New gadget for fretting

I've looked at the various tools in the Stewmac catalogue but so far I've been hesitant to buy the pliers called Jaws. Even if it does look nifty.

So today I made my own version with a welding clamp and a couple of cauls. The cauls are held in place with magnets. One is just flat (but I'll make a concave one for fretting piccolo necks) and the other has a groove that fits the fretwire I use.

Preliminary tests says it'll work fine but it needs some adjustments. The flat bits on the jaws wobble too much so I'll put some string or rubber bands to inhibit the movement.

Will report more on the progress. Stay, as they say, tuned.

Almost there

Pegs are in, nut's made, and the shellac is polished. After I took the pic I put the strings on. 

But before I could do that I spent an hour sorting a couple of drawers and cleaning the bench in search of the little tube with the glass beads I use on the strings. Eventually I found them in the third drawer. Sabotage! I never put the beads in the third drawer! 

But the cleaning was long overdue anyway. 

Hung to dry

It's a beautiful day in Björkhagen. Sun is out, birds singing, loaves are rising and soon to be baked, and a few coats of shellac has been applied to the three ukes in progress. These will be my numbers 61, 62 and 63. 

The two miniatures are identical apart from the spruce tops. One is very tightly grained and the other one not so. In this size I don't think any difference in sound will be due to that, but I thought both the scrap pieces looked charming. My friend Robert will get to choose one for himself, the other one will go to the raffle in Hollesley.