Travel Uke Build.

Nixon · Jul 3, 2011

Decided I wanted to try building an acoustic ukulele, but as I don't have a side bender (yet) to do anything curvy. Couldn't find any plans online, so I drew my own heavily based (totally ripped off from) the Captain Backpacker:

If this works I'll redraw the plans and put them on my blog if anyone wants them. Sides, base and top were done in about an hour thanks to the thickness sander.
The body is drying at the moment so I'll get some pics of it tomorrow when it's no longer covered in clamps.

Only problem I'm having is designing a diddy headstock as the tuners always seem to collide with each other. Anyone know a good design?

Tikas · Jul 3, 2011

Hello!
correct me if i'm wrong but on many insuments of that design the tuners are useally at the bottom, i think it is to save space at the headstock end., perhaps you could try that?
hope that works!
Hat-Sam

Nixon · Jul 3, 2011

Headstock designed thanks to Rob-C over at ukulelecosmos

http://www.ukulelecosmos.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=23249

mm stan · Jul 3, 2011

Aloha Nixon,
I 'd be intrested to see and hear your build..I have the backpacker with the spruce top on the link..I think it is great and it can't get any better...but I'm intrested to see your version...too...MM Stan

Nixon · Jul 5, 2011

Picture Time:

The body is halfway there

267987_10150699036990693_538215692_19543110_2969870_n.jpg

Started today with a block of mahogany, a few hours later:

260519_10150699037140693_538215692_19543111_3236657_n.jpg

270385_10150699037345693_538215692_19543112_4188477_n.jpg

Nixon · Jul 8, 2011

Back is on and the neck is being glued on using my most hi-tec jig yet

Tikas · Jul 8, 2011

looking good so far!
hope it turns out well!
Hat-Sam

Rick Turner · Jul 9, 2011

Are you going to put a screw or two through the neck block into the heel? And what glue did you use?

The issue is that end grain...the face of the heel...is notoriously difficult to glue. DR Young used to get away with an epoxy butt joint on acoustic guitars, but barely. You might want to set up a test of that joint in some scrap wood and see how hard it is to break the glue joint.

Doc_J · Jul 9, 2011

Great job. Is the neck glued on with dowels, or just glue?

Nixon · Jul 9, 2011

Used a dowel joint, made it a lot easier to position the neck.

Travel Uke Build.

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mm stan

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