The instrument I am photographing for this blog will be built of several woods. The sides and bottom will be of Koa, the top will be Alaskan White Spruce with the "bear claw" grain pattern. The fret board will be Ebony Wood and the neck will be Honduras Mahogany. Here is a article on Koa wood
Koa (Acacia Koa) by Hank Snider from the Ukulele by Kawika web site
"With the possible exception of sandalwood, koa is the best-known hardwood of the Hawaiian Islands. Acacia koa is a native forest tree, unique to Hawaii, and held inreverence. Koa means bold, a quality essential to the ocean-going vessels which were adze-carved from giant logs in Big Island forests. Koa was used by early European craftsmen in Hawaii to make western-style furniture of the last century, some of whhich survives as Hawaiian heritage antiques. Modern uses include some extensive employment in isolated commercial and government buildings, some production furniture made locally in small factories, and the limited output of a few score of individual craftsmen who make one or a few pieces at a time.
• Availability of this treasured wood has been declining largely because of lack of reforestation with koa following logging. The usual practice has been to replace koa with cattle, which prevent regeneration of the forest. This practice reduces the tax burden on the land, under current tax laws. The reduction of the supply of koa has resulted in a dramatic rise in the price, which is about five times higher than in 1980. In the past few years some replanting has started, which will perhaps lead to a sustained supply of wood in a few decades.
• The present conditions of restricted supply have led to some interesting results affecting the quality of available wood. Presently, koa is coming from a variety of small suppliers who take trees from different parts of the geographic range of koa. Thus the available koa is highly variable in appearance, depending on where it came from. Koa is remarkably multi-colored, with a variety of hues appearing next to each other in the same piece of wood, ranging from yellow or greenish-yellow, through orange, brown, and red, to almost black. The dominant color among the others differs in woods from different sources. The result is that one has a choice of finished pieces which range in color and appearance much more than a generation ago, when the dark red wood from a single mill on the Big Island dominated the market. Many prefer the lighter golden hues which retain their brilliance when shown in interior spaces with subdued lighting.
• The other remarkable quality of koa results from its curly grain. Most koa has a three-dimensional quality which draws the eye beneath the surface of the wood, making its surface seem almost transparent. In the choicest pieces these swirls and waves in the wood are truly spectacular. Despite its also spectacular price this curly wood is in great demand, and is carefully husbanded by fine craftsmen to create jewels of the forest which will be treasured for generations.
• During the past few years a source of koa wood for Oahu craftsmen has been trees in local forests which have been dying or toppling in windstorms. Some of these old mature trees have proved to contain wood of exquisite color and character, and every available scrap of the wood has been used to make items as small as pens and hair ornaments. This is a welcome source of wood for the environmentally aware, concerned and active people who would otherwise embargo the use of koa and other trees from the native forests of the Hawaiian Islands. These islands are the most isolated in the world, and have remained so for tens of millions of years. During this extended period a truly spectacular biota of unique plants and animals evolved here. From his initial arrival a thousand years or so ago, the activities of man have reduced the range of many species and resulted in the extinction of some. This process has accelerated with recent population increases and economic expansion. The use of windfallen trees, veneers, alternative hardwoods as well as conscientious wood-sparing designs are among the responses of wood workers to these concerns. Public policy decisions about tax strategies, reforestation, restriction of introduced plants and animals, and economic development will be crucial in preserving Hawaii's remaining unique biological heritage."
• Hank Snider, 1994
Paua shell is a species of abalone. It comes from New Zealand and is very beautiful.
The bottom of the ukulele is slightly curved so it cant be glued flat as we did with the top. Because it is curved, the bottom must be clamped by the edges. These funny looking clamps are what we will use to do that.
It will take about 20 of these clamps to go all the way around. Each clamp has two sandpaper discs that help keep the clamp from sliding off the sides. Each clamp has a number from 1 to 25. First we did a dry run clamping the bottom to the sides starting with clamp number 1 then 2 then 3 etc. Then the clamps are carefully removed and placed on the table in order. This step pre-sizes the clamps so that once the glue is applied the bottom can be glued and clamped quickly.
All done! We will set it aside and wait for it to dry. See you tomorrow.
The top is placed on this jig. You see a circle of wood in the sound hole. That aligns the top to the jig. There are six long screws with thumbscrews and wood blocks. Glue will be applied to the top and the sides will be placed on the top.
In this view the sides have been positioned on the top. See the black clamp holding the sides. That clamp is used to pull the sides in to align the sides with the pencil marks on the top. Three wood pieces have been placed on the long screws, small wood blocks placed on the long wood pieces and the thumbscrews tightened down to apply pressure and force the sides down against the top.
Here we have removed the black clamp. All we have to do now is wait for the glue to dry. Next we will glue the bottom to the sides. Tune in tomorrow to see how that is done.
This is the underside of the top. You can see the bracing system. Note the saddle brace also called the bridge brace. That gives added support to the bridge.
Here is a side view of the rough cut neck. Next the neck will be shaped with sanders, rasps, knives and lots of sandpaper. Stay tuned.
The Ebony wood fretboard has been rough trimmed. The fretboard edge must now be made perfectly straight. To do this pat clamps a metal straight edge right up the the rough edge of the fretboard. Click on these images to make them bigger.
The fretboard and metal straight edge is now placed on the belt sander and material is removed until the metal straight edge touches the sander belt
