Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

What is this instrument? Is it a 10 string uke? What is it made of? It looks like it is 1 piece and porous going by the finish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7oDHKL2 ... ture=share

The listing has been removed.

Brilliant!

In a quest for accurate circles I came up with this easy and cheap option. $99 laminate trimmer, $10.99 digital calipers from Hong Kong and some scraps of 3mm perspex. I took the screws out of the end of the digital calipers and gradually drilled it out to 3/16" I took the base of the laminate trimm...

If I was into electric guitars it would have to be Adrian Belew but since I am into ukes it would be Rory Gallagher.
He can play anything with strings on it.

All I have to do is make one of these and combine it with the running machine that I got from the dump underneath as a variable speed feed belt and I'm in.
What could I use instead of spruce? Spruce doesn't seem to be available around these parts.

Yep, I'd say Purple Heart for sure. Your description plus those photos make it pretty convincing. The end grain shot is spot on, as is the face grain and the colour/s in it. Also the mention that it was once "bright" purple, now a dull purple/brownish - this is exactly what purpleheart does unless ...

This is a nice little plane that Greg Smallman gave to me. It takes razor blades. It is curved at one end for inside curves and it has an open ended mounting for getting into corners at the other.
Why is the other blade on an angle?

Steve wrote:If you hadn't said South America, I would have guessed Kwila Martyn. It looks quite similar.

It was a long time ago so I may be wrong. It was at the Jetty markets in Coffs that I bought it!
Is Kwila this bright a purple when it is freshly milled?

What is this very dense purple(ish) imported timber? I rubbed 1 end with alcohol in some shots. DSCF3228.JPG DSCF3229.JPG I bought it about 25-30 years ago along with a couple of other pieces that I can't find. I bought them for their colour and my wife assures me that this is the piece that was bri...

rocket wrote:Thanks Robbie, looks like good stuff i wouldn't mind trying it out. Does anybody know if the same Tru oil is available in Aus, and if not is there an equivalent on the market here?
Cheers,,,
Rod.

They use it for rifle butts so all the gun shops have it.

Being for guns I can probably buy it in Glen Innes too!
Luxury!

[/quote]
Looks like at least 10mm difference in the length of the body......I wouldn't call the "not very great".[/quote]

It isn't as bad as it looks. slightly under 8mm short in length.

Not sure what effect the smaller body size will have Martyn with respect to the build but I'd be going back to the copy shop & kicking the copy guy up the bum....hard, present him with the evidence & tell him he doesn't infact know what he's doing & see him laugh then! I hate smug smart arses :evil...

I have big routers too. I just bought a 400W Ryobi laminate trimmer from Bunnings for $99. I made a circle jig for the base and it works great in the tests I have done for rosette channels. The height locks firmly and it isn't too heavy. That is all I have used it for at this stage, but,so far, so g...

I didn't plan for this! I told the guy in the copy shop that I wanted it copied to make templates and to make sure that the scale was set to 100%. He laughed and assured me that he knew what he was doing. I glued it to cardboard and cut it out. Then I used it to cut all my jigs and cut out 5 tops an...

How do you modify tenor uke plans to make a 6 string?
The obvious thing is to add 1 1/2" and some extra width to the headstock for the added tuners but what about the neck width?
Do you have to change anything else to cope with the extra tension from the 2 added strings?

Here is a blessing to Da' Padma!
Who shines likel a beacon, from afar,
a kindred light, that's guiding moi,
and inspiring me!
To think? That I could be?
A luthier!

Is Aust Red Cedar ( Toona Ciliata) good for ukes?
I can get some if it is including nice rootball, fiddleback sections.

jeffhigh wrote:I bought a belt in Bali last year, didn't look closely enough, they wanted to charge me extra for the holes.

Just as well too. Holes are a prohibited import into Australia as they cause erosion.

Good to hear your getting some positive out of the place Tonxi. Looking forward to seeing all this wood making some music. 8) Cheers Kim I certainly am getting some positive out of the place. I don't just want to make a couple of ukes, so with that in mind I want to get each stage own pat and set u...

we don't have much stuff in Perth, our files don't even come with handles [/quote]
I used to live in a shoe box in t' middle o' t' road. Lick road clean wi' tongue, work 19 hours at pit and 'av to pay t' mine owner f' privilege t' come t work ect.

I just want to say thank you to all at ANZLF for all your help and support. I new almost nothing about wood let alone luthiery when I joined a couple of months ago,. Now I have 8 tenor uke sets, that I have sawn from tonewoods, that I have selected myself and it is mostly down to you and your suppor...

The pieces that you've sawn look nicely quartered. Is that one of the blackwood necks in the top photo? How did you go with the neck blocks? cheers Steve Yes that is a blackwood neck blank. I will saw 1 to make blocks for the others. The piece on top of the blackwood plank is actually NZ beech. I d...

This is great. I quite fancy a resonator uke. Well done.