Cairns Uke Festival Course 2010 Underway

[Rob J Williams]

Hi Allen,

It was absolutely my pleasure, both Rick and yourself were great all week. You showed tremendous patience with us all and I personally had the best time. I think I may literally be in love with my Uke!! Very Happy

I have a bunch of images and videos for those that have access to Facebook. I have left all my content open from the course so you dont need to add me a friend to view the stuff.

http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Rob-Williams/639321325

That's me.

I am slowly adding videos to my own site for those that don't do the Facebook thing...

http://www.robjwilliams.com

Just enter the site and scroll down past my images and there will be a link to some of the vids, pretty cool stuff. I will slowly add the rest over the next couple of days. I will work out a way to get my images up there easily as there is literally hundreds of images but im sure everyone on here will appreciate the content.

Thanks again Allen, put my name down for next year!!

Rob Williams

[Nick]

Nice job with the video's Rob (Welcome to the forum also!)& thanks for making them available to watch. I don't think you could have had two better instructors in Rick & Allen, two very accomplished builders. Sounds like everybody thoroughly enjoyed the course! You must post some pics of your Uke here when you get some finish on it. Speaking of Pictures, I like your site, some very inventive shots and all round good lens work, I particularly like the natural one of "the King" Wally Lewis. I hope now you have been equiped with the knowledge on how to make a Uke, that you continue to build, as I think with your artistic eye, you will build some pearlers.
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A handmade Guitar for $300 ? Phftt. Sure, give me a chunk of wood, a hammer & some 6 inch nails & I'll see what I can knock up for ya.

Nick Oliver
www.oliver-guitars.com

[Rob J Williams]

Thanks Nick,

Yeah they were both really great. Although the videos are full of Rick doing his thing, Allen was definitely well invloved with everyone and we all learnt a lot from them both.

Rick brought along his own Compass Rose Uke and Allen a heap of his own ukes as well as his Daintree brand Acoustic (absolutely stunning). Everyone was free to pick up the instruments and have a bit of a strum.

On the topic of finishes both guys covered a heap of different products and I think all the novice builders suffered some brain overload regarding what did what, pros and cons etc. I am pretty much sold on the Whittle Waxes Hard Wax Oil however I was wondering if anyone knows of an equivalent product that I could pick up at the local hardware tomorrow?

If the Whittle Waxes are the best of the best then I am prepared to go for it but I just wanted to ask.

I know you guys must cop these sorts of questions a lot...

[Allen]

Welcome to the forum Rob. It was a real pleasure meeting you, and while it might seem that we were the ones instructing, I can assure you that every time I've had the opportunity to teach something like this, I learn just as much as the students do.

If you can hold off on putting a finish on your uke for another week, Micheal and I are going to do a demo on some Danish oil that we picked up from Bunnings for next weeks class. Then we can give you some feedback on it.

Oh, an as an aside, we just got back from the World Record attempt for the most ukuleles playing at one time at the Old Courthouse Hotel tonight, and got to see a couple of the class ukes on stage belting out tunes. Just fantastic. Very Happy Cool
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Allen R. McFarlen

[Kim]

Welcome to the ANZLF Rob, nice to have you with us and thanks for the vids AND the great photos on ur site. Cool

Cheers

Kim
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[Kim]

Allen wrote:
Oh, an as an aside, we just got back from the World Record attempt for the most ukuleles playing at one time at the Old Courthouse Hotel tonight, and

And? and? and? sheesh! Talk about keeping us in suspense Al.

On another note did you have that beer on me with Rick and John??? The red spot should have cleared your account by now.

Cheers

Kim
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[Allen]

Hold up big fella.

We didn't break the record. I think it was 675 or something like that and we needed 852.

And all the boys are coming over to my place tomorrow after the markets and concerts, so we are going to down a few on you. I'm going to make sure that Micheal's first one is hot though. Laughing
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Allen R. McFarlen

[Kim]

Allen wrote:
Hold up big fella. Laughing

We didn't break the record. I think it was 675 or something like that and we needed 852.

