Before construction could proceed, testing and gaining the require information is essential. This will allow for both organisation and no extra added costs to occur. Therefore, for this reason the following experimentation was completed:
Bending Expermentation
Before constructing the body, one must test the best possible way in which to bend the timber for the required shape. For all variables to be met, the use of both a 4mm solid piece of walnut and a piece of laminated walnut (four layers of walnut veneer). Therefore, with this in mind the following tests were completed:
Working out the bending range
Before experimentation on the bending process begins, the jig one is using for the completion of the bending process must be correct. Even if the bending process itself was achieved to an incredible standard, but then clamped to the wrong shape outline it will cause the shape of the ukulele to be altered. By this, understanding the shrinkage and natural timber spring release percentage is necessary to produce the perfect shape of the ukulele.
To work out the new jig outline, one must first use a 1:1 scale diagram of the body of the ukulele and reduce all curves by a percentage of 20%. Why 20%? Well once researching into this natural occurrence multiple people and company's live by this number to cause the correct shape of a ukulele body from their experience and expertise.
To work out the new jig outline, one must first use a 1:1 scale diagram of the body of the ukulele and reduce all curves by a percentage of 20%. Why 20%? Well once researching into this natural occurrence multiple people and company's live by this number to cause the correct shape of a ukulele body from their experience and expertise.
Iron bending
The above image shows, how the trail of iron bending. To do this, the timber was wetten then placed under a hot iron (place iron on delicate). Once in contact with timber leave and slowly move around to create the timber to heat up and slowly start to denature the timber cells thus causing it to bend.
steam bending via use of rice cooker
From the above image, it is clearly shown that the rice cooker has an attachment on it. This attachment is a piece of PVC pipe, which is attached to a round piece of plywood at the bottom. When placed on top of rice cooker, it acts as a chimney which allows for the steam, being produced, to concentrate on the one main direction. Thus causing the timber, which is placed inside the chimney, to become steamed. This system is very similar to the steam box.
Finish EXPERIMENTATION
Once the bending experimentation was completed, having some sort of understanding about what finish should be used is critical. Why is this critical, because a finish can either make or break a project, and for this project to be to a high standard, that of which is similar to other ukulele retailers.
Check out the next stage to this project below