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Pull it tight, and the knot holds securely . 

When installing all four strings, tuck the tail end of the first 
string into the wrap of the second string . Continue this pat-
tern for a clean job of stringing the uke . 

Uke strings are stretchy . To get them to hold tight to the 
string post, pass them through the hole, around and through 
again to create a knot . This is quicker than slowly wrapping 
many times to get a good grip on the post . 

 

Adjust the nut height
If the string heights are comfortable, you’re almost done . 

If the nut is too high, you can lower it by sanding material off 
the bottom . Tape sandpaper to your table and slide the nut 
on it until you’ve removed enough material . Hold the nut 
against a piece of wood to keep square . Also smooth and 
round the ends of the nut on the sandpaper . 

If the nut is too low (unlikely), place a thin shim cut from 
wood or a business card under it to raise it . 

Oil the fretboard and bridge
Before stringing up, wipe the fretboard with fretboard oil or 
lemon oil . Use a Q-tip to do the same for the bridge . 

Install the nut
Put a small drop of glue under the nut, and place it in posi-
tion . The strings will hold it securely .

Install the strings
String up and you’re done! Your uke is ready to play .  

Tune your uke
The four open strings are G  C  E  A .  

 

Have fun with your new custom-built uke!

G

C

E

A

Tuning for Soprano, 

Concert or Tenor:

G  C  E  A

Содержание ukulele kit

Страница 1: ...Sheet i 5351 Updated 11 17 Assembly Instructions UKULELE KIT StewMac ...

Страница 2: ...pplying glue 4167 Scissors Straightedge to reach from string nut to bridge 3850 Measuring tape Rubber binding band provided Tools and supplies Table of contents Locate the bridge 14 Apply the stain optional 16 Attach the neck 17 Apply the finish 18 Glue the bridge 19 Install the tuners 19 Fit the nut and saddle 19 Supplies Titebond III wood glue 0621 StewMac 10 Thin Super Glue with whip tip 0010 M...

Страница 3: ...tted inlaid fretboard Nut Bridge Tuners with mounting hardware Back braces Fretwire Side dot dowel Rubber binding bands Top braces and bridge plate fewer on Soprano model Saddle If you re a first time builder this kit is a great way to start You ll have fun and learn a lot A ukulele kit is an excellent way to get into instrument building It can be built with basic tools The design and construction...

Страница 4: ...raightedge and you have the brace locations marked for gluing Save the plan drawing for use later when building the body Clamps You ll need at least one clamp big enough to reach onto the top or back for clamping braces Smaller clamps are good for the brace ends Wooden clothespins make great small clamps if you wrap them with rubber bands for extra strength You don t need many clamps TiteBond III ...

Страница 5: ...owl of water handy Water is always needed for cleanup and sometimes for wetting the glue joint as you get ready to clamp Apply the glue Apply the glue to the exposed wood between the strips of tape It s not necessary to put glue on the braces an even coat on the back top wood will be enough A glue brush is helpful Use scissors to trim the brush smaller for better control Let it dry for 45 minutes ...

Страница 6: ...bold black line on the plan drawing is the final shape of your uke Attach blocks of wood to two of the corner braces as shown in the photo next page Screw these two braces to the ply wood on the centerline Position them so they are against the bold line of the uke shape These are clamp supports for gluing the neck block and tail block to the sides These clamping blocks should be no taller than the...

Страница 7: ... neck and tail blocks need to be the same height as the sides If yours are taller than the sides trim them with a saw or chisel This is easier to do now than later Glue the sides and blocks Whenyou recomfortablewithyourclampingsetup putglue on the neck and tail blocks Put a little glue on the narrow edges of the sides that butt together too If the neck and tail blocks quickly absorb the glue add m...

Страница 8: ...t in all directions Scribble with a pencil on the edges to be sanded and on the neck and tail block Watch your pencil marks as you sand when they disappear you know you ve sanded every point Keep moving the stick as you sand to sand every point evenly If your neck or tail blocks are taller than the sides you ll need to trim them or sand them until they re flush Fit the back to the sides The braces...

