Welcome back to another entry in the process of this Concert Ukulele. Last time we saw this build, we had just put the sides in place, but also the kerfing. The missing glue up was on the other side of the kerf, the continuous strip of wood. And we are going to do just that, but also start making the back for this ukulele.
Let's jump to it!
Kerfing
Most of the work on this part of the kerfing had been already done when we worked last time. Now, we only need to glue the strips in place. We are using some wooden clamps for this. Yes, they are clothes pegs, but they work just fine in this setup. They are reinforced with rubber bands to make their grip stronger. The best of these things is that since they are made of bamboo, they leave no mark on anything they are holding.
So, we apply glue and start clamping the kerfing to the side. We go one kerf at a time. Also, while we put the pegs to work, we need to make sure the kerfing is well-aligned. This means that no part of it is going above the side in an excessive fashion. The same is true for it going under. We keep adding the pegs until we are just next to the end block. Then we repeat the same process on the other side.
Back
While the kerfing glues up, we move towards the making of the back of this ukulele. The ides is simple, we need to create an ornament to go between the pieces of the back. We are using a piece of purpleheart for this task. And as it turns out, it is the toughest part of this job. We need to cut it to shape. Split it in the middle. Plane it to remove the cutting marks. Then work the sides so they can be flush with the pieces of the back.
When we are done with all of these requirements, we can finally work on the pieces of the back to make them match the edges of the ornament. The gluing technique here is different from the one used for the sound board. Since we have 3 pieces of wood that will go together, we need to hold the pieces in place using some other method. My favorite method is using a big glass where a piece of the back can be clamped down. Then we apply glue to both sides of the ornament. We clamp it in place, making sure it is pressed to the other piece of the back. Finally, we place the place piece and apply pressure towards the other pieces in place. Now we just need to add some other clamps and let this rest while the glue works its magic.
Once the glue dries, we are left with a nice-looking back that needs some work but will for sure boost the aesthetics of the instrument.
Reinforcements and thicknessing
With the back and kerfing done, we can move towards the last reinforcements inside the body. They are the ones that go across the sides. We place these at strategic points where a hit could break the side. We just need to measure the length of each of them. Cut them to that length. Sand them. And finally glue them. We can use the clamps that have been release from their back-clamping duties.
We let this be for a moment. Meanwhile, we can start working on the thickness of the back. We are going for around 1.8mm to have a study piece that gives enough rebound on the sound. All this work is done by using the smoothing hand plane, the card scarper and sandpaper.
When we are done with this part, we have to work on the reinforcements for the back to keep it straight. However, that will be some content for the next entry.
Thanks a lot for reading. Make sure to keep an eye for the next entry as we will be finishing the back and closing this one up. Then we can finally be halfway through the build. See you then!
| Entry | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Fist Ukuele |
| 2 | Structure |
| 3 | Heel and Bars |
| 4 | Head Stock and End Block |
| 5 | Sides and Kerfing |
Photos 📷: Redmi Note 13
Thumbnail 🖼️: Canva.
Editing 🎬:Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
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