Please talk about your side ports, this is for the birds.

There has been discussion here and there in different threads about side ports. I would love it if everyone who does them could give up your techniques one more time in this thread dedicated to the details of side porting lol.

The birds? Oh yeah, why are all side ports round? Yes I know sound loves to travel 'round n stuff... but why can't side ports be the shape of birds? Well, whatever the reason it's not going to stop me...

Please chime in one and all side porters... for side porting enthusiasts everywhere want to know wassup.

Hey Vic, I've done round and oval side ports, mainly because they are an easy shape to do. I do not see any reason why they can't be any shape you wish, just like any sound hole. As for cutting the hole, no big secret, I draw the shape I want and use a Dremel tool with a sanding drum to cut it, then reinforce it with thin veneer on the inside. I bind some, and others not.

Brad

Dear Vic,
No expert here, since I have only made two ukes so far.
Thanks to Chuck, Bradford, and many expert's advice before, I was able to do it.

I am showing off my two uke side ports. #1 has a honu shape, #2 has an oval shape. These ukes are both soprano.
I didn't feel the side ports affect the sound at all compare to my other soprano ukulele, which I didn't build.
(ya...I know, it is not a fare comparison.)
But I do hear the sound coming toward me through the side ports.

My side ports are around 1" wide only. Not very big.
What I have been doing was, I glue at least two small pieces of veneer. Each piece is 1/30". I wasn't sure whether it made the side around the side port too thick, but that is all I had at the time.
I picked maple and mahogany veneer, so there is some nice color contract at the edge of the side ports.

I glued the veneer cross grain to the side. Then just like what Brad said, I traced the pattern to the side.
I wasn't too comfortable using power tool at that time, so I only drilled many holes within the pattern area and used a very sharp X-Acto knife to carve the side port to the shape. Since the area was already reinforced, the side was really stiff. I didn't have to worry about tear out at all. I guess that will help when you are carving the wings for the bird.
It was time consuming, but the result was quite nice. I love doing it.

Just my humble thought.

JC

Thanks for the replies. Those ports look great UFJC! The way you did that turtle is exactly what I had in mind. I'm gonna go for it.