Billet sizes

ukuleleCraig

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Having scanned past threads and looking on the net im finding it hard to find the exact info im looking for.
What sizes do you guys like to have your billet sizes for soprano/concert/tenor (as a minimum)
 
Here is a website that I got most dimensions from I just added an half inch all round...Remember that sides require longer billets ...and book matched ukes only need half the width. http://www.geocities.com/~ukulele/martin2.html
 
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I just picked up a piece of Bubinga yesterday. 6 inches by 2 inches by 2 feet. Enough material to get 3 baritones out of if I can cut 8 slices. I plan to cut all the material from the single billet, but I will have some waste as the bodies are much shorter than the sides. You could go with two billets; one for the backs and one for the sides. This would cut down on waste. Looking over my sizes chart, I suggest the following (in inches):

Soprano: Backs/Tops 3.5 x 10.5 Sides 2.5 x 15
Concert: Backs/Tops 4 x 12 Sides 3 x 16.5
Tenor: Backs/Tops 4.75 x 13.5 Sides 3.25 x 18.5
Baritone: Backs/Tops 5.25 x 15 Sides 3.5 x 21

You'll have to resaw for the backs/tops in order to get your bookmatch, and I would bookmatch the sides as well. You want your starting thickness to be 0.120 for the backs, and 0.100 for the sides.
 
Most of the ukes I build are tenor sized so when I choose or layout boards or billets I look for lengths in multiples of 26" long. 8 1/2" or so is my ideal width. It's easy enough to resaw at that width. I ask the sawyer to cut 8, 9, or 10/4 for maximum yield. The attached pic shows the approximate layout. (Drawing is not to scale)
This gives me:
2 plates (tops & backs) = 5" X 13"
2 sides = 3 1/2" X 20"
The extra 6" is either scrap or used as a head plate.
 

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Bruce Creps (Notable Woods) has an article titled Curing and Grading Lutherie Lumber in "American Lutherie", Number 92/Winter 2007 which talks about many many things related to resawing lumber. For example he explains some of the things he thinks about when deciding to cut a long board into shorter pieces or leaving a longer board long. It's a good read. It doesn't necessarily provide an answer to your question directly, but if you have the choice of buying larger sizes you may want to take a look at the principles that he follows.


** Added **
The article where Bruce Creps talks about optimizing yield vs. maximizing yield is actually in Number 91/Fall 2007 titled "Resawing Lutherie Wood".
 
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Kōāpa‘a;1477687 said:
Bruce Creps (Notable Woods) has an article titled Curing and Grading Lutherie Lumber in "American Lutherie", Number 92/Winter 2007 which talks about many many things related to resawing lumber. For example he explains some of the things he thinks about when deciding to cut a long board into shorter pieces or leaving a longer board long. It's a good read. It doesn't necessarily provide an answer to your question directly, but if you have the choice of buying larger sizes you may want to take a look at the principles that he follows.

Sounds great - except this is not available on the net, only if I purchase a back issue from the US to the UK
 
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