What's happening in your shed?

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I'm just about to start shellacking this late medieval lute.
 
Playing with some cheap mandolin tuners. They keep everything nicely alligned and the backing plate when paired with my 5mm bit made its own spacing jig for the 6mm holes to follow. They can be easily switched left right by taking the worm gear knob assembly and flipping it over.
The headstock shape is my copy of a 2000s chinese copy of a 90s Korean copy of a 80s Japanese copy of a 70s revival version of the classic 50s profile of the Fender headstock.
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Another hootowlele. The half moon and fret dots are done using a cheap ebay core drill set with the dark bit just ground down on the abalone using the side of the bit and back filled with sawdust from leftover fretboard.
The back is done using the bandsawn bowl technique using same wood rather than contrasting crossgrain reinforcing.
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Guitar, but the concept is the important thing. I bought some Black Locust, which is suppose to have qualities similar to rosewood, but visually it may not turn some people's crank. Fuming with ammonia darkens it up so I did a test with some 5% household cleaner, had the test piece suspended in the jar.

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Which is great but it is a small piece with a lot of solution. Will the 5% be enough to do an instrument in a larger chamber? Also what do I have that I can put the two in? I went looking for a large clear plastic bag but the best I came up with was a translucent orange leaf bag. It was lat at night and I wanted to get to bed but didn't want to waste a day so I threw together a frame to keep the bag off the body using a poor excuse for duct tape (no wonder it was cheap). Before.

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And after 12 hours.

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Not a high grade set, just wanted to try the wood and see what it was like. I am not sure if I will leave it as is or add some stain.
 
It raised the grain a little so if you try it don't take it down to a finishing state. The effect goes through the wood so you have freedom to sand it back unlike some surface treatments. I am hoping the seller I bought the wood from offers a few more sets at some time.
 
What's happening in my shed? Finally sold an uke that I built a year ago. A lovely thing, but couldn't sell it. Finally did.... Yea!

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PS: I think pistacho has a limited audience.
 
Tahitian style uke from 2 by 4 pine and black butt face plate and spotted gum fretboard. Fret dots are hole punched from a potato sack clip. Tail piece is a flattened picture rail hook.
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The latest set of four

The latest set of four finished (other than installing a pickup, for which I awaiting parts). They all came out really well, with great sound. Lots of volume, and sustain across the lineup. The bracing system I have been evolving seems to work well across different instrument sizes. From the left:
Parlor guitar in black walnut and streaky water-tank redwood top and custom inlays.
Guitalele in sycamore with a Pennsylvania red cedar top with the new spiral rosette and Picasso headplate.
Tenor in spalted sycamore with a curly redwood top and extensive custom inlays.
Concert in curly ash with a curly redwood top and new features such as a scoop, spiral rosette, Picasso headplate.

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Finally got round to fiddling with a 4 to 12mm with 2mm step drill bit so the 10 to 8 mm step has enough 10 mm step to fit the sealed bolt together tuners.
The 6 to 8 mm step was fine for most post gromet geared tuners already.20180826_234124.jpg
Photo shows all the different configurations I am talking about and an unaltered step drill bit as well.
I usually put in a 4 or 6mm pilot/shaft hole first.
 
Walnut tenor

Hi, haven't built anything in a while but just finished my 5th tenor which is a present for my niece's wedding. Walnut top/sides/back and cherry neck with koa rosette and headstock faceplate, koa binding.
Derek
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