Travel Ukulele (with Steps)

This instructable shows the various stages I went through to create Daniel Hulbert's travel ukulele (shown at this link). The design is not mine. I am showing my building process so that my Musical Instrument Building students are able to follow and create their own. This video by Hulbert shows his finishing process and a demonstration can be found here.

Bill of Materials:

1. Solid wood plank (20" L x 3.5" W x 1" thick)
2. Uke tuning pegs
3. Uke strings
4. Fret marking template
5. Piezo rod pickup
6. Fret wire
7. Hex bolts, 3" long
8. Clear coat finish (e.g., Polyurethane or Tru-oil/Gunstock wax)
9. End-pin audio jack

Use a laser cutter to cut out this template on 1/4" plywood, based on Hulbert's design.

Use a planer to smooth your piece of lumber and get uniform thickness, preferably at 7/8".

Use a jointer to get a clean edge. Write "J" for the jointed edge on that side.

A. Draw a perpendicular line with a combo square at the 12th fret, so you have a perpendicular reference point.

B. Line and tape the plastic fret template against the edge and trace fret lines (even if they aren't precisely where the fingerboard will be). Trace the markings for the nut and first 12 frets, but not the dots.

A. Line up the wooden template on the fret lines and tape it down so your traced lines are perfect. If possible, line up the template with one side of your plank so it's already cut to shape, and avoid any imperfections in the wood for your instrument. Trace the outside and dots.

B. Line up the plastic template on dots and trace lines to extend the fret lines over the entire neck.

With the cuts in the next few stages, make your cuts roughly near the line but not on it. (We will route it later with a flush trim bit.)

Use a mitre box and stand to score the 12 frets, making sure they are at a 90-degree angle across the fingerboard. The saw cuts do not need to be deep--and to ensure they are a uniform depth, use double-stick tape to attach a small shim at about 1/8". Check the depth with a sample fret wire that will later be glued in place.

Cut near the traced lines of the ukulele neck, but leave roughly 1/4" of space from the lines.

Use 1 3/4" Forstner bit on the drill press to cut two holes at either end of the center oval. Again, keep these holes near your cut-out lines but not on them. Be sure to clamp the piece and use scrap wood underneath.

Set up your piece in a vise and use a jigsaw to cut out the remaining center material, about 1/4" from the cut-out lines.

Use double-stick tape to attach the template guide to your ukulele fretboard/body. (Don't use too much that it becomes impossible to remove!) Then use a flush trim router bit on a router table to cut out the rest of the ukulele body, lining up the bearing with your template. Routing the end-grain is a challenge (to avoid tear-out), so it may be best to skip that part of the edge and finish on a disc sander or

Use a 1/2" roundover router bit on the bottom of your instrument to create a rounded edge that feels good in your hand.

Use a drill press to create the fret marks, with a brad point bit, clamps, and the depth guide to keep the drill bit from going all the way through the neck. Then, use dowels that match the size of your holes, adding glue, and tapping them with a rubber hammer into place, Cut off the excess and sand the dots down to the surface of the fretboard.

Use a file to create a wider opening for the nut. A cylindrical file is ideal. Cut the nut to length from a bolt, using a vise to hold it in place, and smooth the edge with a Dremel or on a bench grinder. Glue the nut in place with super glue. You may need to use a file to create smaller channels for the strings to run through; this will improve the action on the strings by bringing them closer to the surface of the fretboard.

Wire clothes hangers work well as a cheap and easy material for frets. However, getting the height to be uniform across all frets is challenging and requires diligent work with a file. Another solution is to buy bulk ukulele fret wire that fits into the slots you cut for the frets and remains at a uniform height for all frets. A wire nipper works well to cut the frets. Glue them in place with super glue. Once the glue dries, you'll likely need to use a small pin file to remove any excess glue that has dried. Use the file to smooth over the fret ends.

You'll need to add a bridge. I cut one from an old aluminum wall shelving bracket; this was perfect because it already had slots to space out the strings. I used tin snips to cut the bracket and then a handheld Dremel to smooth over the rough edges. Lastly, I used a file to improve the action for the strings and bring them closer to the piezo rod pickup.

• String holes: 1/16" in size. Use a push pin through template to mark their placement before drilling.
• Tuning pegs: 3/16" in size. Mark hole placement from the template. Use speed square for a straight line and find center of the side of your board. You'll need to make 3/16" size holes, but start small with a pilot hole before increasing the size.
• Turnaround bolt: 15/64" holes. You'll need a long drill bit to ensure that the two holes on opposite sides are lined up with each other. Gradually increase to 15/64" size.
• Drill hole for endpin jack, making sure that it is deep enough without going through the tire stock.

Apply a clear finish to the instrument in 2-3 coats with the grain. After each coat dries, lightly sand with the grain and clean before adding another coat. Alternatively, a can of clear coat spray polyurethane finish would work well too.

To see how to complete the final stages, watch Hulbert's video where he puts everything together.

Add the bridge, using screws to tighten it to the surface. You may need to create 4 channels for the strings and use a file to improve the string action. Add the piezo rod pickup, feeding it through the hole and solder the positive line to the tallest post, and the ground mesh wire to the shortest post. Use shrink wrap or electrical tape to keep the two lines separate from one another.

(More pictures & info to come)