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Vic D
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Next project,, a citole View attachment 13014
Fun Build
- Thread starter Vic D
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Vic D
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Brad, Roger that. if it wasn't a problem with runout then it was just a jinx. It's a good thing that it busted, Try anther piece, but not in that batch eh? try something else.
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erich@muttcrew.net
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Brad, that was exactly my thought - and I said the same thing to the guys right after it happened: if the wood wants to split it's going to split but better have it split now and we start with a new piece than in the radius dish or on the winner's couch. We did do a bit of testing on all the pieces to check for hidden defects and all the pieces were fine. It may also have been one of those moments of global butterfly wing flapping that normally happen in movies but sometimes - and in this case - are the real thing you see happening right in front of your own eyes.
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erich@muttcrew.net
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Vic, you may be right. This wood is definitely not perfectly quartered but my experience with it has been good so far, except that the grain is so porous in some places that it's hard to get it to fill well. That may indeed be runout spots. We were concerned about the grain, but figured whoever did the finish would do their very best. BTW, the walnut/cherry uke that we have in progress is made from the same wood.
Anyway, as far as alternatives go, we have two batches of walnut to choose from, but the other batch is flamed and we found the grain even harder to manage with that so we have not used it at all so far. We also have quite a lot of ribbon sapeli, the nice lightweight blond mahogany (assumed to be helium mahogany) and some nice golden maple (probably european), then some heavyweight stuff like bubinga and santos... which I think is generally too heavy for a soprano.
Any suggestions? Personally, I would tend to stay with the same walnut and try a different section, although the grain is pretty similar throughout.
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Vic D
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the split in the walnut could very well be a defect in the walnut, be it runout or whatever. Defects in wood are my one of my pet peeves when it comes to building. I think that perfectly quartered wood is so freaking boring, the back and sides don't need to be quartered, as long as they're sound, sometimes you just get a piece that has a weak spot and Erich you just found one, even after close inspection.
I have a soprano I'm building, I call it the zebrawon't, the back and sides are zebrawood and the neck spanish cedar. I thought I would have problems out of the zebrawood... and I did, I had to throw half of the board into the marquetry box due to pitch pockets but I finally got a nice set out of it, then while final sanding the dadgum spanish cedar neck, what should appear? Hidden pitch pockets in the dadgum cedar... it doesn't make the neck unsound mind you, it's sandwiched with a rosewood skunk stripe in the center.. but pitch pockets are ugly, and this one has a run of them about two inches long and a couple of mm wide. They didn't show up until final sanding... It's a good thing you dropped that plate, I'd try another section of the walnut.
I have a soprano I'm building, I call it the zebrawon't, the back and sides are zebrawood and the neck spanish cedar. I thought I would have problems out of the zebrawood... and I did, I had to throw half of the board into the marquetry box due to pitch pockets but I finally got a nice set out of it, then while final sanding the dadgum spanish cedar neck, what should appear? Hidden pitch pockets in the dadgum cedar... it doesn't make the neck unsound mind you, it's sandwiched with a rosewood skunk stripe in the center.. but pitch pockets are ugly, and this one has a run of them about two inches long and a couple of mm wide. They didn't show up until final sanding... It's a good thing you dropped that plate, I'd try another section of the walnut.
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fahrner
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Update on the sides.
From three sets of sides, two ended up acceptable. Felt good about that considering my first attempt with a heating iron. Watched Pete's bending video many, many times. Thank you Pete. Interestingly the first two came out good. It was the third set I buggered up. Got cocky and went too fast.
Note the custom rim holder made from hand screw clamps.
From three sets of sides, two ended up acceptable. Felt good about that considering my first attempt with a heating iron. Watched Pete's bending video many, many times. Thank you Pete. Interestingly the first two came out good. It was the third set I buggered up. Got cocky and went too fast.
Note the custom rim holder made from hand screw clamps.
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fahrner
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Sides Update part 2.
The other new thing for me was doing an end graft. I guess the fact that I had two good sets of sides gave me the courage. It started off being a piece of ebony then bubinga then the intarsia idea hit me and I couldn't shake it. So, please, no strap buttons or pickup jacks eh?
Expect will get Kens neck next week and will be all set to do the lining. Whew! Think the hard stuff is over.
The other new thing for me was doing an end graft. I guess the fact that I had two good sets of sides gave me the courage. It started off being a piece of ebony then bubinga then the intarsia idea hit me and I couldn't shake it. So, please, no strap buttons or pickup jacks eh?
Expect will get Kens neck next week and will be all set to do the lining. Whew! Think the hard stuff is over.
