Don't understand Tenor Uke Side on Plan

[Ron Daves]

Hello
I bought a set of plans for a Tenor Uke. This will be my fourth Uke and the sides shown on this plan have me baffled. In the plans, the side as drawn starts out 76 mm on one end and ends up at 65 mm on the other.
As the plan shows, this dimension changes gradually. It looks like the instrument is going to get thinner somehow at one end, but I have no idea what to do here. All the other guitars and ukes I've built have sides of a consistent measurement. Anybody have any input?

[Patrick Hanna]

Hi, Ron,
Most (not all) flat topped stringed instruments do have some taper in the body depth. The higher part of the side is at the tail and the lower part of the side is at the neck end. The straight edge is where your top will eventually attach. Your back will attach to the tapered edge. As your plan is displayed here in the thread, your back would attach to the upper edge of the profiled side. Once the sides are bent and glued to the end blocks, linings installed, etc., your plan might call for you to sand a gentle curved transition where the back bends from the lower to the upper bouts. You can do this with sand paper glued to a piece of plywood, MDF or similar material that is just a bit bigger than the body shape of the instrument. Uke builders who are more experienced than I am will chime in soon to help you out with more detailed advice.

[Ron Daves]

Crude drawing.jpg (9.84 KiB) Viewed 14840 times

Here's a somewhat crude drawing of what I think you are telling me.

[Barry Daniels]

The taper should be gradual. Not like your drawing at all.

[Peter Wilcox]

More like this, with measurements according to your plans.

[Ron Daves]

Barry & Peter
Thank you for the replies.

[Patrick Hanna]

Ron, your drawing might not have been precise, but you clearly understood the concept. I think once you get the sides bent you'll see that the plan drawing gets you in the ball park for a profile like Peter's drawing. If I were doing it, I would sand a gentle curve into the transition area between lower and upper bouts, as I described in my first response.

Here's a thought which might help you visualize it better: Get some "shirt box" cardboard and mock up a side set according to your plan drawing. Look at it from all angles. There's a fairly hard "break" or angle were the back suddenly angles down toward the heel block...yes? Now, glue some sandpaper to a piece of plywood about 8.5 x 11" and sand a gentle round curve into that area so it won't look so much like it's going to cause a crease in the back. Don't sand away too much. Just enough to ease the transition. See what I mean?

[Ron Daves]

Patrick: Thanks for the input. I'll try the mockup idea.

[Patrick Hanna]

Ron,
Have you tried the mock up yet? Do you see what we were talking about? Please report back. ...and best of luck on your uke.

[Ron Daves]

Patrick
I ran into the same questions when I re-started this project and recalled that there was some good input here at the MIM. I'll try the mock-up idea in the next few days and report back.

[Clay Schaeffer]

It's also possible that the drawing is showing the actual shape of the side of a gradually tapered body and domed back accounting for the additional height of the sides in the waist area.