harp ukulele project - Gluing down the bridge...

[TonyinNYC]

It's looking great so far! Thanks for the mock up pic. I like how the two rosettes look. Excellent!!

[John Parchem]

Thanks Tony,

I am moving along; I put in the end wedge today and have the top glued down. Doesn't everyone have the wedges thin to wide front to back? Oh well so it goes, a design feature! more aerodynamic! I am sure the reverse direction will improve the tone. Gluing down the top was interesting. Usually I use the mold to hold the shape when I glue the first plate down. I decided not use the mold because my mold is thicker than the harp peg head block. What I did instead was, while properly aligned in the mold, mark all of the braces on the kerfling and used a pencil in key places to mark where the body was supposed to end up. When the kerfling rebates were routed and the brace ends trimmed properly, I was able to re-align the body without a mold using a combination of the braces in the rebates and my alignment marks. I just used nearly every clamp in my shop to hold the top down. I did end up with even squeeze out all around.

I did have two things go right for me today. With a guitar one can center the two end blocks in the mold and on the top and call it good. That is where I was at when I thought it would really look bad if the top rosette on the narrow harp neck was not centered. A very small misalignent on the ulkulele part of the instrument can multiple to a significant error up the harp neck. Luckily I caught the error I did have and made sure the rosette was centered. Also I found by hook or by crook, I only needed to add one more t-bolt to make my carrier fit the instrument.

Overall today was the day that I am starting to understand the luthiers that like to work without molds.

[Dennis in Anola]

I dunno about building a harp uke, but this post looks suspiciously like a clamp breeding experiment to me (lol).

[kmatsu]

John:

It's looking GREAT!!!! You handled the problem of the too-tall mold really well --- I am really impressed with what you've done so far!!! Good observation on making sure to check that the harpbox soundhole was centered. I love all your cam clamps --- that photo reminded me of an old Acoustic Guitar magazine's cover photo of Jeff Traugott's soundbox being clamped with a zillion cam clamps --- it looked really artistic to me, for some reason. Also, I think you're right --- your end wedge design might well end up producing better tone...

I love keeping up with your blog of this build....

[Kevin in California]

hey John, could I borrow a dozen cam clamps? I think you will still have plenty to use!!!! Sheesh.
Well anyway, you are making awesome progress on this deal, and it looks wonderful so far.
What a cool project, and Kathy, yours is coming along nicely too! How does it feel to be retired???

Keep the pics coming John.

Kevin

[John Parchem]

Thanks all,

I am not sure that one can ever have enough cam clamps. I use them a lot.

John

[kmatsu]

What a cool project, and Kathy, yours is coming along nicely too! How does it feel to be retired???

Kevin

Kevin: Thanks for the kind words --- and, as for retirement, I'm loving it!!! Of course, it doesn't feel too much different yet, as I have always had summers off, but once school starts up again, I think that's when it will truly feel different! It does feel different, though, in the sense that I don't feel the pressure to finish the project with a set deadline --- and, as a result, I think I'm being more careful and painstaking in what I'm doing...

Kathy