Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

If you missed the story it starts here
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4312
There's even some sound clips there if you really wish to torture your ears with my playing.

And finally there's these to complete the 'picture'

Englemann Spruce & Black Hearted Sassafras
Bound in Gidgee
Australian Desert Oak fingerboard
BRW/CF/BRW bridge
The end.
...or is it...

Good to see and hear it finished Craig. Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to document this build. Looking forward to the next one.

Thanks for the pics Craig - I've been waiting to see how it all came together.

Beautiful Sassafras and fine work indeed.

Oh and that bridge did match the fretboard and binding didn't it ? Handy.

Two quick questions -

What finish did you apply and what strings did you try out ?

Congrats.

Jeremy.

Thanks guys.

Strings are D'Addario J53's.
Allen put me on to them but I hadn't gotten around to trying them out till now.

Finish is my good old Ubeaut Hard Shellac, applied with my psuedo french polishing method.
I will get around to spraying nitroc again, but it's been a while now & I still had some Hard Shellac in the bottle.

Beautiful wood and excellent craftsmanship! Very clean work...
...and it looks like a uke. Who would think there is a falcate bracing beneath the hood!

Clancy wrote:Finish is my good old Ubeaut Hard Shellac, applied with my psuedo french polishing method.
I will get around to spraying nitroc again, but it's been a while now & I still had some Hard Shellac in the bottle.

It's funny you say that - I'm looking at the opposite at present!

For two reasons; somewhat for toxicity but also due to weather restrictions.

I get about four months of solid rain or 98% humidity here to go along with -4˚ to 12˚C days and nights. Not conducive conditions to spraying nitro outdoors... I do have a dry room, but not a spray booth. Therefore having a method of finish that did not require waiting for the right weather conditions is a primary concern, given those conditions can literally take 3 months to come about here.

A difficult one to explain to customers.

Jeremy.

Jeremy, just tell your customers that you switched to shellac because it is mystical an magical. And as we all know the sound of a musical instrument depends solely on its varnish!

It's all very stylish Craig. And who would know what sort of voodoo was going on inside.

J.F. Custom wrote:

Clancy wrote:Finish is my good old Ubeaut Hard Shellac, applied with my psuedo french polishing method.
I will get around to spraying nitroc again, but it's been a while now & I still had some Hard Shellac in the bottle.

It's funny you say that - I'm looking at the opposite at present!

For two reasons; somewhat for toxicity but also due to weather restrictions.

I get about four months of solid rain or 98% humidity here to go along with -4˚ to 12˚C days and nights. Not conducive conditions to spraying nitro outdoors... I do have a dry room, but not a spray booth. Therefore having a method of finish that did not require waiting for the right weather conditions is a primary concern, given those conditions can literally take 3 months to come about here.

A difficult one to explain to customers.

Jeremy.

Very Similar to where I am instead of 4 months its been like that for the last 3-4 years. Before that it was a drought. I use 100IMS and have no problems at all french polishing when its raining. We have/had a spray booth but my father has become very sensitive to Nitro/thinners based Lacquer over the years and can not be around it or use it. I just do the polishing in the dry room and it is fine.

I have to admit that I've enjoyed being able to apply the Hard Shellac while being with the family.
It's like bringing the workshop inside the house.
I also find the french polishing relaxing & meditative.

Took the uke along to my first Uke Club meeting - thankfully a "3 chord night".
They liked the look, they liked the tone, they thought it was a bit heavy.
Wonder what they'll say when I bolt some metal blocks in it!