Titchtheclown
Well-known member
As I can not justify the joy of the bridge gauge made by Timbuck (AKA Ken) :drool:
see here
I thought of the easiest way a poor guy like me could make something to do the same job.
Parallel lines I though.
3mm mdf I had
Fishing line I had
$2 shop (pound store) compass I had.
Mark even spacings along parallel lines at about 8mm with compass - Even is more important than the precise distance. About 8mm is just a smidge narrower than I would normally expect to do strings even for a kid's uke.
drill holes.
cut big hole in middle - mine is lop sided because the main use is lopsided.
add fishing line - had to wrap string at ends a bit so lines would not pull to side of hole.Lines all go end to end along back.
Hopefully the picture if you expand it shows how it works. Basically line up end points with string by putting the gauge an angle. The two middle lines then (if you have made it right) divide the nut equally into 3 giving you your 2 middle string positions.
It has six strings just in case I ever decide to go that way and the five string position will be handy for marking centres on lines.
Ken's is still way cooler than mine and less prone to parallax error. :worship:
To be honest - given the small number of ukes I make I probably spent twice the time I will ever actually measure nuts and bridges in thinking about and making this thing - and the prototype (which wasn't parallel and didn't work)
P.s my fork didn't work either but a flat fork with parallel and straight tines rather than tapered tines might work. The slots in my egg flip are just a little too narrow to work well. All this jig needs is parallel lines they don't have to be fishing line.
see here
I thought of the easiest way a poor guy like me could make something to do the same job.
Parallel lines I though.
3mm mdf I had
Fishing line I had
$2 shop (pound store) compass I had.
Mark even spacings along parallel lines at about 8mm with compass - Even is more important than the precise distance. About 8mm is just a smidge narrower than I would normally expect to do strings even for a kid's uke.
drill holes.
cut big hole in middle - mine is lop sided because the main use is lopsided.
add fishing line - had to wrap string at ends a bit so lines would not pull to side of hole.Lines all go end to end along back.
Hopefully the picture if you expand it shows how it works. Basically line up end points with string by putting the gauge an angle. The two middle lines then (if you have made it right) divide the nut equally into 3 giving you your 2 middle string positions.
It has six strings just in case I ever decide to go that way and the five string position will be handy for marking centres on lines.
Ken's is still way cooler than mine and less prone to parallax error. :worship:
To be honest - given the small number of ukes I make I probably spent twice the time I will ever actually measure nuts and bridges in thinking about and making this thing - and the prototype (which wasn't parallel and didn't work)
P.s my fork didn't work either but a flat fork with parallel and straight tines rather than tapered tines might work. The slots in my egg flip are just a little too narrow to work well. All this jig needs is parallel lines they don't have to be fishing line.
