harp ukulele project - Gluing down the bridge...

[John Parchem]

I spend this weekend almost finishing the bindings. I used a stewmac true channel binding tool with a colt router to route most of the rebate for the bindings. I was able to use my ibex purfling cutter to finish most of the rest near the harp peg head. The remainder including the top edge of the rims between the harp peg head and the rims I used a combinations of my razor saw, xacto knife and a chisel. All and all I think it is going to look OK, but it was the hardest job that I have done on an instrument yet.

The job might of been easier but after carefully setting the router bit, some how on the first cut on the lower bout I noticed that I went .01 too deep. I am still not sure what happend. Maybe the router was not locked into position. My test route was perfect. I probably could have left it and sanded down the top near the edge, but I glued an additional strip of fiber purfling on the bottom edge of the binding for the lower bout. I routed the other lower bout half with the same setting then adjusted the router properly for the rest of the cut. I feathered the purfling and the rebate transition. So on the bottom of the instrument the black purfling line is a little thick.

[TonyinNYC]

Looks great John!

[John Parchem]

Thanks, Tony, I am continuing to make progress. I am in the end game of the construction phase of the is project. I have the body, neck, headstocks sanded. I drilled the harp tuning pegs. The neck angle is set and the fretboard is glued to the neck. Also I laminated some black veneer to a bit of koa and used it for the heel cap. I need to set the bridge. I have some bone pegs I am going to use to make individule post nuts for harp.



















A few more pictures:

[John Parchem]

I just completed the construction and am ready for finishing. I will pore fill with zpoxy. I am still debating between a u-beaut FP or spraying EM6000.

As a reminder this instrument based on a set of plans from Pete Howlett. I was inspired by the harp ukulele Kathy Matsushita built http://home.comcast.net/~kathymatsushit ... s/hu1.html. She is currently working on a second harp ukulele so I get to follow her in real time. http://home.comcast.net/~kathymatsushit ... /2hu1.html.

This is a tenor sized ukulele with the harp extension for 4 sub base strings. The instrument has a Sitka bear claw top and koa back and sides. The binding are cocobolo with a black fiber purfling strip. The neck and the harp peg head are made from Honduran mahogany. The rosettes, the peg board veneer and the end wedge are amboyna burl, the last from a turning block I bought last year. I have koa veneer on the back of the ukulele head stock and as a end cap on the heel. The bridge and fret board are East Indian Rosewood. The fretboard also has cocobolo bindings. It is not perfect. but I am really happy with the way it is coming out. Working with the odd ball shape presents knew problems each time I work on it.

[John Parchem]

I have the second coat of zpoxy on the instrument. I am getting pretty excited. Sorry about the problems displaying the pictures right now. My hoster is going through some sort of transition and the server I am on is way overloaded. I have been trying to be the squeaky wheel, without luck.

[TonyinNYC]

It looks fantastic John. Great looking wood choices.

[Dave Bagwill]

Wow. That's all I can say. :-)