help with removing the back of the ukulele.

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tangimango

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i have an old ukulele with a hole right in the center right on the back side. i want to try put a new back onto it.

whats the best method in just removing the back plate?

just cut it out with a dremel and sand or use a hot air gun to melt the glue?


thanks
 
I repaired a hole in my uke ,it was on the back. I didnt remove the back I put it on my copier and made a template the same size as the hole. I cut a piece of mahogany the same size as the hole and put it in using cleats. It worked really well. The hole I repaired was about 1 1/2 inches by a quarter inch.
 
I use a hot knife blade....I do it with the uke neck held firmly in the Vice ..Heat gun in the left hand..Thin putty knife (with sharp edges) in the right hand..heat the blade with gun and start by making an incision in the joint with the Knife point ... once you have penetrated.. repeatedly withdraw knife heat again and slowly work your way around..and dont try and rush..and watch out for bracings and end blocks they can get in the way:)...and be careful where you point the heat gun when you're not heating the blade :eek:...Oh! and an occasional spray of water mist can help also.

Or you can do it like this brave Lad in the bedroom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2ckVzY4yA
 
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I used the steam for a tea pot and an exacto knife to remove the top of my Kumalae. It took a long while but it worked well. Go slow!
 
If you aren't going to save the back or any parts of it, then you can drill a hole through it....or use the existing one. Put a straight cut pattern following bit in a laminate trimmer or small router and then use it to cut the back off by running the bearing around the inside edge of the linings. After that it's pretty easy to use heat and a pallet knife to clean up the remaining back plate off the linings and sides.
 
When you glue the new back on, you need to be sure that the alignment of the neck/ body does not change/ is correct. With the back in place, the box is quite rigid. With the back removed, one of the planes can move much more freely, also twist can happen. Think about alignment, and be sure that you maintain the correct relationships. Shouldn't be much of an issue, unless you get it wrong.
 
You can also use a small circular saw blade in a Dremel or laminate trimmer with a router base and cut at the glue joint, then use a thin kerf Japanese pull saw at the end block and neck block. That can be done either to save the back...and yes, you'll lose about 1/32" or so of body depth, or you can saw into the back itself.

Make a simple mold of the body before doing this so you can glue the old or new back on with correct body geometry as Chris says.
 
I used a Japanese saw blade to saw off the back of a mandolin (would be same on ukulele).
After completing the repair work (reglue the braces, which become loose, under the top board), I reglue the back piece on it.
This mandolin is playing fine for 12 months since I repaired it.
The Japanese blade is very sharp and thin, it took me about 30 mins to saw off the back as I have to go very slowly making sure the cutting line is exactly where it's supposed to be.
I am planning to remove the back of the tenor ukulele I built using the same technique (braces too thick, killing the tone), and thin up the braces.
 
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