erich@muttcrew.net
Well-known member
and has been done on classical guitars, jazz guitars, western guitars ....
T is for Top and B is for Back
- Thread starter sequoia
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and has been done on classical guitars, jazz guitars, western guitars ....
BlackBearUkes
Well-known member
It matters not which direction the trim is pointed. I did notice that the graft seems a bit too wide for a uke IMO. The wider the graft, the less the side wood is glued to the bottom block. I would think you would want most of the side wood glued down with little trim. Trim is just trim, and I can't believe it would offer anything for sound production, just decoration.
OP
OP
sequoia
Well-known member
The part about the trim adding to the sound of the ukulele was just my poor attempt at a joke and was written at 2:00 am after coming home from a New Year's Eve party.
All kidding aside however, your observation that the wide trim could weaken the side wood to tail block joint is no joke and I tend to agree you. Where once you had one seam you now have two seams and less glued area for the sides. If you count the joints in the 3-ply decorative purfling, you now have 8 seams instead of 1! I am confident however that there is still plenty of integrity in the joints that there will be no structural issues. But you are right; there was a sacrifice in structural integrity all for the sake of art and mere vanity and that is not sound lutherie.
All kidding aside however, your observation that the wide trim could weaken the side wood to tail block joint is no joke and I tend to agree you. Where once you had one seam you now have two seams and less glued area for the sides. If you count the joints in the 3-ply decorative purfling, you now have 8 seams instead of 1! I am confident however that there is still plenty of integrity in the joints that there will be no structural issues. But you are right; there was a sacrifice in structural integrity all for the sake of art and mere vanity and that is not sound lutherie.
Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
I rout the area for the end graft and don't take it down as far as the end block. If anything that "might" make the joint even stronger.
OP
OP
sequoia
Well-known member
My only really serious joint failure building ukes actually happened at this end block to side connection. It was early on in the building phase before top or back went on and was easily remedied by sanding and re-gluing. No foul no harm done. But it did bring home to me that there are a lot of forces acting here on some small wood real estate. It did not involve an end graft but there were three things I did wrong:
1) I under glued. (I tend to be stingy with glue because I dislike excessive squeeze out and I'm just naturally a stingy person. Just the right amount of glue is so, so important and an underrated skill)
2) I over clamped. (I tend to over clamp sometimes just because I can goddammit. Another one of my sins which I still fight. Back-off Ukeboy, backoff)
3) I horsed the sides into a mold after only waiting 3 hours (Titebond should have 24 hours before stressing) and to boot it was a cold day in the shop thus the whole thing gave away.
That is good advice Chuck, but I cut my rabbet(? wrong word. what is that cut called???) with a sharp dove-tail saw and have to cut all the way through to the end block so I can chisel out the waste. Your way would be much, much stronger and no joke, this is an important joint that has to not give away under any circumstances whatsoever. This might be an instance where dangerous fast spinning sharp pieces of steel (routers) might be justified, but I'm sticking with my saw.
1) I under glued. (I tend to be stingy with glue because I dislike excessive squeeze out and I'm just naturally a stingy person. Just the right amount of glue is so, so important and an underrated skill)
2) I over clamped. (I tend to over clamp sometimes just because I can goddammit. Another one of my sins which I still fight. Back-off Ukeboy, backoff)
3) I horsed the sides into a mold after only waiting 3 hours (Titebond should have 24 hours before stressing) and to boot it was a cold day in the shop thus the whole thing gave away.
That is good advice Chuck, but I cut my rabbet(? wrong word. what is that cut called???) with a sharp dove-tail saw and have to cut all the way through to the end block so I can chisel out the waste. Your way would be much, much stronger and no joke, this is an important joint that has to not give away under any circumstances whatsoever. This might be an instance where dangerous fast spinning sharp pieces of steel (routers) might be justified, but I'm sticking with my saw.
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