When are you supposed to thickness body wood?

iBankai145 · Aug 5, 2014

This is probably a dumb question, but I just got my ukulele wood (yay!) and I'm trying to figure out if I'm supposed to get the wood to the correct thickness right after I have the boards jointed and glued together or after I've cut out the body shape.
I feel like it's supposed to be before I cut out the body shape, but I'm not sure?

Timbuck · Aug 5, 2014

I always cut the body shape before sanding down to thickness ..can't see the point in sanding material that i'm going to throw away

BR Ukuleles · Aug 5, 2014

Either works, but I usually cut the body shape first, then thickness.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Aug 5, 2014

I sand to thickness first then cut to shape. That way the excess can be used for binding as it will be .080"

DennisK · Aug 5, 2014

For guitars I cut the shape out first. For ukulele, I need as much space as I can get to hold onto it

And it's so little material overall that making a few more wood chips isn't a big waste of effort.

ksquine · Aug 6, 2014

Depends how you're thinning it. If planing, that square edge and extra area can be handy to hold the wood. If sanding, I'd cut it off first

Kent Chasson · Aug 6, 2014

If drum sanding, I leave it rectangular. Otherwise the thickness will can vary as the sander tends to remove more wood at the narrower areas in the waist and upper bout.

When are you supposed to thickness body wood?

iBankai145

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Timbuck

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BR Ukuleles

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Beau Hannam Ukuleles

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DennisK

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ksquine

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Kent Chasson

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