Ways to trim a top without a flush bit.

Last time I made an uke, I used a fine japanese chisel. It worked, but took a long time. I dont have access to a router. Are there any other ways?

I like to use carving knives, chisels, or even a small block plane.
I recently started to use a hand saw to cut out most of the material to very close to the edge, then use the knives/chisels to trim the top/back flush.

I am not sure whether there are other ways.
Maybe a belt sander, if you are super careful.

I've used a very sharp knife in the past, but then I saw an old movie of a ukulele maker and his one too, a huge chisel. He did everything with that chisel. So I got my biggest chisel and put a flat angle on it, sharpened it to a razor, and I've been using that on my ukes and guitars. Of course it is harder to do the cuts on the ends.
I just say this if you want to stay with hand tools.
I use a cork block with a half-round profile, covered with sandpaper for the final trimming.

this guy does it with a chisel, http://www.ukulele.org/?Videos

but go buy a lam trimmer from harbour freight for $20, which is cheaper then a decent chisel. The flush bit will cost a few $ more though.

A butter knife can work to if you melt it down and re fashion it into a laminator trimmer

Teeth...

Have your dentist sharpen your front teeth and bite away...

How long could it possibly take with a sharp chisel?

Flush cut bits would have to be my most used router bits.

Meh Neighbors a Dentist...

Rick Turner said:

Teeth...

Have your dentist sharpen your front teeth and bite away...

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This question has been gnawing at me.

I see what you did there..

Liam Ryan said:

How long could it possibly take with a sharp chisel?

Flush cut bits would have to be my most used router bits.

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To resurrect this old thread... I mostly use handtools and really dislike and avoid power tools if at all possible, but after spending an hour or so trying to trim the top of my first uke with a very sharp high quality 1" chisel, I ordered a laminate trimmer. I found that I got better as I went along with the chisel and that with care I could get very close to the body, but in the end the laminate trimmer will come in handy for other things and will be much faster for this job. I also tried using rasps, small planes, a small detailed spokeshave, etc. But most of the tools did not do well on the curved shape and I felt that I risked serious tearout or marring the sides of the uke.

The fellow in the old video uses a very wide chisel. I suspect that this is so that he can do a skew cut, slicing the chisel sideways while also pushing forward. I used this technique with my 1" chisel. Unlike using a spokeshave to smooth a curved rail for a shelf, I didn't find any zen in using the chisel to trim the top!

Todd

If you don't want to use power tools, a chisel, or hire this guy...



You might try a razor sharp mini compass plane (convex sole) and follow with an artfully burnished card scraper. And steady hands.

I'm thinking if you want to use as few power tools as possible, though, you might have to expect some operations taking a bit longer.

How about being more accurate with the build, and just leave about 1mm to trim off with a sanding block

tobinsuke said:

You might try a razor sharp mini compass plane (convex sole) and follow with an artfully burnished card scraper. And steady hands.

I'm thinking if you want to use as few power tools as possible, though, you might have to expect some operations taking a bit longer.

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Oh goody. Another excuse to buy more tools. And yes, some things take longer with hand tools, but in many cases for one-offs it is faster than setting up a machine. In other cases the results are better. I hand cut dovetails because I can produce results that look better than a machine and the process is enjoyable. But if I had to make a bunch of utility drawers I'd probably just use pocket screws or a router and a dovetailing jig.

Timbuck said:

How about being more accurate with the build, and just leave about 1mm to trim off with a sanding block

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I realized this only after doing the glue up. I am following the Stewmac instructions and video. I also don't trust the jig to be that accurate. I modified it a bit to better shape the sides, but it is still no where near as good as your jigs and forms.

http://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Edge-Banding-Trimmer.html#

Anyone know where I can get something like this in the UK? This place want $50 shipping for an item costing less than $10 ........

