First acoustic builds.

[soulman]

I started building ukuleles to learn about building and developing my ideas and skill level as I`m a fitter and turner. Kinda got hooked. So now it`s time to build some acoustics.
This is where I`m up to. Two are Qld Maple B&S and the other is Tassi Blackwood. Tops will be Sitka spruce. May put a cedar top on one of the maple bodies.

[ozwood]

Welcome Soulman,

All looks in order to me, got the makings of some fine looking instruments there , can't wait to see the final product.

Seems the Ukes have taught you very well, do you have any photo's of your Uke builds, we all like looking at them as well.

Would be good to Know your name as well, so we don't have to keep calling you soulman.

Cheers,

[steve roberts]

Hi Soulman
Looking good so far .
Three at once you really are hooked.
Regards Steve

[simso]

Your mould making is very good, all three look consistently the same shape, hard to achieve when your starting out.

Off to a good start I say

[soulman]

Welcome Soulman,

All looks in order to me, got the makings of some fine looking instruments there , can't wait to see the final product.

Seems the Ukes have taught you very well, do you have any photo's of your Uke builds, we all like looking at them as well.

Would be good to Know your name as well, so we don't have to keep calling you soulman.

Cheers,

Thanks Paul.

If you do a search under Soulman in Gallery, Topics are Concert Ukulele and my previous builds you can see some of my builds.

Regards

Ross

[soulman]

Thanks to both Steve`s for you comments.
I have got it real bad, is there medication for this Luthier illness?

Steve, I see you are in Perth. I am originally from Esperance W.A. just around the corner from Albany.

Regards

Ross

[steve roberts]

Sorry Ross
There is no known cure once you catch it you just have to live with it.
Regards Steve

[auscab]

They look nice Ross.
Whats with the blurry look , is that a romantic setting on your camera ?

Just kidding , I'm guessing mobile phone.

Steve [simso] pointed out " Your mould making is very good, all three look consistently the same shape"

How did you bend them ?

And I can see a finish on the inside, second picture down , what did you put on it ? It looks good.

[ozwood]

Thanks Paul.

If you do a search under Soulman in Gallery, Topics are Concert Ukulele and my previous builds you can see some of my builds.

Regards

Ross

Mate , Those ukes are Nice , but the winner for me is that Electric, very classy indeed.

Can't wait to see more of what you build , You Got it Baaaaad !

Cheers,

[soulman]

They look nice Ross.
Whats with the blurry look , is that a romantic setting on your camera ?

Just kidding , I'm guessing mobile phone.

Steve [simso] pointed out " Your mould making is very good, all three look consistently the same shape"

How did you bend them ?

And I can see a finish on the inside, second picture down , what did you put on it ? It looks good.

Hi Paul. No not the settings. I`m about as romantic as a brick. So yes the mobile phone.
I bend on a bit of water pipe using a heat gun as the heat source.
I use spray can of shellac stuff. I get it from Masters also the cheapest place to buy titebond from.

[soulman]

Thanks Paul.

If you do a search under Soulman in Gallery, Topics are Concert Ukulele and my previous builds you can see some of my builds.

Regards

Ross

Mate , Those ukes are Nice , but the winner for me is that Electric, very classy indeed.

Can't wait to see more of what you build , You Got it Baaaaad !

Cheers,

Thanks. That was my first ever instrument. Body is a beautiful piece of Red Cedar. Belonged to My wifes Grandfather. They`d had it for years. It was grey warped, looked almost good enough for the BBQ. (glad I didn't use it for that.)

[Jeremy D]

Looking great, can't wait to see the finished product

[soulman]

Just about ready to put top on blackwood body. Also knocked up a go bar system. They work great.

[Woodsy23]

Soulman,
I'm about to put together a go bar deck and like yours. What wood did you use for your go bars and what size were they? What was the height of the top deck?

Woodsy

[Jeremy D]

Looking really nice Soulman

[Kamusur]

Three at a time Woodsy, hell, one of the worst cases i've ever seen or heard. Quick, help, someone call a Doctor even though i know deep down it's way,way too late.

Steve

[kiwigeo]

Soulman,
I'm about to put together a go bar deck and like yours. What wood did you use for your go bars and what size were they? What was the height of the top deck?

Woodsy

I use lengths of hoop pine dowel (8 or 10mm). I have a false floor on my deck which I can jack up using various thickness blocks to allow for gluing up items of varying height. The length of the lengths of dowel are such that they need flexing to fit into the deck but not to the point of snapping.......just do a test run with a long length and keep trimming it until it feels right. The dowels will snap occasionally so wear safety glasses when flexing them.

[nnickusa]

Mine look like Soulman's. They are cedar strips, about 6mm by 18mm. For no other reason than the cedar was what I had on hand. They do snap at times, as Martin suggests, and you need to be a bit careful.....

[Eric Scheper]

Soulman,
I'm about to put together a go bar deck and like yours. What wood did you use for your go bars and what size were they? What was the height of the top deck?

Woodsy

I found some 6m long lengths of thin fiberglass (about 5mm I think) from a website that sells kite boarding supplies and cut them to length. I bought some replacement tips when I ordered some stuff from LMI and had 24 go bar clamps that cost about half of what the LMI rods cost.

[soulman]

Soulman,
I'm about to put together a go bar deck and like yours. What wood did you use for your go bars and what size were they? What was the height of the top deck?

Woodsy

Hi Woodsy
My bars are about 12mm x 5mm. I cut them about 15mm longer than the distance
Between top and bottom plate. Just have to experiment with that. I used some wood a guy
Gave me. Apparently some sort of bean. It is a bit brittle as there was some breakage.
Regards
Ross

[charangohabsburg]

Those parts are coming together very neatly, thanks for sharing!

I have got it real bad, is there medication for this Luthier illness?

As stated before by Steve: no. But you can ease the pain by building more, buy more wood, buy more tools, and so on.

[soulman]

Those parts are coming together very neatly, thanks for sharing!

I have got it real bad, is there medication for this Luthier illness?

As stated before by Steve: no. But you can ease the pain by building more, buy more wood, buy more tools, and so on.

Thanks Markus and thanks for the medical advice. I've been doing as you've said. I've almost finished restoring a 27" Jeffwood bandsaw and a Jeffwood table saw. Just got to do the thicknesser, spindle moulder and 16" jointer. Then I can get some of the logs cut up. . Seeyah Ross

[soulman]

Top is now on the blackwood body.

[soulman]

Here is an udate of the maple one.

[soulman]

This is the blackwood one. it is now complete. Got to perform with this in Tamworth. It sounds much better than I could've dreamed of. I'm blown away. I have put the LR Baggs Anthem pickup in it. Love it.