ditto on the Hana Lima book. I made a step list below but it really depends how you build. There are many types of body construction that will change the steps. And many ways to perform each step based on what tools you have. My list is based on bolt on neck construction and "standard" style uke bodies. I don't say how to do each step so you'll have to figure what works best for you
Pre-build:
- Read the building steps and plan how you will do each step.
- Buy or create a set of plans
- Decide all the materials and decorations (this is the hardest step for me)
- Purchase materials all at once
- Build molds, templates, fixtures
Body build (bolt on neck):
- Joint top and back plates (if book matched)
- Glue up top and back plates
- Inlay back strip (if using)
- Side, top and back thinning
- Glue the back seem reinforcing strip
- Trace body outline and center lines on to top and back plates. Cut a small notch at each end of the center line so you can find it if erased later.
- Bend the sides and let dry in the mold
- Cut and shape the neck and heel blocks
- Trim the sides to final length
- Glue in the neck and heel blocks
- Cut the back taper into the rim
- Glue in linings
- Sand rim and linings to final shape (radius dish if you're using one)
- Butt graft installation
- Drill holes for bolt on neck
- Cut top and back plates to shape. About 3/16" outside the layout line
- Prepare rosette materials (make or buy or whatever)
- Lay out sound hole on the top measured from the body outline
- Inlay top rosette
- Cut sound hole
- Sand rosette smooth and sand the edge of the sound hole
- Layout bracing in pencil
- Cut braces and bridge patch. Radius if you're doing a radius
- Glue braces and bridge patch per the lay out lines
- Carve braces to final shape
- Notch the rim linings to fit the brace ends
- Glue the top and back to the rim
- Bend bindings (if using wood)
- Cut the binding rabbet
- Sand the sides flat top to back and smooth any small bumps
- Re-cut the binding rabbet and check fit of the binding all the way around
- Glue bindings
Neck Steps:
- Square up the blank
- Cut the scarf joint and heel blocks. Clean up joints if needed
- Glue up scarf joint
- Glue up heel blocks
- Re-square the glued up blank, remove squeeze out
- Glue on head stock veneer (if using)
- Mark that center line!!
- Lay out neck shape in pencil. Top and side profiles of the neck as well as nut width and final length
- Cut neck blank to final length at the heel end
- Mark center line on the heel end and lay out the heel shape
- Drill holes for threaded inserts and install inserts
- Cut side profile
- Cut Top profile and head stock shape
- Mark hole positions for tuning machines and drill
- Carve neck to final shape
- Cut fret slots in the finger board
- Cut the finger board taper and dry fit to neck
- Cut and fit fingerboard binding (if using). Dry fit to neck
- Glue binding (if using)
- Install inlays on finger board (if using)
- Sand inlays smooth
- Install frets
- Trim fret ends and file end bevel
- Glue fingerboard to neck
- Level frets if needed. Reshape any filed fret crowns
- Fit neck to body and adjust as needed
- Inlay head stock (if using)
Finishing steps:
- Unbolt neck
- Final sand body and neck
- Grain fill body and neck
- Apply finish, level and polish
- Clear filler and finish from tuner holes, neck joint area
- Bolt on neck
- Cut and shape Nut. Fit to the neck
- Measure and mark out bridge position
- Scrape finish from under the bridge to bare wood
- Glue bridge in place
- Shape and fit saddle
- Install tuning machines
- String up and set up the action
- Final clean and polish....polish frets, vacuum dust from inside the body, oil fingerboard, apply paper label etc
