Stewart Golf ukulele kit Assembly Instructions Manual

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Sheet #i-5351 Updated 11/17

U K U L E L E

K I T

Assembly

Instructions

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Page 1 StewMac Sheet #i-5351 Updated 11/17 U K U L E L E K I T Assembly Instructions...
Page 2: Table Of Contents
Table of contents Tools and supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Locate the bridge .
Page 3: Parts List
. You’ll have fun and learn a lot . We captured every step of this process on video! A ukulele kit is an excellent way to get into instrument Watch and build along with Dan Erlewine as he assem- building .
Page 4: Brace The Top And Back
Brace the top and back Clamps BRACING THE TOP+BACK Watch the video: PART 2 You’ll need at least one clamp big enough to reach onto The first step is gluing the top and back braces . The back the top or back for clamping braces . Smaller clamps are has three braces .
Page 5 Apply the glue You can glue each brace separately, or use wooden cauls to clamp more than one at a time as in the photo of clamped Apply the glue to the exposed wood between the strips of back braces on the previous page . tape .
Page 6: Make The Body Mold
Glue the X-braces and fan braces next . Clothespin clamps Wooden clothespins are inexpensive small clamps . Their springs aren’t strong enough for brace clamping, so wrap them in a rubber band to get enough pressure . When you need extra pressure, add a second clothespin, backwards, as in the photo above .
Page 7: Assemble The Body
Body mold of plywood and corner braces The 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 When you’re comfortable with your clamping setup, put glue on the neck and tail blocks .
Page 8 For firm gap-free pressure all along the linings, you’ll need at least 12 clothespins to glue one lining strip . Using even more clothespins, closely spaced, ensures that the linings are pressed to the sides at every point along the curves . Do a dry run by clamping the linings flush with the edge of the side .
Page 9 The top and back are slightly oversize, with edges that hang Place the body back into the mold and repeat the process over the sides . This overhang will be removed after gluing . to glue the top on . Trim the overhang The top and back needs to be trimmed to make them flush with the sides .
Page 10: Prepare The Neck
Tearout: accidentally breaking at the grain line Cutting tool Cutting from approaching the opposite a curve from Tearout: the direction makes this direction wood breaks tearout much invites tearout. at the grain. less likely. With a flat sanding block, follow the outer curves of the body to flush the edges with the sides .
Page 11 Using a drill with a 1/16" bit, start each hole by briefly running the drill in reverse . This will create an indentation in the wood to center the bit so it doesn’t wander when drilling . Hold the drill square to the surface, and drill each hole about 1/8"...
Page 12 File the fret ends Clamp the fretted fingerboard onto a piece of wood with A block of wood can help align the drill bit . Draw a line at a one edge overhanging . This is a convenient way to file the right angle to give you a visual reference when lining up the fret ends .
Page 13: Level The Frets
Level the frets LEVELING THE FRETS Watch the video: PART 5 Smooth the 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 . makes a good tool for rounding the fret ends .
Page 14: Locate The Bridge
Locate the bridge SANDING THE BODY+NECK Watch the video: PART 6 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 .
Page 15 Fitting the neck joint Small spring clamps through the soundhole can grip the fretboard to keep the neck in its corrected position while When you dry-fitted the neck, if it needed to be shifted left you center the neck . or right for centering, the neck joint needs to be adjusted .
Page 16: Apply The Stain (Optional)
Apply the stain (optional) STAINING THE BODY+NECK Watch the video: PART 7 If you’re going to stain the wood, do it before attaching the neck . When the neck is on, stain accumulates along the seam where the neck meets the body . To avoid having to remove stain from this crevice, stain the neck and body separately .
Page 17: Attach The Neck
Attach the neck ATTACHING THE NECK Watch the video: PART 8 At last, it’s time to put the neck on the body! The neck will be held in place during gluing with a rubber binding band . A small clamp will hold the fretboard exten- sion to the top .
Page 18: Apply The Finish
When the neck is bound with rubber bands, clean away any handle while adding the last stroke of finish . You can also sqeezeout you can reach . Allow to dry for two hours (there’s clamp this peg to your table when leaving the uke to dry . a lot of glue in that neck joint) .
Page 19: Glue The Bridge
Glue the bridge Install the tuners Put the tuners in the peghead, and place the washers FINAL ASSEMBLY+SETUP Watch the video: PART 10 over the string posts . Add the hex nuts and make them Be careful not to install the bridge backwards! The saddle finger-tight .
Page 20 Adjust the nut height Pull it tight, and the knot holds securely . 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 .
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