And all the boys are coming over to my place tomorrow after the markets and concerts, so we are going to down a few on you. I'm going to make sure that Micheal's first one is hot though. Laughing

Bad luck on missing the record this time Allen, but no excuses next Cairns Uke Fest cause now you have some practice under ur belts....as for Micheal's beer, I reckon you could make the lot of them hot and he would still drink most mere mortals under that table.....he's a wicked man.

Wish I could be there with you guys, it would be a hoot.

Cheers

Kim
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[Rob J Williams]

Thanks Allen,

Yes I received a message from Isabelle today telling me I should get my bum back on a plane and get up there, apparently it has been super crazy. In hindsight I should have stayed around a couple of extra days, oh well.

I know I should be patient regarding the finish on my uke but I have 1 week left of holidays and was seriously hoping to seal the deal/uke before getting back to the grind.

I had initially poo-pooed the idea of the Mirotone Spraylac (I felt spraying something from a can may have been a bit of a cop-out from my own perspective) but I have been doing a little research and it seems ok.

Is the Spraylac readily available at the Bunn? Is it a good product? Will it bring out the grain as an oil/wax would? My apologies if this stuff is OT...

[Steve]

Reply by "Tigermyrtle"
Well done, and such a shame that you did not get back down to Tasmania to do more courses as I have lots of people ask if you were coming back to tassie, never mind such is life.
Tassie Bob
Leftie.

Rick Turner wrote:
Rick here...loving every minute of being here and enjoying the best hospitality in the world.

It's been wonderful working with Allen; it feels like we've been working together for years. We started on Saturday with making the soleras on which to build the ukes and with the help of one of the Woodworkers' Guild members, we knocked them out in practically no time finding a work rhythm like old team mates. The facility is perfect for this...nicely equipped with power tools and a nice indoor/outdoor space with the workbenches.

We've had a few minor disasters...like me forgetting to bring the bridges and the folks at Dunlop not sending me the fret wire in California, but no problem...Allen came up with wood for bridges, and my friends at Dunlop FedEx'd the fretwire to Gaby. We had a couple of broken ukes...they got dropped and the tops broke on either side of the neck blocks before the sides went on...but that just meant a couple of lessons in instrument repair.

The first day we got to our day end milestone an hour early. Second day went just past our eight hour mark, but we got everything done that needed doing. Today it's peghead design, neck carving, a lot of sanding, and by the end of the day, it will be bridge gluing time...not bad for three days and a bunch of folks who have never done this before. Tomorrow we'll make the nuts and saddles and do final setup, and tomorrow night we'll have 14 new ukes with stretchy strings all up and playing at the pub.

Huge thanks to Allen, the Woodworker's Guild, and Gaby for making this possible.

[Pete Howlett]

Great stuff you guys. I can't wait to get out to Finland and meet my students. Different type of build to Rick's but nevertheless, as equally demanding. Don't quite know how I am going to function afterwards but hey, it's all part of the 'crack'.
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Make 'em. Play 'em!

[Allen]

Rob J Williams wrote:
Thanks Allen,

Is the Spraylac readily available at the Bunn? Is it a good product? Will it bring out the grain as an oil/wax would? My apologies if this stuff is OT...

I don't think that Bunnings carries it. At least not the local ones. I got mine from Cairns Coatings, as they are the local agents for Mirotone products. I'm certain that there would be a place in most large towns that would carry their products. Made in Australia, and it's pretty well a standard for the cabinet industry.

There are a couple of products you could get at Bunnings in the "Floor Coatings" section which is where we picked up the Danish Oil. The local store didn't carry pure Tung Oil, but you may be able to source it elsewhere near you.

Whatever you end up putting on, make sure that it's a product that dries, not just an oil like Linseed that doesn't.
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Allen R. McFarlen

[Rob J Williams]

Ah yes good ole Linseed Oil,

I've applied that product a few times to many a cricket bat over the years.

