davewhite
Luthier / Guitar Maker
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Post by davewhite on Jul 8, 2016 12:14:25 GMT
"Buachaill Beag" - "Little Boy" - is a 375mm scale length concert ukulele with a Lawson's Cypress top that came from my famous garden tree; Hormigo back, sides and bridge; a "furniture reclaimed" mahogany neck; East Indian Rosewood bindings; Ebony fingerboard with gold Evo frets; Anjan headplates and heelcap; Malaysian Blackwood end graft, Grover tuners and Aquila nylgut strings. Sort of made from bits and pieces  To have a chance to own it see this thread.  "Buachaill Beag" was made earlier this year and I'll feed you the making in installments. The Hormigo sides are thicknessed and bent using a hot-pipe. The mahogany neck block and lime tail blocks are made and glued on using hot hide glue:  The mahogany reverse-kerfed linings are made and are glued in using fish glue:  Then the mahogany side braces are notched into the linings and glued in using hot hide glue:  Next the 5mm carbon fibre buttress braces are fitted:  |
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R the F
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Posts: 1,135 
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jul 8, 2016 16:28:09 GMT
How many men does it take to operate those huge spring-clamps?
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Jul 9, 2016 9:54:47 GMT
R the F - that made me ch-uke-l The Hormigo back is thicknessed and glued up using hot hide glue:  The Port Orford Cedar X braces are profiled to a 10' radius, notched and glued on in the go-bar deck using hot hide glue:   The two ladder braces are profiled to a 10' radius and glued on using hot hide glue:   Then the Hormigo X brace cap is glued on using hot-hide glue:  The back braces are then carved and the back "voiced": 
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jul 9, 2016 10:21:36 GMT
Lovely looking back. I knew "hormiga" meant "ant" in Spanish (as in formic acid) but wondered if "hormigo" meant anything. Well, there's no "hormigo" but "hormigón" (= "big ugly hormigo") seems to mean "concrete" so we're stuck between a bug and a hard place.
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davewhite
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Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Jul 10, 2016 8:32:14 GMT
Lovely looking back. I knew "hormiga" meant "ant" in Spanish (as in formic acid) but wondered if "hormigo" meant anything. Well, there's no "hormigo" but "hormigón" (= "big ugly hormigo") seems to mean "concrete" so we're stuck between a bug and a hard place. Read all about it here. Allegedly used to make marimba bars and known as "the wood that sings". The wood for the back and sides came with a hormigo guitar set I bought from RC Tonewoods in the USA many years ago and still have in my "stash":  |
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davewhite
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Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Jul 12, 2016 7:17:43 GMT
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jul 12, 2016 8:52:38 GMT
Sweet little thing. Bless(!)
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Post by lavaman on Jul 12, 2016 9:46:42 GMT
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Jul 12, 2016 10:11:59 GMT
It's a lovely little instrument, and I only wish I could have a play on it before some lucky bugger deserving forumite wins it  |
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francis
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My main instrument is: Whatever I'm building...
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Post by francis on Jul 12, 2016 21:55:54 GMT
Great thread Dave, stunning materials - full of promise  |
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davewhite
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Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Jul 13, 2016 16:16:51 GMT
Thanks guys. Notches are cut in the linings for the back brace ends and the back glued to the rim-set using fish glue:  As access through the soundhole will be tight I decided to glue the label in before the top went on:  Notches are cut in the linings to fit the top’s brace ends and the top is then glued to the rim-set using fish glue:  |
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davewhite
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Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Jul 16, 2016 10:08:12 GMT
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davewhite
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Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Jul 17, 2016 11:18:12 GMT
On to the neck. Next the neck scarfe joint is cut and glued on the mahogany neck blank using hot hide glue:  The stacked heel is glued up using hot hide glue:  The truss rod slot is routed out and the padauk truss rod is glued in using fish glue:   The Anjan headstock veneer is glued onto the top of the headstock using fish glue:  The Anjan veneer is bent to the shape of the volute and glued on the rear of the headstock using fish glue:  The tuner holes drilled and are then reamed for the bushings:   The headstock is then shaped:  |
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R the F
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 1,135
My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Jul 17, 2016 12:06:30 GMT
This is going to be worth winning, isn't it, Dave? A lot of work - and it must be very fiddly on this scale. A bit disappointing there's no carbon fibre or titanium in the neck though!
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Jul 19, 2016 13:24:50 GMT
A slot for the threaded insert is routed in the heel and then it is glued on to the neck shaft using hot hide glue:  The pocket to fit the fingerboard extension is routed out of the body. Then the neck has had the heel and fingerboard extension cut on the bandsaw and this is then fitted to the body at the correct angle and position and so that the heel cheeks fit the sides perfectly:  The position of the threaded insert is marked on the neck, the hole drilled and the insert fitted:  The neck is then bolted on to check the fit - looks a bit more ukulele like now:  The fret slots are marked on the ebony/mahogany tapered, laminated fretboard and cut with the fretsaw in this jig:  The fretboard has the end cut to match the soundhole. A piece of East Indian Rosewood binding is bent to shape on the hot-pipe and then glued to the fingerboard using hot hide glue. When the glue is dry the binding edges are trimmed flush and the rest of the fretboard bindings glued on using fish glue:  The 2mm holes for the side dot markers are then drilled and the markers glued in:  The fretboard is then glued onto the neck using fish glue:  The neck is then carved to shape:  The heel is trimmed for the heel-cap and after contouring it to meet the back the Anjan heel-cap together with b/ w/ b veneers is glued on:  When the glue has dried the heel cap is shaped on the heel:  The fretboard is radiused:  Then the Gold EVO fretwire is pressed in:  With all of the frets in place it looks a bit more like a ukulele:  |
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To have a chance to own it see this thread. 
Jo whoever he is.
