building help.. plans

mrUKETOBER

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since ppl have pretty much said to make your own jigs and what not.. i was wondering if you guys could help me out with the right plans and sizing for the jigs ? i am wanting to build a concert.. and i want to make a bending jig and maybe to make a mold.. so any help would be great ! thanks :D
 
http://www.wsukes.com/plans.html

Dave from Waverly Street posted that last night...he's probably posted it 50x before, but I havent been a member for too terribly long. It appears to me to be an awesome step by step...pretty practical, and cant wait to try it....well, someday
 
http://www.hanalimastore.com/servlet/the-Plans/Categories
The builders manual and your concert plans, possibly go find tuners nut, saddle at the store at the same time, wood? Its a good place to start. Honestly I would bend on a heated pipe first, unless you plan to keep popping the things out and than you probably want to do your own design first anyhow. I use a Wagner heat gun and 2.5 inch pipe to bend on it has got to give the best control bending wood I has ever experienced,"bending against the pipe".

Having over 20 years experience doing custom wood working I have bent wood in many ways and I have to say that using the pipe method is the most pleasing, and least likely that you will damage your pieces. If you want them absolutely perfect this is the way to go.
 
http://www.wsukes.com/plans.html

Dave from Waverly Street posted that last night...he's probably posted it 50x before, but I haven't been a member for too terribly long. It appears to me to be an awesome step by step...pretty practical, and cant wait to try it....well, someday

Waverly has great documentation on his site on how to build his plans, also he has found his own style of building.
 
Nic

Spend a few evenings on youtube looking at all the luthiers who have posted there - every type from electric to acoustic. Watch Taylor's factory Friday series and then tour luthiers' workshop sites. By doing this you will first see that we all do it differently. Next you will notice that some people do the weirdest of things. Third, there are loads of keen amateurs out there who have fairly unique but successful ways of doing things with very limited resources. I guess you will find the latter most inspiring - I know I do!

If you do this, shy away from vids that are longer than 5 minutes because they will not be edited and unless you have a fast processor you will wade through tones of fluff.

Despite my background, I end up watching luthier vids at least 2 hours a week (I have no TV) because there is always something to learn.
 
Elderly Music also has plans for a concert ukulele. I suggest you get as many plans as you can so you can compare them.

Brad
 
The Guild of American Luthiers has plans for Martin styles.
I've used the Hana Lima plans and they are very good too.
 
http://www.hanalimastore.com/servlet/the-Plans/Categories
The builders manual and your concert plans, possibly go find tuners nut, saddle at the store at the same time, wood? Its a good place to start. Honestly I would bend on a heated pipe first, unless you plan to keep popping the things out and than you probably want to do your own design first anyhow. I use a Wagner heat gun and 2.5 inch pipe to bend on it has got to give the best control bending wood I has ever experienced,"bending against the pipe".

Having over 20 years experience doing custom wood working I have bent wood in many ways and I have to say that using the pipe method is the most pleasing, and least likely that you will damage your pieces. If you want them absolutely perfect this is the way to go.

Even better than the pro heating blankets I see many luthiers using? Seems like they'd transfer the heat most evenly.
 
Even better than the pro heating blankets I see many luthiers using? Seems like they'd transfer the heat most evenly.

I think every builder needs to know how to bend on the pipe. Yes it takes longer but you'll have ultimate control over the wood. You'll also get to know, through your senses, watching, feeling, smelling, hearing, how the wood is reacting. For the occasional builder, there is no need to build a bending form and all that goes with it. The down-side is that bending on a pipe takes time.
I believe the most efficient and consistent method of bending sides for a small shop production builder is with heat blankets in conjunction with a Fox type bender. I also think blankets work better than light bulbs since blankets heat the wood, not the form. (One of my benders is a hybrid and incorporates both, bulb and blanket to heat both the wood and the form.)
The disadvantage to bending with heat blankets on a bending jig is that since your wood is sandwiched between layers of other materials and the bending is aided by mechanical means, you are a bit from the process. Since you can't see the wood and it's harder to feel the wood's resistance it's easier to go too fast (or too slow) and make mistakes (burning, cracking, etc). As with anything, it's a great tool to use if you know how to use it.
 
Since you can't see the wood and it's harder to feel the wood's resistance it's easier to go too fast (or too slow) and make mistakes (burning, cracking, etc). As with anything, it's a great tool to use if you know how to use it.

Is burning a problem with the blankets, too? Is cracking one of the problems one might experience from going too slow?
Thanks, appreciate your insight.
 
Is burning a problem with the blankets, too? Is cracking one of the problems one might experience from going too slow?
Thanks, appreciate your insight.

Burning is a concern any time you bend wood with heat. If you don't regulate your heat source properly you can easily burn your sides with a heat blanket or light bulbs, because you can't see the wood you are bending. Once you smell that burnt wood smell, it's too late. You can certainly burn on a pipe as well but you can keep on top of it better. Same thing with cracking, you can crack your sides with either method. Things tend to go pretty quick with a bender, sometimes too quick. Both methods take practice.
 
I've bent the last "twenty or so" pairs of sides with no problems at all...I have a bending procedure that I stick to with good results so far...But for no reason that I can account for , the last set I bent both "creased" (not cracked) on the lower bout... the tighter bends the waist and smaller upper bout were ok :confused:...It was a bookmatched pair so I asume it must have been something within the structure of the material in that area.
 
There are always options.

If you don't want to bend sides then build a fluke.
 
One of my blankets fried 2 sets of sides recently - I think it was defective because my other blankets are fine. I've decided that I'll oly bend the soprano sides with my heat blankets I got from a hawaiian store - Ukulule Supply of hawaii who don't seem to be trading any more... V Good blankets.
 
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ok so.. i already pretty much know how to build one .. i was just wondering the dimensions of the bender jig ... but i actually learned quite a few things by reading .. and also how does one go about building a fluke ? i want one but i have a flea and cant afford a fluke right now
 
I have heard stories of Guitar shops in Spain in like large closet sized spaces, anyone ever see these?
 
how does one go about building a fluke

I just found out today that flukes have a plastic back. Who says you can't use wood?

As a great man once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge..."
 
I just found out today that flukes have a plastic back. Who says you can't use wood?

As a great man once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge..."

i would rather a plastic back so it would be less likely to warp lol .. but i dunno .. ive never tried to build one.. so im a complete noob but id like to get the uke out in louisiana.. noone plays it down here..
 
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