Working Mini Ukulele

Hey all! In this instructable I will show you how to make a working mini ukulele.

I made this project as a Christmas present for my dad. In terms of playability, each string has a unique sound. The notes sound very different to a full size ukulele due to the small size of this instrument.

Ukulele strings (I used these)

A 3D printer (I use a Monoprice Voxel)

PLA filament (I used gold silk)

Wire cutters

Needle nose pliers

Superglue

Xacto knife

1/32" metal rod (less than 1" is used)

1/16" brass tube (less than 1" is used)

3/32" brass tubing (About 2" is used)

1/16" drill bit

3/32" drill bit

Only neck.stl requires support. When printing headstock.stl, make sure the indents face up.

To cut the tubes, roll an Xacto knife across the tube repeatedly until it cuts.

Tube cutting demo

Using the method from step 2, cut 4 3/8" long pieces of 3/32" brass tubing. Next, take one of the pieces of tubing you just cut and drill a hole in the side about 1/32" away from the edge. Only drill through one side.

Using the piece from the previous step, drill another hole on the other side about 1/8" away from the edge. Drill all the way through this time. Try to make the holes somewhat aligned, but it is ok if they are a little off (like mine!).

Using the method from step 2, cut a 1/8" piece of 1/16" brass tube. Next insert it into the hole from step 3.

And you guessed it, repeat steps 3-5 for the other three tube pieces.

Be sure to test fit these pins. Above is an example of a pin that does not fit properly. To fix this issue, sand the end of the 1/16" tube until it is short enough to fit in its slot. Additionally, you may want to sand the side of the tubes since there may be debris from drilling.

Using the method from step 2, cut a 1/4" piece of 3/32" brass tubing. Using a 3/32" drill bit, drill a 1/8" deep hole into the headstock as shown in the photos. Do the same for the neck. Glue the headstock and the neck together at the connection.

The part body b.stl was designed to be printed without supports, so part of it needs to be cut. Using wire cutters, cut open the area shown so that there is a small indent. This is where the strings will be connected.

Using the method from step 2, cut a 3/8" piece of 3/32" brass tubing. Drill four 1/16" hole into the side of the tube that are spaced regularly across it.

Sand the edges of the rectangular opening in body b.stl. This is not entirely necessary, but it helps make the assembly easier.

Take the first string and try it onto the string mount tube from step 9. To tie it, you will need to insert the string into the tube, make a loop, put the end of the string into the loop, and then pull it tight. Be very careful not to bend the long end of the string. Do this for all four strings. Make sure they are in the right order.

Using wire cutters, cut a 1/2" piece of 1/32" metal rod. Insert this rod into the part from the previous step. Make sure it goes on the side with the knots as the strings will run through the middle of the brass tube.

If you are wondering where I got a 1/32" metal rod, it is from the base of a sparkler. The metal rod can be slightly bigger or smaller.

Feed the strings into the rectangular opening in the bottom of body b.stl. Fit it snugly into place and trim the strings so that they do not interfere with further steps.

Glue body a.stl and body b.stl together. Sand the edge where the neck will connect and then glue the neck into place.

Test fit the pins to make sure you are ready for this step. Now, insert the first string into the top half of the first pin and tie it using the same method as in step 11. Repeat this for the other strings. When finished, trim the strings.

NOTE: This is a very time consuming and difficult step. Be very careful not to damage the strings as they may break; likewise for the ukulele itself. Make sure that you are using the correct string an that it is properly inserted into its respective slot before tying it.

To tighten a string, use pliers to carefully pop out and rotate the back end of a pin. When the desired tightness is found, reinsert the pin into its slot.

You can also 3D print this 0.5mm pick. It has my initial on it.

Do not use a raft or supports.

I don't know much about guitars or ukuleles, but here you go. In the future, I might try scaling up this project to create a better playing experience, but I think it is cool to use an instrument the size of your hand. Overall, I am satisfied with the result.

I really enjoyed this project and I hope you did too.

If you do make this project, post a make! I'd love to see how it turned out.