Building the Youthalele

Mahalo everyone for all the ideas on how to bend the sides. I do feel that the ability to bend the sides simplifies the construction process. My go to simple side bender is a slightly compressed electric charcoal starter inside a 2.5” section of water pipe. Costs about $20-25 and takes minutes to make, i will include some pics soon. I spent some time today making a work board for a concert Youthalele and building the side assembly. Took pics of the process.
Brad
 
Aloha everyone. The big challenge of this project is to keep the construction process as simple as possible, while making the finished product as desirable as I can. For me, slicing off a fretboard on my bandsaw is easy, but can be a challenge if you lack a power saw. Here is a glued up design that can be made with a hand saw out a 1x6 flatsawn board and a contrasting slice of wood. You just cut two 1/4” thick pieces from the edge of the 1x6, add the contrasting strip of hardwood and edge glue them together. Very easy to do, but the results are beautiful. A glued up bridge is another idea for those that lack an easy way to cut the saddle slot in the bridge blank.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/goZ65XNueULaNkRT6

Brad
 
Brad;
I've followed the Youthalele build threads across several years and am preparing to build a Tenor version. I've scaled up the body length and width to approx 12" high x 9" wide at back. Just a couple of questions to extract some info based on your considerable knowledge and experience.
Sides 3"? Should this be constant, or tapered toward neck. If so, how much? 1/4" to 1/2" ? Standard tenor soundhole is about 3" dia. Is this OK or should it be a little larger or smaller?
Finally, on your original Youthalele plans, you put a radius on the Centre back brace, of about 1/8" (peak) above the top of the back at the centerline of the uke. Should this be made a little higher or not, because the tenor is a bigger instrument.
I plan to use 1/16" Baltic birch ply fir top, and 1/8" for sides and back; premade neck and FB, bolt on, spruce linings and braces.
I have enough BB ply for three such; one for me and 2 for my grand daughters. I'm making these to get some experience in building ukes as I have other projects in mind.
Any advice and opinions concerning this build would be greatly appreciated. Thank you from Moncton, NB, Canada.
Morfrost (Don)
 
Hey Jerry and Don, here is some sound hole info; location on body centerline, for sopranos 3.125”, concert 3.25” and tenor 3.625” from neck joint. Sound hole diameters are 1.75” for soprano, 2.063 for concert and 2.625” for tenor.

Don, your sides may be tapered or straight in profile, if tapered, from 3” at heel to 2.5” at neck. Straight sides are 2.75”.
A 3” sound hole is large to a tenor, I would go 2.625”.
The arch in the back is simply for looks, not needed structurally for 1/8” ply, but anything between 1/8” to 1/4” sounds good.
Please post your progress here guys and fire away if I can answer any other questions.
Brad
 
All this is pretty subjective and varies builder to builder. Me I make the tenor sound hole 2.5 inches diameter, side taper 1/4 inch. A lot easier numbers to measure.

BuzzBD said:
The arch in the back is simply for looks,
Click to expand...

I might argue with that one, but won't.
 
BuzzBD said:
Here are some pics of the latest build. I took some pics during the building process to help show how things go together. Started drawing up the plans, should be able to post them in a day or two.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/roRJ4M7667ZLDVwi9

Brad
Click to expand...

I like that body. but I know bending the side piece would leave me with a weird one. :D

When you say you use a "water pipe," what exactly do you mean? And that charcoal starter has to be small enough to fit inside the pipe, so you need a small starter and a large pipe.
 
Sorry Jerry, I had meant to post my side bender photos. You need an 8-10” long section of galvanized or black pipe, around 2.5 to 3.0” in diameter and a pipe strap to secure it to a section of 2x4. These are readily available at Home Depot or Lowe’s, as well as the electric charcoal starter. The charcoal starter will have to be compressed somewhat in a vise to fit inside the pipe. The 1/8” birch ply bends easily at about 250 F and the shape does not need to be terribly exact. The use of the workboard smooths out the shape.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CRiUCpCeSnywGHpMA

Brad
 
Hey guys, here are the first of the plans. In the days ahead I will be adding to them, with some more construction pictures and general thoughts on the build. If you see anything that does not make sense, or just have questions, let me know.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7VsFWjpCjP5LWQgX8

Brad
 
BuzzBD said:
Sorry Jerry, I had meant to post my side bender photos. You need an 8-10” long section of galvanized or black pipe, around 2.5 to 3.0” in diameter and a pipe strap to secure it to a section of 2x4. These are readily available at Home Depot or Lowe’s, as well as the electric charcoal starter. The charcoal starter will have to be compressed somewhat in a vise to fit inside the pipe. The 1/8” birch ply bends easily at about 250 F and the shape does not need to be terribly exact. The use of the workboard smooths out the shape.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CRiUCpCeSnywGHpMA

Brad
Click to expand...

Thanks. I used similar pipe, but it was from a fence, so smaller diameter. I used a propane torch, which lacks any control for temperature. On the other hand, I could have different temperatures at different parts of the pipe.
 
Jerryc41 said:
Thanks. I used similar pipe, but it was from a fence, so smaller diameter. I used a propane torch, which lacks any control for temperature. On the other hand, I could have different temperatures at different parts of the pipe.
Click to expand...

Jerry---StewMac sells a nifty little contact thermometer. Probably others do too. You could know the temp of your pipe and adjust the torch flame to suit. It's probably not critical to know while using a pipe, but I wouldn't bend with a heat blanket without one.
 
Thanks sequoia, there are more drawings and pictures coming. I have set things up so you can do a Spanish heel neck joint or a bolt/screw on neck, I will do drawings for them. And the various bracing options that will be necessary if you go for a solid or thinner top, will also be presented. My goal is to offer something to the widest possible skill/tools variations set as I can.
Brad
 
And for those that do not want to bend the sides, here are the old plans. The sides can be curved as shown using the work board. It shows still another way to attach the neck. You can use the dimensions given in the Y3 plans for different sizes. And the bracing shown is not necessary if you are using the 1/8” birch plywood for the top. Thinner woods for the top and back will require braces. I will get to that shortly.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9WLREHZgXtpRWtSr7

Brad
 
Last edited:
BuzzBD said:
And for those that do not want to bend the sides, here are the old plans. The sides can be curved as shown using the work board. It shows still another way to attach the neck. You can use the dimensions given in the Y3 plans for different sizes. And the bracing shown is not necessary if you are using the 1/8” birch plywood for the top. Thinner woods for the top and back will require braces. I will get to that shortly.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9WLREHZgXtpRWtSr7

Brad
Click to expand...

Great stuff Brad, I made quite a few ukes based on the Youthalele plans you so graciously supplied a few years ago, and a few teardrop shapes very similar to the Y3. Thanks for everything you have done to inspire people to build ukulele.
 
Thanks very much Dennis. I am very gratified whenever I hear someone has used my plans to build ukulele, but even more so when someone of your talent and experience does so.
Brad
 
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