for cross cutting. 

They were rusty and the handles are grimy and a bit nasty to touch. At least the screws came out effortlessly. 

I scraped off the old finish and will use Tru-oil. The smaller one looks better and is more comfortable. 

I put the blades in vinegar over night, this was supposed to get the rust off. Scrubbing with a brass brush, I saw that it had worked. 

Then I rinsed them in the lake and scrubbed some more. 

This is were we're at, two coats of oil on the handles and a light machine oil on the blades. The etching on the smaller saw appeared but was a bit damaged by the vinegar. The saw is English, I recognized the stamp but I can't make the name out. 

What's that I hear you grumble? Not enough ukulele action? Okay, have a look at this cedar neck. More to follow, I promise. 

Resawing mesquite

Some of you know me well enough to know of my friend Brian Newman. Some of you knew him too, and loved him as I did. I built two ukes for Brian* and taught him to drink proper whisky (Ardbeg, of cöurse) and he showered me with gifts. The Dobro tenor guitar from 1935, the Kumalae ukulele, the very loud cowboy shirt and other stuff. He also sent me a rather large lump of mesquite wood from a tree he took down in the garden in Arizona. I have had it for a few years by now but never gotten around to resawing it, and I hadn't decided exactly what to use it for. 

But today a couple of things happened at the same time. I fixed my damn band saw with a new belt, and I got the urge for some fretboard blanks. And the mesquite was caught in the middle. 

The blade guide to the right of the blade is shot, the metal was crap and cracked. I made a rough fix for it and it held up, but I'll need to think of something more permanent. I did the sawing freehand with no guides, stopping every two or three cuts to plane the surfaces flat. The mesquite planes very nicely and I look forward to using it. 

At least 10 or 11 fretboards, and plenty of leftovers for matching bridges. The lighter sapwood seems as hard as the heartwood, so I can use the ones with shifting colour. 

* And there is Argapa 100, the soprano scale taropatch. It was Brian's idea but he never saw it realized. I think of Brian every time I play it. 

Vacation is here

I'm around 18 hours in so far and vacation is goooood (said in Darth Sidious voice). First a couple of pics showing where I left the body of the koa soprano, backside is contoured and fitted with kerfed lining strips.

It's gonna be a beauty. Look at the figure. 

Then we went out to the cottage, I brought tools to work on a cedar neck. (Remember the last time I worked on necks at a cottage..? http://argapa.blogspot.se/2016/07/dead-in-water.html?m=0 )

At the cottage is my larger workshop, with a big ass vise, chilly temperature and zero sea view. So I thought I'd upgrade the banjo porch with a vise to work in style. 

To attach the vise securely I put four threaded insert nuts in the deck. Three are of brass, one steel but all have the same thread. 

It's easy to think the slot at one end is for a screwdriver, but don't make that mistake - it will maul the insert and make parts snap off. Instead you should use a screw with a nut halfway up, as in the pic. 

The slot actually cuts into the wood, making the insert go down into a tight fitting hole. 

And then we use the specially enhanced hex key to screw the vise in place. What, you don't own one?

At the cottage I found some alder neck blanks as well so I'll start by planing them flat and square. Dad's no.7 will do. Or will it, he must have used it himself. Probably on some epoxy residue because the blade is shot. My Japanese whetstone is soaking as I write this.

Demo video of the Argapa Fugly Wanderer

Just made a quick vid with some comparisons between the travel uke and a couple of real ones. You know that hard to get telephone effect you sometimes want on a recording? Well it is hard to get no more.

Travel uke ready for travel

After stringing up, tweaking, re-stringing and a rudimentary finish, it is done - Argapa 102.

Is it the boiled down essence of a four course cordophone? Is it a rip off of the Risa stick uke? Or is it just plain fugly? I'd say yes to all three questions. 

But it's kind of cute too don't you think. Almost exactly as I envisioned it, and made in little over one day. 

The small ramps were needed to get a better angle for the strings. The ferrules alone were not enough and the A string snapped a couple of times. So if I were to make another I'd incorporate something with the same effect in the underside of the soundboard. Or maybe in the bridge on top. 

And here's me with it in my pocket. I'll make a demo vid as soon as my sore throat permits. 

Travel uke at full speed!

I continued working on the travel uke, too much fun to stop now. First pic, cutting lengthwise with my Pax rip saw to remove the bulk of the waste. 

Then I shaped the neck with my spokeshaves. The smallest one was a gift from my mate Patsy, a fine man. 

Then slotting for frets with my slot cutting jig, the one I use for my piccolos. 

Slots cut, frets pressed in, bridge made and glued in place. The holes on the side is for the tuners, I nicked the placement (as well as most everything else) off the Risa stick ukes. The string holes are fitted with ferrules of a tiny brass tube I bought at the hobby store. 

And it's done. As I write this it's actually stringed and tuned to pitch but I'll post the glamour shots and a video tomorrow.