Hard to build a black ukulele ?

Pukulele Pete

Pukulele Pete

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My dream uke is all black with white binding and a white bound fretboard. If ( and that's a big if ) I try it I was thinking of a Stew Mac soprano kit. I would have to spray it with spray cans. How hard will it be to do with the white bindings? I've read somewhere that after spraying to scrape the paint off the bindings with a metal edge. I've built a "Grizzly" and restored a badly beat up vintage Martin and I'm wondering how hard this finish would be for an amateur?
 
Pukulele Pete said:
My dream uke is all black with white binding and a white bound fretboard. If ( and that's a big if ) I try it I was thinking of a Stew Mac soprano kit. I would have to spray it with spray cans. How hard will it be to do with the white bindings? I've read somewhere that after spraying to scrape the paint off the bindings with a metal edge. I've built a "Grizzly" and restored a badly beat up vintage Martin and I'm wondering how hard this finish would be for an amateur?
Click to expand...

I've been experimenting with steel wool dissolved in vinegar as an ebonizer, and on woods that are already brown (cedar, cherry, walnut, all of which I've tried) the wood turns black. In theory, then, one could build a uke out of, say, walnut, ebonize it black, then cut and install the bindings (holly is very white, or there are plastic bindings available) and then finish the uke with whatever you'd like.

I've been thinking of an all black uke, too, but without the white bindings.

Hey, if you cut the bridge to look like a white bow tie, you could call it your tuxulele.
 
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If you use a Stew-Mac kit, you'll have to replace the solid linings they provide with kerfed linings to accommodate the binding channel. Finishing in black should be no problem. You can either stain the wood black or add solid black color to the top coat. If you stain, be careful not to sand through the finish when level sanding or else you'll have blotches.
 
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Wow........I've fallen in love with the "Le Noir". What will my wife say? Maybe I could sell one of my guitars ( I barely play it )
Would I have to sell two guitars ? Hmmmm............
 
Yep - I have 2 ready to go into the sprayshop... Black is a very hard finish to do.
  • first bind the instrument with a black line to the white binding - gives you wriggle room when you have to scrape back
  • use dichromate of potash to get the mahogany as dark as possible
  • grain fill with darkest grainfiller and seal for a flat surface and get it absolutely flat without pits or need for drop-ins
  • mask off all binding and other bits
  • spray a matt base coat of black
  • remove masking and scrape back any bleeds
  • touch up any small areas with a permanent marker pen
  • spray at least 4 top coats of full strength clear lacquer
  • wet sand with 600 grit
  • spray 60/40 lacquer to thinners top coats for a nice gloss and proceed as you would for standard finish
Thats how I did it...
 
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Pukulele Pete said:
Wow........I've fallen in love with the "Le Noir". What will my wife say? Maybe I could sell one of my guitars ( I barely play it )
Would I have to sell two guitars ? Hmmmm............
Click to expand...

You could always sell the wife -- then you'd have enough money for the uke, and not have to listen to the complaining. Win--win!
 
I recently painted an uke that another builder friend of mine was putting together. He had trouble with the grain pattern match and figured it would be better painted black. I used rattle can automotive lacquer to lay down the base coats, follwed with the usual number of top clear coats. I masked the white binding before shooting the clear. The fret board was ebony and while MOP blanks made to resemble a piano keyboard. Same treatment was used for the head stock. It was stunning. And showed every little scratch or bit of dust!
 
Spraying your uke black isn’t going to be that hard. Prepping for black is going to be very hard. If you’re doing mahogany, then you need to grain fill, grain fill, grain fill! Be meticulous in your prep and you’ll be fine.
 
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