End Graft?

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Steve-atl

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Happy Holidays



I really don’t like my side seam on the back of the ukulele. I mocked up a section (thank god) and tried to cut an end graft by hand. It didn’t turn out that well.

How do you all cut your end grafts? Do you use a router template? Can you buy these or do you make them yourself? Did you build a jig?

Any information would be appreciated

Thanks
 
Some do use a router template but I prefer the flexibility of a simpler method that makes it easy to vary the width and shape of the graft.

This is all done before the back is glued on but I don't happen to have an instrument on hand that is at that particular stage so these photos will have to do.The graft is laid out on the tail. A 6" steel ruler is held in place with a piece of 3/4" double stick tape. The first cut is done with the saw blade tracking against the ruler. Of course, the ruler is placed on the outside margin of the area to be removed. The ruler is then moved to the other side and the second cut made. A small chisel is run up the wedge to remove the rest of the material. This is done with the side assembly in a Parrot vise but there are other ways to hold the workpiece while sawing and chiseling. If the graft is wedge shaped, it's easy to get a tight fit.

45550139385_7ac80a07a5.jpg


45739544294_794092db76.jpg


Oh, and Merry Christmas!
 
Cut out a wedge shaped piece of your chosen wood, an inch or so longer than you need. Clean up the sides so they are perfectly straight, then use it to mark out the shape on the end of the uke. Use the thinner end when marking. Then use a small precision saw or fretting saw to saw the two lines down as far as the end block, then chisel away the excess. Clean everything up and slide the wedge down to dry fit. You may have to tweak the wedge a touch with sandpaper. When your happy with the fit, then glue in place.
You can make jigs if you wish, to help saw the lines straight or even rout out the channel, but the above method works for me.
Check out google images for ideas. Good luck. Mike.

p.s. I normally do this before the back and front are on.
 
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Thanks saltytri

I tried to freehand the cut and that was my problem.

I just glued up a new test piece. I will try the steel ruler guild tomorrow.

You have no problem with the double stick tape when you pull it off?

Thanks again
 
Nope, never any problem with pulling wood up along with the tape. It's clearly meant to be removable but I wouldn't get that stuff anywhere near a softwood top!

I don't remember where I got the tape but it's a pretty common woodworking item and is useful for a lot of things. The cardboard spool says "Bron, brontapes.com, 888-838-9039." The tape itself looks like cream colored masking tape and there's a white paper peel-off layer.

The sticky stuff works fine for both cuts of a single graft but I don't reuse it past that.

As for trying to freehand this cut, I'm sure that someone out there has the aplomb to pull it off. But one slip to the wrong side and you'll be changing your plan and laying out a wider graft! That's one of the "ask me how I know" things. :)
 
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Wow, Bron makes a s** load of different kinds of tape. Maybe a woodworking supplier has it
 
Here's a simple router jig for end grafts. I made a simpler table saw jig for making the graft pieces.


DSC_0358 (2).jpg


DSC_0351 (2).jpg


DSC_0363.jpg
 
I had a jig similar to John's, which works well. Now I do it similar to Dave and Mike. I use the actual end graft and treat it like an inlay, by scribing outside the end graft then chiseling out. I used to route it out, but it's just too easy to do it by hand.

Unlike Mike, I use the wider end to scribe as I add in purfling lines.

Unlike Dave and Mike, I do mine after the body is routed for bindings, again, because of the purfling.
20181225_165402.jpg
 
Kekani said:
I had a jig similar to John's, which works well. Now I do it similar to Dave and Mike. I use the actual end graft and treat it like an inlay, by scribing outside the end graft then chiseling out. I used to route it out, but it's just too easy to do it by hand.

Unlike Mike, I use the wider end to scribe as I add in purfling lines.

Unlike Dave and Mike, I do mine after the body is routed for bindings, again, because of the purfling.
View attachment 114301
Click to expand...

Beautiful

Do you make your binding?
 
OK, so my second attempt worked a lot better.

How do you brace the ukulele when chiseling out the graft? It took a fair amount of clamp pressure to keep the board still while I was doing this.

The second problem that I didn’t think out very well. The top and back are already glued on so if I add a graft now the grains will show.
 

Attachments

  • End Graft .jpg
    End Graft .jpg
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Just make your binding/purfling combination a hair wider than the graft and you'll be fine. Or leave it as is and call it a "feature." :)
 
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