I'm Done! The Build has officially become a nightmare!

miche

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So this build has become what I can only describe as a nightmare build. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. I messed up the sides when bending. Sorted that out and now...
I did not have a set of plans but knew that I needed a curve on the back. I had a picture of a small guitar so I traced the side profile and planned to use that. I copied the outline onto my tenor sides and began carving. I then stuck some sand paper onto a piece of mdf for finishing and noticed that my sides were getting a lot thinner then planned. So I popped the sides back down on a flat board and guess what... I traced the curve on upside down so I have a u shaped arch and the neck and tail ends are pretty much the same size. I am so gutted. I have worked through so many mistakes on this build determined not to give up but this time I have really messed up!
The only choice I see that I have now is to plane it all flat and just stick the arched back in flat sides. Only problem is I will likely end up with a 5cm deep ukulele.
This is my first build and it has been such a disaster. I am feeling so deflated and about ready to give up. I have wasted a back and side set and have nothing to show for it.
Honestly gutted!

Sigh!
 
Buy new sides?

It's all ok. We all have problems- learn and move on.

The sides have a complex taper- its like a roller coaster- up and down- its not just a simple thick to thin wedge.

buy a radius dish with sand paper
 
That is bad luck.

Only advice I can give is to check everything at least twice before doing anything. I think a good set of plans would help also. Hana Lima isn't a bad place to start - buy the book.

Keep going, it will be worth it in the end.
 
I'm a believer in the 10,000 hour theory. It takes about 10,000 hours to master most things. The more mistakes you make now the less you will make later. Use cheap wood for your first 10 and don't be afraid to trash your sides and start over. I don't think I would radius my back and top if I didn't have a radius dish.
 
I did not have a set of plans
In the project management business we have a saying: "Plenty of prior planning prevents piss-poor projects".
Those with a more refined disposition might say "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail".
I suggest you get yourself a set of good plans and follow them scrupulously. After you've made a few ukes following the plans, try making one without a plan.
Miguel
 
In the project management business we have a saying: "Plenty of prior planning prevents piss-poor projects".
Those with a more refined disposition might say "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail".
I suggest you get yourself a set of good plans and follow them scrupulously. After you've made a few ukes following the plans, try making one without a plan.
Miguel

Agree. I am surprised the OP thought he could make it right the first time. How many times has that happened in anyone's life? Especially without plans.
I would expect that a new builder would go through many sides, tops, backs, et al on the path to building ukes.
Perhaps the OP could do mock-ups in cardboard or balsa wood. That is what I do when building something from scratch without a plan.
 
Well, I've built 16 guitars, some highly admired. I started my first uke earlier this year because a friend got me interested in them. I've had problems from the start. For an excuse, I can say family business kept me from the shop for a year, but that's pretty feeble. Had to rout off the first set of bindings because of huge gaps (I tried superglue for the first time- never again). Also, I ended up with a body with no taper head to tail (my explanation for that will be "l was trying for a fuller sound). But it's all a learning experience.
Kala, for one, has a very shallow-bodied "tenor travel uke". I have one, and it sounds fine. So I encourage you to keep going on this instrument, learn all you can along the way, and I'll bet it sounds great when it's done.
 
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Ken, I love the birdhouses! Talk about living in style :).
 
Miche...I've had dozens gone wrong in my early days ..here are a few more.

PICT3088-1.jpg

PICT1155.jpg

PICT3090.jpg

PICT0330.jpg

This is what I was thinking, a builder must except that a uke might not make it all the way through a build.
Tim, I am so glad you have re purposed the "growing pains" ukes. Very cool.
 
there needs to be coordination along with creativity. creativity needs an 'on-off' switch. everybody here is highly creative, while most of life calls for as little creativity as possible.
put the instrument together any way that it will go. stay with the simpler plan in the future, and slowly add more advanced technical details. if the instrument isn't salvageable, fine. don't take this hard and don't take it personally. this is precisely the reason we do woodwork and not brain surgery.
 
this is precisely the reason we do woodwork and not brain surgery.

Dang! I just attached the prefronatal cortex to the ubdula longatus and it is misalighned! Oh well Next!... I do feel for the OP though; it can be painful and unpleasant. However it is a risk /reward game, pain and gain kind of work and if it worked out perfect everytime where would the fun be? "Into life a little suffering must come" - (Anonymous ukule builder).
 
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