First Build Uke

Hi all! I'm embarking on my first uke build and need some advise.... I have been collecting tools and scrap wood etc for a while now and am pretty much set up. (still need bracing was thinking of using some scrap pine I scavenged even though it will probably rob from the tone and perhaps weaken the top??? as I'm expecting my first 10 ukes or so to be basically shaped firewood but its all a learning curve right?) anyway to the questions I have managed to get most of my materials free by getting broken guitar bits... IE a guitar neck blank that has a defect at half way down and a cracked guitar set. the issue is I had to cut the shape out before joining the top 2 pieces together (to keep the crack from spreading) and was looking for a good way to clamp 2 irregular shaped top pieces together to glue? also does anyone have any experience with Ziricote? I'm told its very easy to crack (hence the free set) and is difficult to bend.... I'm hand bending so any help with that would be appreciated.

Thanks Rob

Can't help you with ziricote but I've glued irregular wood together before.
Put the plates together on a flat surface with a 3/8" thick strip under the joint....to make a tent with the outer edges on the surface and the joint up. Then clamp a straight edge along the outer edge of each side. When you remove the strip and push the joint down you'll have plenty of clamping pressure. If the middle isn't tight enough you can tap a small nail half way into the surface right at the edge of the waist. Then bend the nails toward the middle to add some pressure. It won't give you alot but should help

That's a really good idea. Thanks!

I'm documenting a build for a client and you can see a picture of the tape tent method here.

I've worked with Zircote a fair bit, and yes, it can be resistant to bending. Never had a problem with cracking or breaking, but it is very stiff. I take my sides down to 1.8mm thick but I do them with a heat blanket and solid form bender. By hand I would imagine that you will want to take them down thinner, as touching the 1.8mm thick ones on the pipe afterwards is a bit of a chore. Depending on the size of the uke and how tight the curves need to be, I would think you might like to go down to 1.5mm thick.

Allen said:

I'm documenting a build for a client and you can see a picture of the tape tent method here..

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Allen, I see you are plunging into the world of art deco rosettes.

That looks like it would work well for what I'm looking to do.... what type of tape do you use? Thanks for the help!

Does anyone know if using pine as bracing on a concert size uke would be a structurally bad idea (I would expect it might be tonally poor but its my first and will probably sound like a plank anyway. I think it will take a while to produce anything decent). I don't want it breaking up though as I want to keep if for posterity as the first uke I ever built!

I thought Allen had just missed a bit.

Rob, StewMac binding tape is what Allen has used. The tape method works well. I've used it many times. I've also used a simple rubbed join with hot hide glue.

For the bracing, have a bit of a think. A piece of pine can be made to have the same strength as a piece of spruce. Thing is, the pine may have to be bigger and heavier as it (generally) has a lower strength to weight ratio.

For your first, just try to make something that doesn't fall apart. Use the pine.

maclay said:

Allen, I see you are plunging into the world of art deco rosettes.

Click to expand...

I thought it looked familiar.....but no metal

maclay said:

Allen, I see you are plunging into the world of art deco rosettes.

Click to expand...

Yes Jake. I must admit that yours are far more refined than my first attempt.