by sbutterfield | Oct 17, 2022 | Ukulele
Bracing the back and top are the first steps in building the StewMac baritone ukulele kit. Back braces are easy to lay out and glue up while the top bracing requires a little more planning. Back BracesThe back braces (rear) are curved to slightly bend the back of the...
by sbutterfield | Oct 18, 2022 | Ukulele
After bracing the top and back the sides are joined using neck and tail blocks to provide plenty of gluing surface. The result is a very clean joint that will take finish beautifully. Maske sidesI mask the sides to catch any glue squeeze out when the sides are...
by sbutterfield | Oct 22, 2022 | Ukulele
The neck is held with glue and two dowels. The heal of the neck is roughly curved to fit the curve of the body. To make the fit perfect I stick some sandpaper to the body and move the neck back and forth to make the curves match. The dowel holes are pre-drilled in the...
by sbutterfield | Oct 22, 2022 | Ukulele
Chamfering the Fret SlotsI use a jeweler’s triangular file to put a tiny chamfer on the slot edges so the frets can be pressed in more easily. Fretwire BenderI used some bearings attached to a board to apply a slight bend to the fretwire so the ends will...
by sbutterfield | Oct 24, 2022 | Ukulele
After the fretboard is glued to the neck it’s time the dress the frets. Though I’m always careful to press the frets evenly they will always vary in height. To even them out I start by inking the tops then I stick a long piece of sandpaper to a flat...
by sbutterfield | Oct 23, 2022 | Ukulele
Once the frets are pressed and glued in it’s time to attach the fretboard to the neck. The neck that comes with the kit is pre-carved on their CNC machines and it’s a little bit wider than the fretboard. I marked the position of the nut as a reference then...
by sbutterfield | Oct 30, 2022 | Ukulele