GGJaguar
Reverential Member
Where's AI and CNC when you need it? But really, aside from the stress of making sure the fret slots are in the correct place, there has to be a certain amount of satisfaction and pride doing it yourself.
AHG (and sometimes U)
- Thread starter AcornHouse
- Start date
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
And sore arm, don't forget sore arm. (I think I need to sharpen my saw.)
I can understand sharpening a chainsaw but to sharpen the saw you cut the fret slots with must take a special jig--sharpening those small teeth must take the touch of a surgeon.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Just takes a small diamond shaped file, a saw vise, and patience.
Patience and determination are two of your trump cards IMO
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Decided to finish at 16 frets. I wanted to leave room for an end curve with binding. (Plus it's a soprano uke. Some don't even go past the 12th fret!)
Looks great Chris.
Did you just send them the fretboard, Chris? Curious how that worked. $9? Jeez how can you beat that?!?!
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
You would buy one of their fretboard blanks. But they had a good selection of different woods to choose from. I used a ziricote one in my electric bass build, for example.
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AcornHouse
Venerated Member
While digging through my stash of shell I found some amazing abalone at the bottom. I toyed with using it for the acorn and 12th fret oak leaf inlays, along with some abalone micro dots, until I compared it next the available 12th fret space.
There's so little real estate that it's changing colors and patterns would be lost with how small it'd be.
Back to the stash to await the right project. Simple gold MOP will work much better.
There's so little real estate that it's changing colors and patterns would be lost with how small it'd be.
Back to the stash to await the right project. Simple gold MOP will work much better.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Got the end rounded and bloodwood binding bent and glued with a white-black strip.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
I started digging through my stock and think I've found the perfect solution. Another piece of abalone was hiding and it has tiny texture on one side that should be perfect for a 12th fret oak leaf.
It's all about proportion.
It's all about proportion.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Boy that's tiny! Had to reduce my pattern quite a bit to get it to fit. Gonna be fun to cut and inlay. Just going to be the outline, not cutting veins.
End binding looks good though.
End binding looks good though.
Opsimath
Senior Member
It'll be beautiful!
How about going lengthwise down the board (like that horse above) across three frets and splitting it up with two wires? Just a thought.Boy that's tiny! Had to reduce my pattern quite a bit to get it to fit. Gonna be fun to cut and inlay. Just going to be the outline, not cutting veins.
End binding looks good though.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
For the size of the uke, I think it needs to be this small proportionally. Any larger would be out of sync.
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
Started cutting it out. I soon realized (about the time the blade snapped) that the fine blade was too big to navigate all the turns and curves so I had to break out the extra fine blades. They can manage the curves but are prone to snapping just because of the delicacy. Pretty much par for them course.
You can see the difference in blade size and the kerf they leave behind as I started with fine and switched to extra fine.
You can see the difference in blade size and the kerf they leave behind as I started with fine and switched to extra fine.
GG and I have one thing in common - coping saw skills!