Making Parts!

Hey friends- After a long weekend at the Denver Uke fest, Neil and I flew back with Gordon and Char to make parts for Mya-Moe. This is my third time I have done parts for them and it is always great to work in their shop. One of the great reasons that they have such a high output is because they keep a careful watch on parts and inventory. When Char goes to pull a bridge plate out of a drawer, there is always one there! Making big batches of parts really supports their luthiery team and it helps them keep their build schedule focused.

So far, we cut about 1000 braces and bridge plates, sanded 50 headplates, cut neck blanks for around 70 necks, thickness sanded fingerboards and made about 500 neck/heel blocks.

Does anybody else work ahead on parts? Or just batches of 2 or 3?

Also, we have been collaborating recently on some special instruments that Mya-Moe is calling the black stripe series. Check it out here: http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/black stripe series.html

Also, there is a huge batch of crazy curly myrtle in the kitchen right now, expect to see it up on their site soon.
A

Yup!..I always make a load of parts once i'm tooled up....bridges, neck and tail blocks, bracing , linings, bridge plates, rossettes, nut and saddle blanks, fingerboards, top sides and backs, and necks...in fact everything....and when the stock gets low I make some more ...it's nice to reach out for ready made components... it's the best way...even better if I could get someone to make them for me.
I'm interested to know why a stripe is fitted at the butt end as standard?...I only do that when the butt joint ain't as neat and tight as it should be.

I'm rubbish at making parts in advance. However, I made a meter of bridge blank the other day:

http://argapa.blogspot.com/2011/02/bridges-blank.html

I make bridge blanks, corian nut & saddle blanks and sometimes end blocks in batches. I tend not to make huge quantities at once, because most of these things are made from offcuts.

I'll resaw several back/side/top sets at once for sopranos, but I only thickness them as and when I need them.

As a matter of interest, those batch quantites you mentioned sounded pretty large Aaron, how many instruments/year are Gordon & Char producing?

Too many Rob! Their production appears to be at least one a day...

I batch produce parts... who doesn't

Blimey - I thought I was doing well at one/week...

They make about 150 instruments a year. No CNC work! Gordon is insanely precise and picky, so they keep the output high with careful tooling and jigging, amazing shop organization and a precise schedule.

Basically, Char makes the bodies and Gordon takes it from there. They are working on 10 or so ukes at a time and each one gets certain things done to it every day that it is in the shop. no more, no less. Everyday that they are in the shop, Char starts a uke and Gordon strings one up to ship!

Here is a good example of Gordon's philosophy: They have a pretty big shop with several stations. Whenever you are ready to do a task at a station, you reach down and open a drawer that has what you need. When its time to mark holes for dot inlays on the fingerboard, you pull out a pencil, templates for the punch, a center rule to double check and the punch. That center finding rule doesn't go anywhere else or do anything else, its always in that drawer! You never have to walk around the shop looking for the right tool because there are multiples of what you need stashed in the correct places.

You can see what I mean at their shop tracker site: http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/shoptracker.php

Also, when I was there, I got to help with ukuleles for Trey Anastasio from Phish, Ben Harper and Victoria Vox!

aaronckeim said:

Also, when I was there, I got to help with ukuleles for Trey Anastasio from Phish, Ben Harper and Victoria Vox!

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I cant wait for Ben Harper to record with the new lap steel.........I hope its soon

I thought it was more - still, 3 a week is a good output number. Dedicating tools is the only way batch production can be done effectively. I have similar strategies and if I was working with someone would require twice the space... gonna be fun when Matti arrives in April to do a 4 week interneship.

aaronckeim said:

Also, when I was there, I got to help with ukuleles for Trey Anastasio from Phish, Ben Harper and Victoria Vox!

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How long does Trey have to wait for his? Can't imagine it would be 8 or 9 months. Is he getting a resonator?

didgeridoo2 said:

How long does Trey have to wait for his? Can't imagine it would be 8 or 9 months. Is he getting a resonator?

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He's waiting like everyone else. This is Trey's. I've one going through that list now (be still my twitching fingers...), so I've been kinda stuck at that site. It's great watching all these fine instruments being born.

Watching really makes me want to try building one. With the wealth of information and help you can get from UU, it just may be doable.