Restless mind, busy body

Well of course I could've waited 'til number 68 was dispatched but sides were already bent and Michael's been very polite so I started number 69 already.

The top got its patch and single brace yesterday and the rim was lined, so today I levelled the edge and crammed it down on the solera. 

The middle go-bar presses down on the bridge patch to keep the domed shape of the top, the other bars aren't really doing anything. My screw setup is working great! Well worth the expense of investing, a hunnerd bucks as I recall. 

See here: http://www.argapa.blogspot.se/2013/10/a-hundred-dollar-screw-investment.html

Then the neck blank. What you see is the Sjöberg Smart Vise, a bench front vise for... benches. Without a front vise. I just got it and it seems to be a good addition to the dungeon. 

First the fretboard area was trued, and a line squared across in the approximate location of the nut. Then the headstock got it from my number 3 smoother. 

And after the kids went to bed I took the rim out to show the dome of the soundboard, in these last pics. Goodnight!

New screws - glueing back with upgraded solera

I assembled the long screws with wingnuts and the extra long nuts and put them on the carriage bolts holding the supports.

Then I stared blankly at the whole setup for a while. Until I remembered some thin basswood pieces that was left over from the inserts for the solera, how fitting! I cut slots and tried them on.

The last pic shows the back being held down. I added some gobars between the strips, I'll fix a caul for the entire edge at some point. But for now, I'm really happy with this.

A hundred dollar screw investment

Well you never thought you'd end up here when you googled "screw" did you now. But if you're ever so little into senseless cash dispersal, this is the place for you.

Those of you who've been here a while surely remember this post from last year:
http://argapa.blogspot.se/2012/02/multi-solera-upgraded.html

That was an attempt at facilitating glueing down the sides to the top. But since the threaded inserts I put in the solera were the work of the Devil and went in at different angles the whole concept kind of stopped at sketch level. I have used it but the other night when I worked on the koa concert I lost the last sliver of patience.

So. Since rage is the mother of invention I came up with this new setup:

1. New slightly longer carriage bolts for the moveable wooden angle supports on the solera.
2. A wingnut to secure the support to the edge of the insert (the inserts are different for each size uke I make).
3. A double length nut to get... a threaded insert! At the right place (it moves with the support) and at the right angle.
4. A long screw (sigh) with a wingnut close to the top.

You see where this is going, right? Now I can get many more screws (c'mon!) around the sides to which I can attach clamping elements. I don't know yet if these will be short or if they will go across the box as in the sketch version.

In the pic you can also see the lining I cut out from a 1 mm rubber sheet. I put this under the top to protect it when clamping sides.

Stay the hell tuned! I'm a couple of hundred hits from 100.000 visitors on this blog. Make it your startpage already.

Multi-solera upgraded

I put some more threaded inserts into the board, and this is my best side clamping method to date.

The clamping slats are a bit rough. Maybe I'll make some nicer ones.

This little piccolo is coming along nicely. I'm about to carve the neck now.

New stuff started

I will build some piccolos this spring. I can't seem to keep up with the demand, I decided a while back to say no to any inquiries, but people are so goddamn nice. So just a few more. Like ten.

But I'll sort a couple of koa sopranos as well. And maybe the resos, if only I could get those metal parts from England.

My koa prototype looks decent in the pic, but needs a partial refinish after a very ill adviced attempt at pore filling. I should just leave that to those who know their shit.

And one of the concerts is going out the door tomorrow! Bound for Lover's Lane (don't laugh).

Back glued on new solera

I have a few other ideas to try when it comes to glueing the back, but this low tech method seems to work. I like tying with string, but it's a pain to wind it back up afterwards.

This little soprano has come together so quickly I'm considering bar frets; that should slow me down some.

Koa soprano on the solera

Or workboard thingie with interchangeable soleras. Anyway. The neck is shaped and sanded smooth and appears to have a good fit already. But the clamp I made to secure the neck needs longer screws - an excuse to go shopping for screws tomorrow!

To make the neck angle I'll put a spacer under the neck when the back goes on. More about that later.

In the back of the pic you can see the little vintage Kumalae (or Kumulae?) that I got from my mate Brian, a beirdo. I am refinishing it after a bridge repair.

Neck carved, sides glued

Have been somewhat confused since we had burglars here during the weekend. But things are more or less sorted now so I did a few things on the koa soprano.

I installed lining strips and blocks, and today I glued the sides to the soundboard.

Then I took ten minutes and carved a neck. Lovely to work with, that Spanish cedar. Carves easily.

The concerts are getting more layers of tru-oil as well, but I have to sync that with the family being out.

Koa sides bent

Just to finish a hectic week on a high note, I bent a couple of sides. I put them in the new solera jig thingie to see if it works, and of course it did.

Couldn't put tru-oil on the concerts as the smell has gotten stronger than I remember, and it disturbs my family. I'll wipe some on tomorrow and let some air in during the day.

First layer of oil on the concerts, and a go-bar deck!

And guess who finally learned to post two pics at once?! It only took four years.
So. The small bridges are on. The string through method lets me keep the footprint down, and therefore also the weight.

I chose tru-oil this time, I tend to avoid shellac every time I work on more than one uke. I don't think I could get equal results on two or more.


But tru-oil is at least as good. The first coat is also very satisfying, as the colour darkens so much.


Then on to the next topic. My workboard for different soleras is almost done, small refinements are made as I go along. I've decided to make a soprano to test it. It's koa, but second grade. And as it is a first for the new method I guess I'll have to keep it.

I made a go-bar deck that is mounted on threaded rods, and you can see the bridge patch being pressed down into the solera's dish, taking care of the domed shape of the soundboard.

I'm excited. But who wouldn't be?

Workboard with exchangeable soleras

It's not quite done yet, but it's getting darn close! The L-shaped brackets slides to the chosen solera and form a mold that will hold the sides.

On top of it all, a removable go-bar deck will be attached. I'm excited.

Solera insert

Well the plan is to make a building board with space for different thin soleras, one for each size. Here you can see the tenor one being dished with planes and scrapers.

Being immensely clever

I've finally made new perspex templates, and here you can see me tracing the contour. Not just once, but twice. To offset the line 5 mm I let the pencil go in a washer of suitable dimension.

You'll see where all this leads soon.

Glueing done

All joints are done. The tape method is swell, and fast.

New jig project

These are thin pieces of basswood, 5 mm. I glue them together with the tape method which seems to work great.

A lot of pieces will be joined, the result should be stunning (well, if everything goes according to my rather dim plan).