Parallel builds

[tonyturley]

Hey Tony it looks great, any chance for a sound sample?

Hi Pat. I'm planning a sound sample, but I want to do a bit of tweaking first. Turns out the action at the first fret is about 1mm too high. Planning to shave the nut later this morning.

 

[tonyturley]

Reviving my old thread with a new duo. I know I said no more tandem builds, but I have a fair bit of wood on hand for a hobbyist, and I'll never get through the ideas I have for different instruments if I dribble away one at a time. You've already seen some of this work. These are a pair of Kasha-braced Sycamore ukuleles from Hana Lima plans. The larger baritone in the rear will be all Sycamore, while the tenor in front will have a top from salvaged old growth Redwood. Both of the neck blanks were cut from the same piece of 100+ year old American Chestnut. The golden colored wood is Osage Orange, which will eventually oxidize to a rich chocolate brown. I'm bouncing back and forth between the projects to keep them on the same general timeline, hoping for a late Winter finish.

 

[tonyturley]

After a productive day in the shop, the Chestnut ukulele necks are rough tapered, the heels roughly shaped, and the peghead "ears" glued on and flattened. On to carving.

 

[necessaryrooster]

I really like the grain pattern on the one on the left.

 

[tonyturley]

I really like the grain pattern on the one on the left.

Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise. Osage Orange darkens as it oxidizes, and I've been laying them out in the sun to get more UV exposure. That ribbon of grain began to appear after a couple of days in the sun, and has gotten darker over the past week or so.

 

[sequoia]

When I lived in Texas in my old 1920's house, I discovered the foundation piers were large rounds of Osage Orange wood holding up the house. They were as pristine as the day they were cut. We called the trees Bois d’arc which was pronounced by locals as "Bow Dark" wood.

From the Wood Database: https://www.wood-database.com/osage-orange/

"Osage Orange has a relatively low modulus of elasticity compared to its weight and modulus of rupture which helps explain why it is sometimes used for archery bows. It’s sometimes called Bois d’arc, which literally means “bow wood” in American French."

 

[tonyturley]

When I lived in Texas in my old 1920's house, I discovered the foundation piers were large rounds of Osage Orange wood holding up the house. They were as pristine as the day they were cut. We called the trees Bois d’arc which was pronounced by locals as "Bow Dark" wood.

From the Wood Database: https://www.wood-database.com/osage-orange/

"Osage Orange has a relatively low modulus of elasticity compared to its weight and modulus of rupture which helps explain why it is sometimes used for archery bows. It’s sometimes called Bois d’arc, which literally means “bow wood” in American French."

I got my O.O. fretboard blanks from a place called Appalachian Tonewoods, who is building a business as a supplier of locally harvested woods. We see O.O. in the wild around here some, where it was transplanted from the OK/TX area, but it is not common. It is mostly smaller trees, but I know where there's a huge, sprawling specimen that must be a hundred years old or more. It looks like something from Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes.".

I just found an image of that big Osage Orange I took one winter. I was standing well back to capture all that. Two adults couldn't wrap their arms around the base of the trunk.

 

[tonyturley]

Using a DIY mini-sled and a palm router to flatten the back of the second of two ukulele pegheads. I also used the platform and a different bit to rout the saddle slot on the Osage Orange bridge blank to the right.

 

[necessaryrooster]

Using a DIY mini-sled and a palm router to flatten the back of the second of two ukulele pegheads. I also used the platform and a different bit to rout the saddle slot on the Osage Orange bridge blank to the right.

Are there advantages to having an actual router vs. a Dremel with a router attachment? I imagine a router possibly has more options with bit attachments?

 

[Red Cliff]

I haven't made many things out of chestnut but I do know it reacts strongly with ferrous metals.due to the tannin content. This is normally more of a problem with wet wood rather than dry. But you may want to consider putting some finish (shellac, oil, varnish) inside the tuner holes just in case it reacts with the metal.

 

[tonyturley]

Are there advantages to having an actual router vs. a Dremel with a router attachment? I imagine a router possibly has more options with bit attachments?

Actual router, even a laminate trimmer, has a stronger motor and better bearings. And I can use bits with either 1/8" or 1/4" shafts in the router shown in the image.

 

[tonyturley]

I haven't made many things out of chestnut but I do know it reacts strongly with ferrous metals.due to the tannin content. This is normally more of a problem with wet wood rather than dry. But you may want to consider putting some finish (shellac, oil, varnish) inside the tuner holes just in case it reacts with the metal.

Didn't think of that. First time working with American Chestnut for me. This wood is over 100 years old, so I'm not sure how much tannin would be left.

 

[tonyturley]

Rough cutting the peghead and Black Walnut overlays on the tenor ukulele neck.

 

[tonyturley]

A newly bent tenor ukulele side cooling in the building form, with its mate next to it and the nearly finished kiku in the background.

 

[tonyturley]

I've kind of let my instrument building slide as I worked on other woodworking projects the past few weeks. The weather was so nice today that I took a break from my leaf cleanup duties to work on sanding the saw and rasp marks from the two Chestnut ukulele necks. Not there yet, but a lot better.

 

[tonyturley]

Since my last post in this thread, I've not been doing much instrument building, focusing instead on a series of non-instrumental woodworking projects. I've gotten a lot done, but my uke projects have languished, This afternoon I worked on the Sycamore top layout for the Kasha baritone. Both the tenor and baritone are now in the building forms with the tail blocks glued in place, and the baritone neck and top linings are glued, as well. My first time building with the Spanish heel method, and probably my last. I'm not sure I much care for the process.

 

[sequoia]

Since my last post in this thread, I've not been doing much instrument building, focusing instead on a series of non-instrumental woodworking projects. I've gotten a lot done, but my uke projects have languished, This afternoon I worked on the Sycamore top layout for the Kasha baritone. Both the tenor and baritone are now in the building forms with the tail blocks glued in place, and the baritone neck and top linings are glued, as well. My first time building with the Spanish heel method, and probably my last. I'm not sure I much care for the process.

View attachment 138236
View attachment 138237

I have never used the Spanish heel method of neck attachment, but I understand it has several advantages and several disadvantages. What was it about the method that you did not like? At least the neck goes on flat, level and plumb.

 

[tonyturley]

I have never used the Spanish heel method of neck attachment, but I understand it has several advantages and several disadvantages. What was it about the method that you did not like? At least the neck goes on flat, level and plumb.

That it does, but I misjudged how much to pre-shape the heel before slotting the body rims into place in the heel slots. I have to fix a tiny gap in the rims near the narrow part of the heel. It will be fine, but it's just unfamiliar to me.

 

[Patrick Madsen]

Tony you could always call or write Brian for how he does them. He loves to talk ukuleles and trustfully he'll write a book on his techniques. He's a very good friend of mine and fascinating talking with so a call would be okay with him. He just turned 89 and does more in a day than I do in a week.

 

[tonyturley]

Patrick, I have communicated with Brian from time to time. He did give me some advice on the Spanish Heel. Really nice guy, very talented and productive. If I am fortunate enough to live that long, I hope to be as active as he is.