Major boo-boo!

Vespa Bob

Vespa Bob

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Working as diligently as I could on the uke I'm building for my son, everything was going well until my choice to use black CA to glue in the rosette proved to be a bad one! I almost cried when I saw it bleeding through the spruce top.
My choices are, as far as I can tell are (1) stain the top black:rolleyes:, (2) flip the board over and use the back as the top, at least I won't have to fork out for a new one, or (3), bite the bullet and start from scratch. That's probably the best way to go, it's just that I hate to see the material wasted. I also considered routing a channel and adding another rosette strip, but I think the rosette is already on the large size, so I scrapped that idea. Anyone have a miracle idea?

Bob
 

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leave it alone and say it was designed that way or
cut it out, I have some nice ukes without rosettes.
 
I'm not a luthier, but for your son... bite the bullet.

He may be fine with it, but every time you look at it you'll kick yourself.

John
 
I'm no expert myself, but I would go with Peace Train's idea and maybe rout out the bleeding on either side of the paua and replace it with something matching the back or neck wood, if you are able to make such a thing. Not sure I could, but I'd have a go( before I routed the bleeding). Mike
 
I agree with most here.
As disappointing as it may seem, bite the bullet and start again on this one. This one 'needs' to be right.
Whatever else you try to do? You will never be quite happy with it.

You can reuse some of the bits!
Perhaps try turning the board upside down or expanding the rosette, but do it as a sideline piece.
Either that or cut out and tidy up rosette to reuse, and slice board up to use as bridge plates!
Fun fun fun!
 
maybe put the top on a scanner and scan that area into Photoshop. Draw an inner and outer circle in a color that matches back or side wood or headstock face plate etc. Then print it and cut it out, lay it over the top, tape it down and see how it looks. If it's good, then rout it out. If not then start over. Or do a black sand inlay (like Kanile'a is using beach sand for inlay). There is gorgeous stuff available at my local building supply. Then bind and appoint the uke in ebony.
 
Acetone? Can't you remove CA? I didn't even know there was black CA.

Even sanding would remove it.
 
Thanks so much for all your advice and suggestions! The only reason I'm not crazy about the idea of increasing the size of the rosette is because I feel it is on the large side already. It's 3" in diameter and it's a concert size uke. It is the smallest size that Hani Lima sells. Right now, I'm leaving it alone while I work on other parts of the instrument, which are coming along nicely. I'll probably end up starting fresh on the top. Thanks again for your suggestions.

Bob
 
On a deal like that If you hated the ideal of enlarging the rosette I would just kiss the top goodbye. You can route around that rosette close. First the inside then the outside. Then take it to the drum sander and remove the wood from the back and install it on a new top. When drum sanding off the wood from the back when it gets paper thin stop drum sanding and just pop out the rosette with your hands. I have done it many times. You need a fine router bit to make it work well.
 
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keep adding BWB's till its gone.

Or pull out the paua and make a wooden ring- if you do this make sure to use a light wood as using a dark wood makes it look even BIGGER.
 
OK. Maybe it isn't that bad. Maybe just go ahead and build the uke and forget about the friggen rosette? CA glue and spruce can be brutal. I know. Ok. Next time seal the top first. Lesson learned, Maybe it is how the thang sounds that matters and nobody but luthiers really cares? Lesson learned. Shellac seal any wood before CA gluing. I'm sure the next uke will be flawless. "Fixing" that CA glue bleed is impossible at this point.
 
It's just a sound board and a bit of shell. Get over it and either turn it over and go without a rosette. Or get another sound board and go again. Every one of us has been there. You'll probably not do that same mistake more than a couple more times. :D

Trying to fix something like that by adding more and more purflings is going to look like a fix for something, and you'll still be unsatisfied.

I've had one day when I've tossed out 3 necks that didn't meet the grade. Built complete instruments (guitars and ukuleles) that I wasn't happy with and then ran them through the bandsaw. And would be at least a dozen soundboards in the last 5 years that I tossed after something or other didn't meet with my expectations.
 
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I have a growing collection of flawed ukulele parts. I'm keeping them so that one day when I have the full set I'll build a a complete uke out of them. I'll keep it in the workshop as a visible reminder to slow down and think before rushing from one task to the next. Festina lente.
Miguel
 
I just realized that the glue was bleeding though the wood fibers rather than something that could be removed or sanded. Thanks for posting this. It's a good learning tool.

Yes, just getting a new soundboard seems like the best coarse of action here. Make sure to post a picture of the finished product.
 
If you do it over, try gluing in the purfling first with wood glue, then fit the shell and run thin CA over it so it only comes in contact with the inner side of the purfling and bottom of the inlay.
 
Once again I appreciate you all taking the time and showing interest in my dilemma. After sleeping on it, I'm completely at peace with the situation and have already ordered a new top and will consider the original as a practice piece! I'll use Michael's method to remove the shell , thanks, Michael.
Bob
 
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