I will check it out today and see what they offer, thanks again for your guidance Allen.

Rob

[Rick Turner]

Look for tung oil products that have resin additives for a harder finish. Technically they will be varnishes, thought probably not labeled as such.
There's also a marine finish product called Deks Olje that I've used on boats that would probably be pretty good, too, though buying it in small quantities might be difficult.

Varnishes are drying oils like linseed, tung, walnut, or lavender "spike" that have been (perhaps) partially polymerized and then mixed with resins, typically alkyd or phenolic. Varnishes with a high proportion of oil are called long oil varnishes, those with more resins are short oil varnishes. Preparing varnishes involves a lot of alchemy, cooking, and voodoo. And that is an incredibly shallow look at the whole subject about which entire books have been written.
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Rick Turner
Guitar Maker, Experimenter, Diviner
www.renaissanceguitars.com
www.d-tar.com

[Rob J Williams]

Cheers Rick,

There is a product here called Monocel Gold Satin marine grade clear timber varnish, made by Bondall.

Its states that it is a Aliphatic Polyurethane resin of Monocel Gold boosted by advanced Nanoz (Invisible Zinc)

Am I on the right track here guys??

[DarwinStrings]

G'day Rob, you are on the right track if you are using pure linseed oil on your cricket bat as that is a much better place for it than your ukulele. If you are after a easily obtained product from Bunnings they sell 'Cabots CFP hard wearing clear flooring polyurethane' It sands well when dry and can be levelled and built up to a smooth finish. They sell a hardener with it but that only speeds up its cure to full hardness which it will achieve without the hardener in a month or so anyway. Also because it is oil based rather than water it makes the wood look much better.

Jim

Life is good when you are amongst the wood

[Allen]

Hey Jim, thanks for the info. I've not tried much in the way of my tried and true options, so it's good to get some input from others on this. BTW the girls were absolute legends in the course, and if it ever is an option to take this to Darwin, then I'm putting my name forward. Very Happy
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Allen R. McFarlen

[Rob J Williams]

I just applied the first coat on the Uke and all I can say is WOW!!

I really didnt expect the grain to just pop like that, and the brilliant purple of the purple heart is awesome.

This may sound weird but I literally had goosebumps as I was applying the coat!!! My wife came outside and said "that looks awesome" and all I could manage as a reply was "I know".

Can wait for tomorrow so I can get back to it again...

Edit: I am a little concerned about the back of the uke, the wood seems to be really thirsty in places (the middle) and other spots seemed to not take the oil as well, leaving a slightly thicker coating on the back. I am thinking (hoping) I can give it a light sand tomorrow to bring it back to the same level then go from there and all should be good. Is this common practice?
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[Allen]

Looks great Rob. And yes, it's fairly common for woods to take up finish at different rates when you just start. Once it's been sealed up by the first coat it should go easier.
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Allen R. McFarlen

[Rob J Williams]

Thanks Allen,

I appreciate the info. I hope your course started well today. You will need a holiday from the "holiday" off work you've just had!

[Rob J Williams]

Second Coat on today...
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[Lillian]

Its coming along nicely Rob.

[Steve]

Reply by "selby"
Hi all. I am new to this forum, having joined recently.
Anyway, I would just like to say thanks Allen for your total support and helpful advice. Darn good course, great company, what more could a good kiwi say...... Very Happy

[Peter T]

Rob J Williams wrote:


This may sound weird but I literally had goosebumps as I was applying the coat!!!

I don't think there is anyone around here that would consider such a comment weird. We have all experienced the magic of the wood jumping to life under the first touches of finish. Priceless.

[Kim]

selby wrote:
Hi all. I am new to this forum, having joined recently.
Anyway, I would just like to say thanks Allen for your total support and helpful advice. Darn good course, great company, what more could a good kiwi say...... Very Happy

Hey Selby, welcome to the ANZLF. Cool

Cheers

Kim
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