I presume this is the type of tool you guys are on about for edge trimming???

trjohnson said:

Oh goody. Another excuse to buy more tools. And yes, some things take longer with hand tools, but in many cases for one-offs it is faster than setting up a machine. In other cases the results are better. I hand cut dovetails because I can produce results that look better than a machine and the process is enjoyable. But if I had to make a bunch of utility drawers I'd probably just use pocket screws or a router and a dovetailing jig.

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There really is no need for sarcasm (sorry if I am reading into this) or taking my comment personally.... especially since I was primarily addressing the original post. I meant only to offer a little humor and some honest advice. Granted, after reading all of the replies I may have lost sight of "I don't have access to a router," and confused it with your post about dredging up an earlier thread. Oops.

But for the record, I have nothing but respect for hand tools. I grew up at my grandfather's side - he was a carpenter (furniture builder) who served his apprenticeship under Shakers here in Ohio. I have always kept sharp edges and solid technique as a foundation. There is indeed great joy and deep satisfaction in doing things by hand. Although I should admit that dovetails are not my strong suit - whether machined or especially by hand.

Growing up as I did and then "apprenticing" myself as a machinist, I truly understand that sometimes it is better to do things one way and other times another way - you hit the nail on the head with the phrase "one off". You couldn't be more right about that.

As for an excuse to buy more tools.... I think we all suffer from TAS. But the plane I mentioned can be snatched up very reasonably on eBay. I have several styles (bull nose, concave sole, bench, and block) of similar size; Chinese-made, quite a bargain - the blades hold an edge nicely and the planes hold the blade where you set it. What more could you ask for about $15 a piece? I reach for them often. And a card scraper, of course, is just a little piece of spring steel that beats the heck out of sandpaper (or an orbital sander )in many applications.

The bottom line is that we all work in different ways. I don't believe there was any implied negative in stating that some operations require more time when done by hand. My goal in posting was a quick chuckle (no James Bond fans out there?) in reference to other responses and also some solid advice (the plane would do the job quickly and with less chance of gouging than the chisel mentioned in the original post, and following with a very sharp scraper gives a fantastic finish to thin edges glued adjacent to broad sides irrespective of curvature. perhaps I should have asked if there was binding in the uke's future, in which case I would have suggested a laminate trimmer anyway.) I certainly did not mean to knock anyone's approach. Sorry if I offended.

tobinsuke said:

There really is no need for sarcasm (sorry if I am reading into this) or taking my comment personally.... especially since I was primarily addressing the original post. I meant only to offer a little humor and some honest advice. Granted, after reading all of the replies I may have lost sight of "I don't have access to a router," and confused it with your post about dredging up an earlier thread. Oops.
.

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Limitations of the web bite us again. I actually meant my "Oh goody. Another excuse to buy more tool." to be humor as well. No offense taken in your original posting. In fact I really appreciate your reply and I went to look for those planes and was surprised that I couldn't seem to find them. Neither Stewmac, nor Lee-Valley's small finger-type planes seem to fit your description. I'd appreciate a pointer to the ones on ebay.

I'd also like to hear from more folks on detailed technique for using handtools. What I've found mostly so far is a lot of very nice videos of powertools to either make jigs or directly perform operations. Cumpiano's book is one exception. I work in a one bedroom apartment so space is limited. I do have a Festool table (it is my kitchen table), plunge cut circular saw, jigsaw, and dust extractor. And if I throw an extension cord out my second story window I can use my little thickness planer. Handtools are typically easier than getting any of those out and then cleaning up afterwards.

Todd

I also avoid toxic chemicals for finishing, favoring shellac and tried and true varnish oil for my woodworking projects.

Todd,

Yeah, the written (typed) word can be tricky that way. Sorry about that. Here is a link to a duplicate posting of the little set of little planes I got a while back. There are a lot of eBay postings for similar sets (some with many more pieces) and single items, and I can only speak for the set I bought. But it was this set from this seller
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-differ...096?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c30902bf8

I'd also like to see more videos of solid standard or maybe solid innovative hand tool use. Had been looking forward to a shooting board video from PH, but that may turn up on the DVD. Take care.

PinoyUker, didn't mean to hijack your thread...