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Steve vanPelt
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Wow Fred, that looks fantastic!! Once you go graft, you never go back. Lovin the intarsia. Nailed it on both of them. Thanks for the update and pics.
erich@muttcrew.net
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They look great, Fred. I like 'em both. Whichever one we don't use you can just send my way... 
You guys are settin' the bar pretty high now, aren't you? I hope we can jump it - it's gettin' tough...
You guys are settin' the bar pretty high now, aren't you? I hope we can jump it - it's gettin' tough...
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Vic D
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Beautiful work Fred. I love the end graft, looks kinda harlequiny. Those woods are going to age and patina so wonderfully together.
You guys will be waiting on me, I ordered some ink so I can make copies, should get here today or tommorow. So I'll start on it in the couple of days. The only thing I have left to pick up is a graver or two and some of that black filler stuff. There's just very little info on the net about engraving pearl without buying a book. But I think I got it now.
You guys will be waiting on me, I ordered some ink so I can make copies, should get here today or tommorow. So I'll start on it in the couple of days. The only thing I have left to pick up is a graver or two and some of that black filler stuff. There's just very little info on the net about engraving pearl without buying a book. But I think I got it now.
Bradford
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Looking really good Fred. I was just telling Matt as I was sending him my shipping address for the fretboard, that I was hoping to achieve the same sense of beauty that you see in a quilt. That end graft nails it perfectly. While I'm at it, here is my shipping address.
Brad Donaldson
3251 36th Avenue S. W.
Seattle, WA 98126
I'm getting excited about getting the parts and putting them together.
Brad
Brad Donaldson
3251 36th Avenue S. W.
Seattle, WA 98126
I'm getting excited about getting the parts and putting them together.
Brad
Sven
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I think those sides look perfect. You must have a talent for bending. I mess up one set of two still, and I've been at it for some ukes now. Better watch Pete's vid again... and again...
Oh, I'd better whip out some ebony for the bridge. I usually make them string-through, but I guess for this build I'd better use a knot or tie method. The string-through is good and secure but I find most people need an explanation of how to use them.
Sven
fahrner
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Vic D
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It is a beaut. Tons of mojo going into that one.
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Steve vanPelt
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Hi Fred,
Been thinking all day how to put in words how great that looks. I'm still 'speechless' . Nice neck, too. This project is really starting to look good.
So is it still Pele if the volcano is in Iceland?
Been thinking all day how to put in words how great that looks. I'm still 'speechless' . Nice neck, too. This project is really starting to look good.
So is it still Pele if the volcano is in Iceland?
erich@muttcrew.net
Well-known member
We put the walnut (different piece, but still very grainy) and the maple together - with a little pinstripe of dark kosipo in between. OK, so now it's time to do the slanted joint with the two-tone mahogany - and suddenly I started having all kinds of crazy design ideas. I was thinking of matching the maple so that it fits with the graft.
Fred, could you let me know how wide the graft is so that we can fit the width of the maple strip at the bottom... We can't get a really exact fit because I don't know how much of the edge the radius is going to use up. But it's worth a jab, I think.
EDIT: I would eyeball it at about 2 cm based on your photos (compared to the other dimensions) - if that's about right, then the maple should fit just right.
Fred, could you let me know how wide the graft is so that we can fit the width of the maple strip at the bottom... We can't get a really exact fit because I don't know how much of the edge the radius is going to use up. But it's worth a jab, I think.
EDIT: I would eyeball it at about 2 cm based on your photos (compared to the other dimensions) - if that's about right, then the maple should fit just right.
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fahrner
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I see what your thinking Erich and I like it a lot.
Remember though, the maple is at the top side and the walnut is at the bottom with bubinga in the middle..
Dimensions at the bottom are .705" (17.91 mm).
At he top the dims are .815" (20.7mm) just for reference.
Your estimate was very close. Hope the orientation doesn't put a wrench in your idea. Something along those lines would be very cool.
I want this uke! I hope we auction the end product on Ebay so at least I have a chance to bid on it. I'm very excited. Let us know what you end up doing Erich ( can't stand the suspense).
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Vic D
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:rulez: Uhuh, no auction. To be given away on Ukulele Underground to a lucky winner. :drool:
erich@muttcrew.net
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Not at all. Anyway, there's going to be binding in between, right? I think it'll work, even if it's only a close call and not a perfect match.
fahrner
Well-known member
Sorry. For some reason I thought one of the ideas was to auction it off and donate the money to charity. I must be having weird dreams again.
