Newbie planing questions

I'm starting planning my first ukulele build, this will not be a career and actually this may be my first and only uke. I'm not a complete newbie to instrument building having made several mountain dulcimers and a few hammered dulcimers.

The uke will be a tenor and primarily black walnut. I have some full 4/4 boards that I've had for at least 10 years. Including some amazing burl that I was hoping to be the back. I've resawed that board and there is some checking that may not leave big enough pieces to make the back. So the burl may wind up as the headstock laminate.

Anyway, for my first round of questions. I'd rather not make a thickness sander for just one instrument. I hand planed the boards to thickness for the dulcimers and plan to use that method for thicknessing the uke back and sides. I have some long, extruded sanding bars to get them flat and uniform although probably not as precise as a thickness sander. So does that sound like a viable approach, especially for the sides. In other words, would potential minor differences in thickness of the sides have an impact on bending the sides...

Next, I know that quarter sawn spruce is the traditional material for internal bracing. I'd rather not have a dramatic difference in color of the braces and body parts. I'm planning on making the back center brace strip, the cross braces for the back and the kerf strips all from walnut. I've done a similar thing with dulcimers in the past, anyone see any problem with this?

Thanks in advance for insight from more experienced builders.

I used a belt sander and a random orbital sander to thickness sand the first six Ukes I made. keep in mind the first instrument you build is going through the learning process of the build and depending on your ability to work with tools( which in some cases is about 50% of the learning process for some people). A lot of people also go to a cabinet shop and pay to use a sander and/or find another Luthier close by to utilize some of his tools and knowledge. Expect to pay for some of this as knowledge and experience are not free. My teacher "Mike Chock " used to say all the time when I did something out of the norm, hey you might be on to something there. Keep in mind that for the first one it might be a good idea to try and build within a structured/standard and then experiment on your second one after you've gained experience on the first. Sometimes it's good to not try and not reinvent the wheel the first time out.

All good comments. If I may add another: Save the really nice wood you have been hoarding for the 2nd(or 3rd) build.
Make the mistakes(and everyone makes some) with the 'ordinary' wood.

Ukes are not dulcimers. Bracing stock needs to be well cured, light in weight, stiff and quarter-sawn. You could probably use walnut for the back braces if you had to, but I wouldn't, even for just one instrument. Walnut makes good furniture, but leaves a lot to be desired in my book.

I have no idea if the following is in anyway a workable idea, but several people on this forum have experimented with baking or oven roasting wood to darken the color of the wood. this allowed maple to turn chocolate brown all the way through the piece. Woods used have been primarily maple. Nothing from a conifer.

This might allow you to get the look you want, but what it does to the structural properties of the wood, I can't begin to guess.

Maybe you could try this on a later build.

I've used Walnut extensively, including for the occasional braces and have found no downside to using it as long as it is properly QSawn as with spruce. Using it just for the visible braces should cause no real problems. HIH

I pay more attention to the two minutes of bending sides than I care to, with the thickness being even. I'm not saying minor differences would make a difference in bending sides, but I would prefer even thickness, which is what I have. BTW - Cumpiano & Natelson describe hand planing to thickness plates in their book, which you've read, yes?

I've used hardwood for bracing (many older `ukulele have). Just because what once was doesn't mean it has to be what is. However, sometimes, the work has already been done. I've used Sitka scraps for my bracing, but its much easier, and controlled when I just get my hand split spruce specifically for bracing. Bracing is a function, not a form. But if you want it darker, stain it. Personally, I like the look of spruce on darker hardwoods, on the inside. And I know its the right material.

Also, what is a "kerf strip"?

Walnut should work fine just as you plan. Frankly, I think dulcimers are harder to build than ukes. Ukes are taken very seriously here, while few people seem to think of dulcimers as real instruments. Too bad, they are missing out.

Quartersawing is often over-rated with hardwoods. If you have it, use it. If not, I wouldn't worry too much about making the small parts that go into a uke. Preshape your back braces before gluing. If they twist or move as you hadn't intended, chuck them. If they sit overnight and seem fine the next day, use them. Walnut is fine for lining (kerfing), too.

Got a router? Make a wide base for it. Stick your plates/sides to a truly flat surface with carpet tape and rout them flat on one side (assuming they are bandsawn and not all that true), using a set of side rails to sit the router on. Then flip them over and rout them almost to thickness. Sanding them clean should bring them down to spec.

Don't buy Cumpiano/Natelson for one instrument. You can find all you need to know on this forum. Besides, its a cumbersome and boring read.

All the advice you've been given on this thread is good, but there's some overkill if you're truly going to stop after your first uke. We have become information-soaked, and everyone knows the "proper" way to build instruments. But too many rules take much of the fun out of lutherie for folks who have no interest in evolving their work. You'll also end up with a collection of expensive tools that may never get used again. Know yourself first, then decide how deep you want to dive.

Router on a sled with a bottom cutting bit, or even just a large straight cut bit, can get you close to what you want in thicknessing. I have heard reasonable reports of people using drill press mounted bits. The Wagner safe t planer used to be the thing to get but there are copies around.

Sounds like a reasonable way to thin the wood. Maybe a bit labor intensive but if you already have the tools...
Minor differences won't matter much on the sides. I usually make my sides a few thousandths thinner at the waist area. Walnut bends nicely so you should be fine. I wouldn't use walnut for the braces but the linings should be ok

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and insight, i've got several ideas from these replies that I'm going to give a try. I'm sure I'll have more questions as I go along.

Hi guys, thanks for your previous help, I'm moving along quite well actually with my first build. Since my last post, I've built a radius dish using the mdf, screws and spacer method shown here on UU, made my body mold, made a light bulb powered side bender and have bent the sides. These came out great I might add. The top and back have also been thicknessed and glued up. Today I put a center inlay strip in the back which also looks great. So I'm getting close to bracing the back and top, one thing I'm wondering about. What are the merits for using a bridge plate or not? Seems without it the top would be more "live". I have two Kanile'as which do not use a bridge plate and also a Koaloha which also does not have one. Clearly it is possible to do it that way. I was a bit surprised to not find one in the Kanile'as since they use a pin style bridge. I've decided to make the top of walnut as well as the back if that is pertinent. So, what are the pros and cons? Thanks!

Check out David Hurd's (Kawika) website and the part about bridges and bridge plates. The whole website is kind of a must read.