What's happening in your shed?

[Titchtheclown]

Nice work Ian,
I really enjoy following your builds... they are always innovative and interesting.
How tight can that P.E.T. skin be shrunk without melting, distorting or weakening?... I'm talking sound-wise (think relative tap tone), not physical measurement-wise.
Is the solid bridge helpful in driving the thicker top? The reason for the question is that I have only made one floating bridge and spent an inordinate amount of time with a drill and a jeweller's saw cutting a lace pattern and three feet into it, in the hope that the reduced weight would provide some mystical magic …. the jury is still out, I found no definitive answer to that, as to me, it sounded a little brighter but not really a whole lot tonally better or worse than the beefier one that it replaced. That was on a commercial clear polyester skin (too long ago to remember the brand) on a factory-made concert.
It'll be interesting to see if the sound from the top deteriorates significantly after 25/01/20 when the “Best Before” date is passed.

The PET gets really tight. I have to admit I wasn't planning on incorporating the best before date but I am prone to not being too bothered by acts of fate and I'm glad it gave someone a smile at least.
I'm sorry to say though that I did trim up that floating bridge. The size and weight are I am sure important. The size influences energy transfer and the weight would act as an energy store, increasing sustain. Of course these are just the rambling thoughts of some clown on the internet. Hopefully someone who actually knows what they are talking about will chip in.

 

[bazuku]

Yes, in my lone experience lighter = brighter, but that may not be a universal truth... there are too many variables.
Keep up the innovative builds.

 

[Timbuck]

I'm marking out a load of neck blanks at the moment while waiting for a couple of new bandsaw blades to arrive...There will be 72 soprano necks in total but I don't know if i'll live long enough to see e'm all fitted to their bodies.
IMG_3881 by Ken Timms, on Flickr

 

[mikeyb2]

Well it's been kerfing day. Contraption idea taken from Ken Timms about 3 years ago,but mine's the manual version. 2 or 3 hours laborious work and I have enough for a couple of years. it's nice to see the contraption go back on the shelf for a while.
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[Titchtheclown]

Spent $2 at a discount store to get a puncture repair kit including a bone spanner. I found the 10mm hole useful for tightening sealed tuners and then found the end holes were perfect for regular bits.


I'll still use my power screw driver but this has turned out to be a lot more useable than I had thought. I did hit the 10 mm hole with a bit of blue nail varnish to make it easier to find but.

 

[Timbuck]

Just been getting rid of a wasp nest in the workshop wall..I thought it was strange when I discovered a load of powdered polystyrene insulation on the window cill (or is it spelt sill) :uhoh:

 

[Timbuck]

I did quite a bit of bandsaw work over the last couple of days, roughing out neck blanks only lost 4 so far .. 1 due to wood defects and 3 down to lack of concentration
IMG_3887 by Ken Timms, on Flickr

 

[Diogenes Blue]

Holy Moly, that's a lot of necks, Ken!

Some long neck soprano figured maple necks with black walnut stripes and a creamy beech center. 10 hours today without many breaks. Sore everywhere more than anywhere else.

 

[Diogenes Blue]

Black walnut, sitka spruce, maple neck pineapple sopraninos.

 

[Diogenes Blue]

The rest of the stuff on the bench at the moment.

 

[Beau Hannam Ukuleles]

Soprano bridge, redesigned.

 

[sequoia]

No shed here...Ah, the fresh air, the sunshine, the birds chirping. My outdoor nut and saddle shaping station. By the way, I resisted shelling out money for the StewMac shaping vice. Now I love it. Useful for all sorts of little holding jobs and sometimes just getting a grip on stuff is half the battle.

 

[Titchtheclown]

No shed here...Ah, the fresh air, the sunshine, the birds chirping. My outdoor nut and saddle shaping station. By the way, I resisted shelling out money for the StewMac shaping vice. Now I love it. Useful for all sorts of little holding jobs and sometimes just getting a grip on stuff is half the battle.

View attachment 119727

Lately I find I use a 75mm (3 inch) "drill press" vice for all those fiddly holding jobs like bridges and saddles. It has a wide enough base that I can hold it steady with my other hand most times.
If I want it held firmer I clamp it to the bench. I don't think I have used it on the actual drill press. A cheap $10 hobby vice was what I used to use for similar jobs.

 

[Titchtheclown]

My next design is likely to be koa influenced.

 

[Diogenes Blue]

On your mark. Get set... Scarf.

 

[PetalumaRescuke]

Soprano bridge, redesigned.


View attachment 119722

Very elegant, A much needed look for through the bridge system.

 

[BR Ukuleles]

Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle tenor with Australian Blackwood bindings in the first pore fill session.

 

[printer2]

Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle tenor with Australian Blackwood bindings in the first pore fill session.

View attachment 119791

That is such a pretty wood, the binding really goes good with it.

 

[Diogenes Blue]

Yard sale find I picked up yesterday. Tested it today and it works smoothly, and sooooo quiet compared to my electric. I was wanting a Dynabrade for a long time but this DA runs comparably. I asked the guy how much for his air tools and he said, "A buck a piece." lol... I grabbed this and a grinder that also runs like a champ. It won't touch a ukulele until it gets a new pad though. Don't forget the yard sales, comrades!

 

[Lopaka96707]

For me I am feeling a little bummed. Just realized that a neck I was working on for a tenor ukulele is about 5/16 too short..