sMg Guitars

November 25, 2011

The uke has been delivered.  Here are the final images.

November 20, 2011

It was May when I added the label, which is why it’s dated May 2011.  Boy am I slow.  The strings are on.  It sounds lovely.  Monday and Tuesday I will:  Fill a few minor gaps with lacquer, remove the strings and tuning machines, lower the height of the nut and the saddle, clean up the fretboard, knockdown the sides and neck, wet sand the entire uke, buff it to a glorious sheen, glue in the nut, reinstall the tuning machines and strings, then play it until my fingers fall off.

November 19, 2011

After joining the myrtle back for Rachel’s parlor:

Yum.

Four more days before we load the dog in the car and trek to SLC for family Thanksgiving.  I’ve finished applying the lacquer and have started knockdown.

The lacquer is still a wee rubbery, but hell, I can’t let that stop me.  440, then 800 grit on a sanding block, and I have the top and the headstock knocked down.  I finished with 1200 grit wet sanding, then buffed (top only) in preparation to mount the bridge.  I figure I can mount the bridge, and while it is clamped up, I can proceed to knockdown the rest, clean up the fretboard, and start to shape the nut and saddle.

I’m absolutely sure this will be a playable uke by Tuesday, and it will ride with us to SLC.

November 6, 2011

Devin dropped by today and we polished up his frets, nut, saddle, and installed a pickguard.  Looks like it’s really done.

I’ve been applying lacquer to the Bubinga Uke and the Koa Uke.  The Bubinga is fully lacquered and is sitting in cure mode for a couple of more weeks.

The Koa uke has 16 coats, and I think 24 will be the cat’s pajamas.  I should be able to get the 24 applied by Tuesday evening.

Between lacquer applications (wait one hour please) I’ve been bracing the Myrtle Parlor (for Rachel) and I joined the back plates.

I’m liking this myrtle, and it seems like it will be nice to work on.  It planed easily while preparing the plate joint.

November 30, 2011

Let’s start with the Lava Light.

After William left for UW, several items which I coveted were left behind.  Lava Light (or Lamp)!

I mapped out a schedule for the completion of Uke 1101, and it is possible to complete before I go to Salt Lake for Thanksgiving.  It will be a bit tricky to continue working on the uke while the lacquer is curing.  Today, I finished the 8th coat of lacquer, with an intention of putting on 20 coats.  Tomorrow I’ll add 4 more coats.  Coincidentally, I am adding coats to the Bubinga uke, and after tomorrow’s application, it will have 24 coats.

This is the back of the Bubinga.

Between coats I attached the fret markers to the Hybrid’s fretboard and the Thorn and Vine to 1202 (Bob).  The shell is glued to the surface with white glue.  I will score a border around the glued shell, then pop off the shell in preparation for routing a channel.

August 22, 2011

The past year has gone by rapidly and I have engaged in many endeavors which little resembled guitar building.  I started and completed a program which garnered me a secondary teaching certificate.  I have accepted a job as a High School math teacher, and my first day with the students is September 7th.  All my concentration on becoming a math teacher has eaten into my time building guitars.  My 2011 output has been well below my previous years, yet I still continued to gain commissions for guitars and ukes and have created quite a backlog.

I realize that I need to analyze and prioritize my pending work and set out a semblance of a plan to organize.

Uke 1001 – Bubinga Tenor: This, my first uke, has been sitting with 12 coats of lacquer, waiting to accept more lacquer.  My original intention was to piggy back on the lacquer work for Uke 1101.  Once the lacquer has been applied and cured, I will be able to quickly finish with the following:  Install bridge, saddle, nut, end pin and tuning machines.  Level frets and do setup.

Uke 1101 – Koa Tenor: I have taken this uke on a grand tour, displaying it at a cousin reunion and guitar camp.  It needs minor filing of the binding, a bit more neck shaping, then aggressive final sanding before the sanding sealer, pore filling, and application of lacquer (together with Uke 1001).  This uke, for Cynthia, is priority number 1, and I intend to start back on Tuesday of this week.

New:  Uke 1201 – Koa Tenor 2: I have all components on hand to build another Koa Tenor Uke.  A man has to build himself a uke.  This lands as priority number 5.

Guitar 903 – Walnut OM: Devin’s guitar (my apprentice).  Devin took the summer off and only recently has returned to finish his guitar.  The bridge is mounted, and the remaining work includes saddle shaping, bridge shaping/notching/installing, fret leveling/polishing/truss rod tweaking culminating in stringing and setup.  He is days away from walking home with his finished guitar.

Guitar 1002 – Hybrid Cutaway: I have been ignoring the ukes by dabbling away with this Macaferri style nylon string cutaway for Jim.  I have been shaping the neck and heel and dreaming of bending the cutaway side for the past months.  Before I proceed I need to resolve the dimensions of the neck, and how the cutaway will join and transition into the neck heel.  The top and back are braced but still need further shaping/sanding before I’m ready to join the neck to the top for insertion into the new workboard.  This work is priority number 2.

New:  Guitar 1201 – Myrtle Parlor: I have a gorgeous piece of California Myrtle which will be the showcase for a new parlor for Rachel.  I already have an Engleman Spruce top which has been joined with rosette installed.  I have all components on hand and still need to decide appointments.  Priority number 3.

New:  Guitar 1202 – Indian Rosewood OM: This guitar has been commissioned by Susan as a gift for Bob.  Gonna get that name Bob into the fretboard inlay design somehow.  I always wanted to inlay the word Bob.  This, along with guitar 1203 are priority number 4.

New:  Guitar 1203 – Devil Parlor: I call this the Devil Parlor as it will have a double cutaway.  This is a commission for Emily and shares priority number 4 with Guitar 1202.  I’m using Peruvian Walnut and Engelman Spruce.  I’m considering a black lacquer back and sides and am going to attempt a sunburst top.  Ivroid binding.  Somebody tell me how I’m going to do that please.

I have numbered the new instruments with a 12 prefix, anticipating that these will be completed in 2012.

Still on hand, and available for future guitars:  Sitka Spruce, Bearclaw Sitka Spruce, Ziricote, Ovangkol, Master Grade Claro Walnut (2 sets).

July 9, 2011

Just a heads up on a few new jigs/techniques.  In order to keep dust and such out of the box during final sanding and prep, I blew up a balloon while dangled in the box, then tied it off.

I am now using a recently completed neck shaping jig.  It’s just a vise mounted platform that allows me access to shave and shape the neck.

June 19, 2011

Sanded the fretboard smooth down to 220 grit.  Pounded in frets and trimmed.

May 28, 2011

Using the rubber band/index pin method, the fretboard has been installed.

May 4, 2011

There’s a little known trick of the luthier (OK, everybody knows it).  It’s called the Naptha Preview.  Before final sanding and finishing with lacquer, you clean off the instrument with a naptha bathed cloth.  It brings out the color of the wood that will appear with lacquer application and points out any spots where there’s still glue that needs sanding (the glue spots won’t absorb the lacquer).

So before I set the uke aside to finish Guitar 1001, here’s the Naptha Preview.