Fun Build

Vic D

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Hittin' the sauce and thinkin' stupid thoughts again... Here's my newest. What if we (the builders crew) collaborated with a build to be given away on Ukulele Underground.. each piece created by a different UU builder and sent to a final builder to put together. Just a thought.
The uke could be given away in UU's contest forum.

I would want the job of heal cap.
 
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Vic thats does sound fun. Im in. Im such a crappy builder how about if I put the strings on or tune it up!!
Dan
 
Vic, I guess it might work, but whoever puts it all together is gonna have his/her work cut out (that's funny, I didn't plan the pun but I s'pose it's kinda cute).

Let's make it a bookmatched heel cap - you do left side, I'll do right ;)
 
Vic, I guess it might work, but whoever puts it all together is gonna have his/her work cut out (that's funny, I didn't plan the pun but I s'pose it's kinda cute).

Let's make it a bookmatched heel cap - you do left side, I'll do right ;)

Sounds good actually, I'd like to make it a soprano. since that's all i'm set up for right now.
So far me and erich have the heel cap, bookmatched but not.
I'll put it together, same as my others with a raidused top and back, but you guys don't have to radius anything i'll do it here.

So far it's me, erich, dan, and bradford. Once I make up the parts list others will probably join in. I'll post the parts list tommorow.

BTW erich, do you do inlay? I haven't yet but I'm getting my inlay supplies this week and I'd kinda like to do the "bookmatched" heel cap with inlay, A "U" on each side.. "UU"
 
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Guys we're talking about one piece of wood each. You can mail it to me, I'll slap it together. Two pieces each for top and back, two sides, two back braces, two top braces, a neck block and a tail block. four linings two for the top and two for the back, a bridge, a bridge patch, we can cut the lining into four pieces and I'll join them up. An end graft, the neck we can do in three pieces, left side right side and skunk stripe. fretboard 13.5 scale, nut, saddle, rosette. I'll spring for grover tuners and GHS strings unless someone wants to donate some special strings. A more complete list tommorow I will post.

I want this uke to look like the uke of many colors... a complete mutt... this could be fun. Everyone signs their piece. We could do it where we mail it back and forth so you can carve your own details in your piece.

PS: if anyone has a rad inlayed headstock veneer laying around collecting dust... that might make a nice addition.

PSS: if the top was a mix of spruce and mahogany, that might pose a problem... I could do it but I dunno... we might wanna keep the top a one piece.
 
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Vic thats does sound fun. Im in. Im such a crappy builder how about if I put the strings on or tune it up!!
Dan

You are no crappy builder Dan... let's wait till tommorow when I put the list up and we can go from there.
 
While my skills with regard to the ukulele remain unproven, would be happy and honored to participate.
I've got backs sides and tops sliced and thicknessed. While these were cut for tenor and bari would work for soprano. (remember those sides that came out real thin?).
Or, just let me know what I can do.
Fred
 
I'm trying to wrap my head around the logistics of how this will work. Depending on the number of people contributing, would it not be better to let the builders do a complete part, such as a braced top or back. Cutting out one half of a soundhole and have it match the other half sounds difficult, not to mention a rosette. If we have to ship the various parts back and forth too much, the cost of shipping is going to greatly exceed the value of the work. Just my thoughts. It would also be a good idea to create a certificate that lists the builders, their location, what they made and out of what and date, to go with the instrument.
Brad
 
I would suggest a progressive build. First person mills wood, joins tops and backs and does soundhole inlay then its mailed to the next person who bends the sides and glues the blocks in then it goes to the next to do the bracing and glue the top and back on etc. etc. That way, only one person needs to have the bending mold to do the sides. Everyone that participates can sign the label that goes into the soundhole at the end.

The shipping may exceed the cost of the instrument, depending on how well it sells, but if each person covers their portion of the postage then it shouldn't be more than $15 per person at the most.

Andrew
 
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We can pitch in, but not inlay, sorry - we're not equipped to do that, except with knives and chisels. And I don't think we should do the side bending - we just don't have that down to specs yet. Top, back, neck, headstock, heelcap, fretboard, nut, bridge, tuners, string-up, set-up... would be fine.

Vic, it was your idea, so I guess it's your call.
 
Several good points above. A tier up approach might work where several people at a lower level build parts in parallel the the next level up turns those into sub-assemblies and ship to the final assembler.
For example, someone makes top braces while another makes the top. Those components are sent to the next person who does the rosette and glues on the braces and sends to the next person to meet up with the sides and back.
Same idea with the fret board, frets meet up with the neck and ultimately with the body.
Process would probably require a bolt-on neck and there may be some other trade offs as well.
Seems would be more efficient to have the work and transit time going on in parallel as much as possible and perhaps provide an opportunity to have more people involved.
 
I'm no uke builder, and I can't help with the project, but I love the idea. The finished uke could be given away in a UU contest, or it could be auctioned off on eBay....with the proceeds benefiting charity. Either way, I'd love a chance to win it!
 
Fahrner, I like the way you think mmhmmm... Could you be the director then? We already have peeps picking their parts... once we get the complete parts list assigned to the builders it's a done deal. I've decided which part I wanna do, the inlayed headstock veneer. I'll try to put up a complete parts list tommorow with 27 photographs with arrows and circles and marks to explain just what should happen at the completion of the crime. This will happen.
 
One thing though... It would be really cool if each builder built his or her part out of the wood of their choice, and shape it their way... not to match someone elses work, just match the joints. I know that's kinda limited when building within the constraints of a standard instrument design but I mean... shape the brace like you want... carve your names on the back of your work, be creative and let's hope it all fits together. Cool beans.
 
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Hi All, just finished up Spring Unveiling here in Cannon Beach, which is a three day all town party. A very nice event this year. Anyway, I had a few hours this afternoon, but did not feel like any serious work, so I made this top. It is one half koa and one half myrtle, joined at a diagonal. Thought I might jump start this project. If you would like to use it, I can continue to work on it, soundhole, rosette, braces or whatever; or send it to whoever is next. Let me know Vic, it is your project.

Brad
 

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