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Be careful not to install the bridge backwards! The saddle
goes toward the neck, and the string tie block goes toward
the tail .
Remove the tape from the bridge area and fretboard . Place
the bridge onto its “footprint” and tape around it to catch
any glue squeezeout .
Reduce the tackiness of masking tape
Masking tape’s adhesive is strong, and contains chemicals
that could react with your new finish—so don’t leave tape on
the finish any longer than you have to . Also, make the tape
less tacky by pressing it onto your clothing before applying it .
Dry-run your clamping setup
You can glue the bridge with a single clamp . Protect the top
of the bridge with a wooden caul . Apply pressure to the ends
of the bridge with small wooden wedges .
Depending on the style of your clamp, it may not fit easily
between the X-braces on Concert and Tenor ukes . It’s easy
to modify the clamp for this job .
Referring to your bracing plan drawing, cut a shape of wood
that fits into the angle of the X-braces . Tape this to the clamp
so it can reach between the braces .
Glue and clamp up
Apply the glue and clamp the bridge . Clean away squeeze-
out, and allow it to dry for 45 minutes .
Glue the bridge
Install the tuners
Watch the video:
PART 10
FINAL ASETUP
Put the tuners in the peghead, and place the washers
over the string posts . Add the hex nuts and make them
finger-tight . Line the tuners up so they stick out at right
angles, not crooked . Use a sharp awl to mark the tuner
mounting holes . Drill the pilot holes and install the screws .
Use a wrench to tighten the hex nuts on the peghead face .
Fit the nut and saddle
Place a straightedge on the frets, and see where it meets the
bridge . It should be roughly at the height of the bridge top .
Press the saddle into its slot and rest the straightedge on it .
Pretend the straightedge is a string and imagine that string
passing over the first fret . Lift the straightedge so it’s a little
less than 1/16" above the first fret (about .050") . This is a good
height for your strings . When the nut is installed, we’ll want
it to hold the strings at about this height .
Clean up the nut ledge
Use sandpaper to be sure the the flat area for the nut is level
and free of finish . An easy way to do this is to double-stick
tape a piece of 220-grit sandpaper to the bottom of the nut
and slide it back and forth . Remove the sandpaper and place
the nut in position, holding it with a bit of double-stick tape .
Install the two outside strings
There are four strings on a uke—two thin ones and two
thicker ones . The thin ones are the outermost strings . Install
these two outer strings so you can check the height of the
nut and saddle .
Thread the string through the back of the bridge . Tie it as
shown in the three-step drawing below . Draw it tight .
Summary of Contents for ukulele kit
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