Agreed. Somehow it bothers me when I see new builders wanting to jump right into building without getting set up properly from the beginning. Even buying, or paying someone else to make their molds. That part I just don't get. I think before you bend your first piece of wood or attempt to carve your first brace you should spend a couple of months making all the jigs and molds you need. If you are new to lutherie (or even wood working), what better way to learn the necessary skills which will be even more demanding when you actually start building.
Make lots of molds. It's good experience and you'll get better with each one you make. IMO, your finished mold should look at least as good and be as perfect as you expect your finished uke will be. Your finished uke will only be as good as the mold in which is was made. If you've got kinks or flat spots in your mold, they'll be there in your uke too.
And do your homework. It's all out there. Twenty five years ago I learned to build from a guitar parts catalog (probably Stewmac) figuring things out from there. Today with the Internet it is so easy to get up to speed with everything you need to know. When you are equipped with sound technical information and well executed forms and jigs it greatly improves your chances for success, making building easier and even fun instead of a frustrating series of mistakes. There are no short cuts to doing the work.
and then I scrapped it co's it wasnt good enough.
