Woodworm

I have been working on the neck of the tenor uke (the 'mystery' instrument). All was going well until I discovered that the sycamore was full of woodworm flight holes. First, I tried to patch these by drilling out the holes and filling with sections of wooden toothpicks. And then I thought...what am I doing? Do I really want to make a neck out of timber full of holes?  No.

So, it was back to a new piece of sycamore and start again.  The second photo shows the new neck clamped up, next to the wormy old one (which is destined for the rubbish pile!).

A bit more work on the 'mystery instrument'.

I have done a little more on the 'mystery instrument' this weekend (it shouldn't be too hard to guess what it is!). The sides (and back) are cherry, which was quite nice to bend. I used to soak wood before bending it, but since working on the bowlback mandolin, I have discovered that this is not necessary (unless it's really thick).

The form is made from pieces of 1" plywood glued together. This is quite expensive to buy new, but I discovered a nearby social enterprise called Chiltern Wood Recycling, that sells ideal materials for this sort of use.

A Mystery Instrument

I've had some interest in my Cittern, so I tuned it up to pitch to check it over. The bottom course was a bit 'growly', and I have found that the action is a little too low, so I have made a start on fixing this by adjusting the bridge feet a bit. Everything else seems in good order so I just need to find a good way to ship it safely, and to confirm that the potential new owner is willing to go ahead.

All the bars on the lute are now glued in place and I have made a start at trimming them to exact length. On the lute they play an important role in the structure of the whole instrument (which doesn't have any lining) as well as the tone, so this has got to be accurate.

Finally, I have started work on a mystery instrument. I can't reveal what it is because it will be a present for someone, but so far I have prepared some cherry wood for the back and sides, and made the belly. Here is a photo of pieces for the rosette inlay in preparation on a template I turned on my lathe.