Amazing files!

I bought three new files from Stewmac, ones that I´ve been desiring ever since I saw them in their online store. Now that I've made my first neck, heel and bridge with them (the tenth overall), I know I should have gotten them a long time ago. May I introduce: The Dragon Hand-cut Rasps and Razor File!

These files are serious tools for any woodworker wanting effectiveness and precision. They cut easily and make the heel making a breeze. Compared to carving with a knife, the file is safer, to the hands, but also because they won't chip and tear of wander along the grain. They're also less sensitive to grain direction in the wood. Compared to the files at your (or my) local hardware store, these files cut much faster, cleaner and smoother. Especially the Razor File leaves almost like a planed surface. Not much sanding needed, even on ebony!

Both of these files are available in different shapes and grit. I chose the small double radius in both coarse and fine of the Dragon Rasps. Somebody at the feedback section mentioned, that the small Dragon Rasps will do just fine, and I agree. The two different radii give the file nice variation, and there was no curve in the heel I couldn't get into with these. Naturally the coarse one cuts more aggressively, and the fine one is fine to smooth everything out and fine-tune everything for sanding.

For the Razor File I chose the large flat model. I might get the large curved model some day, the performance was such impressive. I could imagine cleaning up the slots for a slotted headstock would be easy with the flat one, and shaping the bridge wings nice with the curved one.

They are much more expensive than the generic rasps and files at the local store. But definitely worth the milk and honey you have to pay for them! Take a try!

Wait... there's a third ukulele!

The ukes we made with my sons are now in almost daily playing, and the first chord shapes have already taken shape. After finishing them, I just had to make one for myself too. I started the project some time ago, and it's been hanging on the shelves for months, waiting for the right time. Once the right time hit me, I rushed it together in just two or three weeks. Everything being so small, it's pretty fast to accomplish.

Here is a little sound sample of the latest one. Recorded with small diaphragm mic in the left channel, and home made piezo contact soundboard transducer in the right.

And here are some more pictures of the ukuleles, family and individual

The only fretboard decoration (in addition to the perfect shine in ebony) is this mosaic pin with Finnish spectrolite in the middle

Waverly uke tuning machines with solid koa knobs

All koa with ebony fingerboard and bridge and sapele /walnut three piece neck and flamed maple binding. Scale is 400mm, which gives the uke good tension in standard tuning (G-C-E-A)

Every build has some accidents. This time, the centerline of the back didn't get lined up when gluing it to the sides. 

Thank you Island Tonewoods for the Koa set!

It's all about flames, you know! The instrument with such miniature dimensions must have some eye candy.

Material supplies and (non commercial) recommendations

Operating from Finland, not all the luthier tonewoods grow at my backyard. Most of the supplies will have to be ordered via internet all over the world. If you are like myself, you'll probably appreciate some links to vendors of good stuff around the globe.

First of all, ebay is a good starting point. There you find the infinite market and all the possibilities available. I've got some good deals in the auctions, but they can get a bit heavy to follow, especially as most of the auctions end around 01-04 am our time. And usually it's impossible to win without keeping an eye at the auction price 'till the last minute. So I prefer "buy it now" or "best offer" -listings. And I've also contacted the sellers straight via email, as many of them have their own online stores. That way, I usually get to choose from a broader stock variety.

Of the ebay sellers, taisamlu offers nice water buffalo bone bridge pins at ridiculous prices. Some nice armrests, rosettes and ready to use bone nuts n' saddles as well. Many items ship free internationally. Worth checking out!

1boardfoot sells very nice ukulele wood with exceptional service. Worth checking out!

Last week I received LR Baggs Lyric microphone from Harmon's Music Shop at a very competitive price and free international shipping. A microphone definitely worth checking out!

RC tonewoods (Zootman's in ebay) has a very nice variety of different exotic tonewoods. They usually provide sanding services if needed.

Of the European vendors, Madinter is a nice go-to site for wood and tools. Their ebony bridge and fingerboard blanks are of high quality and very reasonably priced, and the neck woods, especially spanish cedar, is dirt cheap, yet high quality.  That's where I buy my bone nuts and saddle blanks, bracing material and neck block material as well. Some very high quality cocobolo too.

Martin at Best Euro-Spruce has been very helpful, and He's provided me with the best spruce top wood and flamed maple I have yet to come across. Through him it's also possible to get U-Beaut Hard Shellac, which is usually out of reach for us Europeans.

Karin Rost in Germany is selling very nice wood marquetry with many different colors and patterns.

In the US, Stewart-MacDonald is the standard place to go. Extensive tool, tuning machine, truss rod, binding material etc catalog. Fast shipping and very nice customer service as well.

Luthiers Merchantile International is good option too. They've got a great "Kit Wizard" on their site, that allows you to build your own kit however you wish, from scratch or further serviced (sides bent, for example). LMII sells nice fine pattern herringbone purfling that I've not found elsewhere.

So, here's some options for you to go shopping!

Birthday guitar handed over

I asked Jouni to shoot a picture of him and the guitar he got. Here it is, enclosed with a few detail photos I wanted to keep to myself before the birthday. Here's Jouni's first impressions of the instrument:

Dear Janne,

Having now played the guitar for a few days I'd like to make the following comment on it.

I have played guitar for 36 years, mostly electrics, but I have come across a few acoustics during that time as well. 

This is a serious, professional grade instrument. The sound has wonderful, complex harmonies and a nice internal echo follows a note - something that I always search for. I have played some Martins and this is up to the very same level. And what a beauty this is. Thank you very much, 

Best, Jouni

I also made a little book to document (in Finnish) the build. Here is a link to it:

Suomenkielinen kuvakirja synttärikitaran rakennusvaiheista

To my eye it looks like we have a happy picker!

The 12th fret inlay is a mosaic tube pin with abalone center. These pins are sold at knife making stores. 

The headstock has a somewhat bold inlay, my first ever made, and thus not too closely pictured here... J and K are the initials of the player,  L stands for Roman 50.

Ukulele update

Kaapo's concert uke is now finished, Miika's one is still under finishing process. Third one for myself has still a long way to take shape. Here are some pics of the instruments, which seem (and sound) to turn out pretty nice and genuine players.

Back and sides flamed bosnian maple. Top is european spruce, and the binding Hawaiian Koa, of course.

Fingerboard is very colorful Macassar ebony 

The head plate is book matched Koa,. There is a little K (for Kaapo) and a maple "leaf" on the headstock. If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you I had to put it there to cover up a very nasty cut made accidentally with a router.

Not bad for leftover wood. The centerpiece is sapele, an offcut from my second build. Matches nicely with the koa binding. The flamed maple was originally bought to be made into binding. 

My co-builder and owner of the uke wanted the headstock with an asymmetrical shape. Tuners are good quality Grover Sta Tites. Neck is made of African mahogany.

Miika's headstock, short of tuners. The veneer is ovankol, an offcut of my next guitar build.

Miika's neck is Brazilian cedar (cedrela odorata) not so flashy looking as sapele, and much lighter. Both ukes have a graphite bars inlayed under the fingerboard.

The Tru Oil finish starting to shine a bit

The headstock veneer needs some further sanding

It's gonna be a player!