Страница 9: ...ess to glue the top on Trim the overhang The top and back needs to be trimmed to make them flush with the sides This involves cutting the overhang to make it very slight then sanding away the remainder to make the edges smooth and even A Dremel rotary tool with StewMac s Precision Router Base and Edge Guide is ideal for trimming the overhang Use a downcut router bit to make a clean cut Rout away m...

Страница 10: ...t the 12th fret to indicate the octave this is optional on a ukulele Aftertrimming theremainingbackandtopoverhangshould be very small You ll remove this with a file and sandpaper Sand the top and back flush with the sides Aflatfilewillremovetheremainingbitofoverhang followed by sandpaper to make a smooth flush edge Put masking tape on the sides to protect them from file marks Carefully file away t...

Страница 11: ...ends later Use a fret cutter or side cutter to cut the fretwire Setthecutfretasideandmoveontothenext Fastenapiece of masking tape to your table sticky side up to keep your cut frets in order while you work Install the frets The top of the fret is called the crown The strip that fits into the fret slot is called the tang Position the first fret so the tang sits on the fret slot Hold the fret in pos...

Страница 12: ...inutes File the fret ends Clamp the fretted fingerboard onto a piece of wood with one edge overhanging This is a convenient way to file the fret ends Use cauls to prevent the clamps from damaging the fretboard Using long strokes with a flat file remove the ends of the frets so they are flush with the fretboard edge A two handed grip is recommended it takes firm pressure to file down the fret ends ...

Страница 13: ...fretboard neck transition The glue joint between the fretboard and neck needs to be smoothed to get a comfortable transition between the rounded neck and the flat edge of the fretboard Use a flat file and sandpaper to slightly round the fretboard edge blending it into the neck At this stage you re shaping not final sanding Final sanding comes later as you prepare for finishing While filing along t...

Страница 14: ...ng the waist Sand to make sharp edges slightly rounded The bridge needs to be at the correct distance from the string nut for your uke to play in tune We ve made locating the bridge very simple you just need one measurement Dry fit the neck onto the body using one of the neck joint dowels With a straightedge down the middle of the fret board find the center point on the tail of the uke Mark this o...

Страница 15: ...d to keep the neck in its corrected position while you center the neck Tape off the bridge area Pencil a centerline on the front edge of the uke bridge and linethebridgeupagainstthetapethatmarksyourmeasure ment Withthebridgecenteredandsquaretothecenterline place masking tape around all four edges Remove the bridge and you ve a framed the bridge s foot print with masking tape Cut more tape to exact...

Страница 16: ...taching the neck Whentheneckison stainaccumulatesalongtheseam where the neck meets the body To avoid having to remove stain from this crevice stain the neck and body separately If you re choosing an unstained natural finish you can skip this section on staining and attach the neck It s not impossible to have difficulty with stain Dark spots light spots or otherwise uneven coverage are possibilitie...

Страница 17: ...d centered Tie the rubber binding band to the neck Stretch it down over the tail of the uke and back up around the heel of the neck wrapping tightly Wet the endgrain with water Down the length of the neck the wood grain runs straight The carved heel and peghead have exposed endgrain indicated by dark areas in the illustration below The end of the peghead is endgrain also These areas will absorb mo...

Страница 18: ...n dull the finish by rubbing it with 0000 grade steel wool When the neck is bound with rubber bands clean away any sqeezeout you can reach Allow to dry for two hours there s a lot of glue in that neck joint Apply the finish Tape off the fretboard to avoid getting finish on it If there is a gap between the neck and body fill it with ColorTone Grain Filler A mix of our Mahogany and Ash colors made a...

Страница 19: ...lace 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 ...

Страница 20: ...e bottom Tape sandpaper to your table and slide the nut on it until you ve removed enough material Hold the nut against a piece of wood to keep square Also smooth and round the ends of the nut on the sandpaper If the nut is too low unlikely place a thin shim cut from wood or a business card under it to raise it Oil the fretboard and bridge Before stringing up wipe the fretboard with fretboard oil ...

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Страница 24: ...tools ideas for guitarmaking StewMac 21 N Shafer St Athens Ohio 45701 USA USA Canada call toll free 800 848 2273 9am 6pm weekdays Eastern time stewmac com ...

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