Novices review: The Uke Book Illustrated

Now't wrong with Mathias :cool: I know he aint your average Luthier..But! he has done some amazing stuff...Note the bandsaw and routing set up in the video all designed and made by himself..and his glue experiments on another video were very helpfull also...And he's a nice Guy as well (so i'm told by a friend who spent some workshop time with him) ...I used the info on the bending compensated spring back curves when I made my latest Foxy bender and it worked great.
 
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I just received my copy of The Uke Book Illustrated yesterday. It will be a useful addition to my small collection of stringed instrument manuals, which includes Campiano and Natelson's huge guitar volume and Graham MacDonald's recent uke book. I try to glean as much as I can from every source I read, and I try new stuff all the time. I have two instruments currently under construction using the Spanish heel method. I doubt I'll do another when these are done.

Although I have an adequate number of the usual power tools, I try to use hand tools as much as possible. Any messy stuff has to go on up in our garage, which is sweltering this time of year. I have a small basement workshop where I do marking, glue-ups, and hand tool work. I've been working toward doing a uke with hand tools only. Only problem is I stink at thinning woods by hand. I've tried several times, and always gave in and went upstairs to the drum sander and dust collector. I've watched videos of other people thinning instrument woods with a plane - never made it work, myself.
 
I just received my copy of The Uke Book Illustrated yesterday. It will be a useful addition to my small collection of stringed instrument manuals, which includes Campiano and Natelson's huge guitar volume and Graham MacDonald's recent uke book. I try to glean as much as I can from every source I read, and I try new stuff all the time. I have two instruments currently under construction using the Spanish heel method. I doubt I'll do another when these are done.

Although I have an adequate number of the usual power tools, I try to use hand tools as much as possible. Any messy stuff has to go on up in our garage, which is sweltering this time of year. I have a small basement workshop where I do marking, glue-ups, and hand tool work. I've been working toward doing a uke with hand tools only. Only problem is I stink at thinning woods by hand. I've tried several times, and always gave in and went upstairs to the drum sander and dust collector. I've watched videos of other people thinning instrument woods with a plane - never made it work, myself.

if you want to thin material by hand tools then Prof Chris might well be worth talking too. IIRC he has a thread somewhere about what he does but it might be hidden on Ukulele Cosmos.
 
This is an old thread and I notice I was invited to reply to something or other. Sorry I did not. I think the answer is that I do not recommend the slipper heel joint for novices and I also do not recommend any one book on building ukulele. A week spent searching this forum would give you all the information you need to build a ukulele of any configuration. As a curious person, I have modified my approach as I have pursued my craft to the extent recently where I have completely changed my method of construction, working, and bracing ukulele from 2 years ago and will likely change it again. As for thicknessing wood - you cannot beat a speed sander...
 
Just started my very 1st Uke a couple weeks ago using that book. It's very informative however I've noticed that often times measurements aren't included where that are should be and I find myself flipping through the book to find things quite a bit. I also have graham McDonald's book as well as a few on guitars that are useful references too but I'm mainly sticking to uke book. I've built electric guitars before but this is my first time doing ukes/acoustics. One major short coming of the book for a complete novice is they seem to have completely forgotten about positioning and gluing of the bridge, which is odd considering the book covers building the bridge. So make sure you understand scale length and how to position and glue the budge without it moving when you clamp it.

Otherwise, I just finished up the neck and initial rough shaping of the heel tonight. Cut the headstock yesterday and am done for today.


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I just received my copy of The Uke Book Illustrated yesterday. It will be a useful addition to my small collection of stringed instrument manuals, which includes Campiano and Natelson's huge guitar volume and Graham MacDonald's recent uke book. I try to glean as much as I can from every source I read, and I try new stuff all the time. I have two instruments currently under construction using the Spanish heel method. I doubt I'll do another when these are done.

Although I have an adequate number of the usual power tools, I try to use hand tools as much as possible. Any messy stuff has to go on up in our garage, which is sweltering this time of year. I have a small basement workshop where I do marking, glue-ups, and hand tool work. I've been working toward doing a uke with hand tools only. Only problem is I stink at thinning woods by hand. I've tried several times, and always gave in and went upstairs to the drum sander and dust collector. I've watched videos of other people thinning instrument woods with a plane - never made it work, myself.

What are you sharpening your planes with?

This is the biggest problem I see with most folks that have issues, their blades aren't sharp.

The other thing too is you just need practice. I built a blanket chest with 0 electricity years ago, and will never do that again, but I sure learned to use my hand planes in the process and have no issues with them since. They're particularly nice for small projects like the Uke I'm working on. Used my #5(I think) to square up my heel and neck blank, and the block plane for trying the scarf joint. On something this small it takes about the same amount of time to do it by hand as it does to use my power tools, and it's a lot quieter, but it does take practice to learn to use them.
 
I just touch up the irons on a water stone that I have. I use my planes for a lot of smaller jobs, including uke parts, but the tonewood thinning has never worked for me. I'm currently making a wooden bench plane from a Lee Valley hardware kit. I actually like using hand planes when I can.
 
I just touch up the irons on a water stone that I have. I use my planes for a lot of smaller jobs, including uke parts, but the tonewood thinning has never worked for me. I'm currently making a wooden bench plane from a Lee Valley hardware kit. I actually like using hand planes when I can.
That actually may be the issue if you're referring to water stone, singular. You may be able to touch up an edge on a fine stone a few times, but eventually you need a new edge and multiple stones.

Also, longer planes help. For an Uke you probably wouldn't need a jointer plane, but a 5 or 5 1/2 work nicely.
 
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