Woodcraft

I discovered recently that a small piece of Apple wood I had been drying had developed some nice spalting, with subtle zone lines and yellow pigmentation. So naturally I had to use part of it for a pen project.

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Way back in the ancient times of summer 2022 I began a new ukulele project, a Super Tenor with a larger body and slightly longer scale. Progress went quickly and smoothly until I got the brilliant idea to do an arm bevel. Not at all necessary on a small instrument, I still wanted to have a go at one, a decision I would later lament. They look good but are devilishly difficult to implement cleanly. I was dissatisfied with my first attempt and decided to carve it all off and try again. Second attempt was better, but I still didn't like how it looked, so off it came, at which point I hung the instrument overhead in frustration, planning to get back to it in a week or two. That turned into 10 weeks as I devoted my time to other projects. This week I decided " now or never". I also decided to skip the Rosewood and use Maple, to contrast all the other trim and match the fretboard and bridge. I am very much pleased with the result. Maybe all I needed was a bit of a break. Now on to applying the final finishing coats and attaching the bridge.

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tonyturley said:
Way back in the ancient times of summer 2022 I began a new ukulele project, a Super Tenor with a larger body and slightly longer scale. Progress went quickly and smoothly until I got the brilliant idea to do an arm bevel. Not at all necessary on a small instrument, I still wanted to have a go at one, a decision I would later lament. They look good but are devilishly difficult to implement cleanly. I was dissatisfied with my first attempt and decided to carve it all off and try again. Second attempt was better, but I still didn't like how it looked, so off it came, at which point I hung the instrument overhead in frustration, planning to get back to it in a week or two. That turned into 10 weeks as I devoted my time to other projects. This week I decided " now or never". I also decided to skip the Rosewood and use Maple, to contrast all the other trim and match the fretboard and bridge. I am very much pleased with the result. Maybe all I needed was a bit of a break. Now on to applying the final finishing coats and attaching the bridge.

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Excellent work. Yes sometimes a labour intensive work needs a break. I have one at the moment I've taken a month off from. Looking good Tony.
 
My newest ukulele sung its first sweet tones this morning. It is a Super Tenor, with a slightly longer scale length than a regular tenor, and a body the size of a baritone ukulele. The tone is warmer and richer than a regular tenor uke. The top is curly Redwood and the back & sides are bees wing Black Cherry. The fretboard, bridge, and arm bevel are Maple. The peghead overlay is from a piece of Black Cherry trim I saved when we remodeled one of our rooms many years ago. This instrument will replace a pair of my older tenor ukuleles that will soon be going to new homes. Last image shows the new instrument on the right, with a baritone ukulele I built earlier from the same body molds, using bees wing Black Walnut for the back & sides.

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I've spent the past couple of weeks or so working on some small turning projects, all from spalted woods. The pens are, L-R: American Hornbeam, Apple, and Black Walnut. The hollow form is Hackberry with a Black Walnut lid from the same chunk of wood that yielded the pen. The zone lines in the Walnut sapwood were not nearly as prominent as in the other wood pieces.

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Back in November 2021 I came across a Red Maple crotch piece laying on a burn pile. I took it home, sealed the ends with Anchorseal, and stuck it on a shelf for a "someday" project. About a month ago I was going through my wood stockpile and noticed it had developed extensive spalting. Yesterday and today I used my Shopsmith to turn it into a small winged bowl. It has great feathered crotch figure in addition to the zone lines.

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tonyturley said:
Back in November 2021 I came across a Red Maple crotch piece laying on a burn pile. I took it home, sealed the ends with Anchorseal, and stuck it on a shelf for a "someday" project. About a month ago I was going through my wood stockpile and noticed it had developed extensive spalting. Yesterday and today I used my Shopsmith to turn it into a small winged bowl. It has great feathered crotch figure in addition to the zone lines.

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Beautiful work, Tony.
 
tonyturley said:
Back in November 2021 I came across a Red Maple crotch piece laying on a burn pile. I took it home, sealed the ends with Anchorseal, and stuck it on a shelf for a "someday" project. About a month ago I was going through my wood stockpile and noticed it had developed extensive spalting. Yesterday and today I used my Shopsmith to turn it into a small winged bowl. It has great feathered crotch figure in addition to the zone lines.

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Truly wonderful Tony. The vision, the skill, and the result.
 
I've been cleaning and organizing my shop in preparation for a new build, a guitalele with a 48mm nut and 20 7/8" scale. This will be the third body I've built from a mold I created from plans for a 1940 Gibson L-00 reduced to 70%. It yields a nice size and shape for a baritone ukulele or a similar instrument like a Kanilea GL-6. I've already purchased a set of GL-6 strings to use on this instrument.

Back and sides will be Pau Brasil, aka Pernambuco. Top will be Master Grade old growth Red Spruce from right here in the mountains of my home state of WV. Same wood will be used for the braces. Neck and blocks will be old growth Honduran Mahogany. I purchased the Spruce and Mahogany from a master luthier from the same area that yielded the Red Spruce. He said he felled the Spruce tree himself, and both the Spruce and Mahogany have been seasoning in his shop for 30 years. I built a Spruce & Mahogany parlor guitar from the same stock, and it was stunning in both tone and looks.

The fretboard and bridge will be Gabon Ebony. Not shown is the Spanish Cedar I'll be using for the linings, or the Black Walnut for the bindings and end graft. I have had this wood acclimating in my shop for a long time, and have been looking forward to this build. It will be the only luthery project I tackle until it is complete. I have some really nice wood waiting for other projects, but I don't want any other distractions.

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tonyturley said:
I've been cleaning and organizing my shop in preparation for a new build, a guitalele with a 48mm nut and 20 7/8" scale. This will be the third body I've built from a mold I created from plans for a 1940 Gibson L-00 reduced to 70%. It yields a nice size and shape for a baritone ukulele or a similar instrument like a Kanilea GL-6. I've already purchased a set of GL-6 strings to use on this instrument.

Back and sides will be Pau Brasil, aka Pernambuco. Top will be Master Grade old growth Red Spruce from right here in the mountains of my home state of WV. Same wood will be used for the braces. Neck and blocks will be old growth Honduran Mahogany. I purchased the Spruce and Mahogany from a master luthier from the same area that yielded the Red Spruce. He said he felled the Spruce tree himself, and both the Spruce and Mahogany have been seasoning in his shop for 30 years. I built a Spruce & Mahogany parlor guitar from the same stock, and it was stunning in both tone and looks.

The fretboard and bridge will be Gabon Ebony. Not shown is the Spanish Cedar I'll be using for the linings, or the Black Walnut for the bindings and end graft. I have had this wood acclimating in my shop for a long time, and have been looking forward to this build. It will be the only luthery project I tackle until it is complete. I have some really nice wood waiting for other projects, but I don't want any other distractions.

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Awesomeness. Can't wait to follow along the build process and oh and ah appropriately. ;)

I do some woodworking, but nothing of this caliber.

Kudos
 

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