Tags: box, box construction, resonator box, sound box
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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on
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Hi All.
Here is a discussion thread elsewhere on CBN that relates to box building. Read and enjoy. The topic is a bit advanced, but you can come back and re-read it as you gain more experience. It seems each box has a sweet spot where it resonates best and that that is a good place to put your bridge. So, perhaps a better building technique is to first find the sweet spot of your box and then, based on that location for your bridge, determine the scale of your instrument and the fret locations. Just more food for thought.
-Rand.
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Here is a discussion about using a tone plate in a Cigar Box guitar. First a photo:
And a link to the thread. In December, 2008, Perfesser Blue said: "I have the tone plate demonstrated on the uke I recorded "Ridin' Down The Canyon" with. I have also tried a tone plate with a free floating central tongue that worked well. By and large, though, I have not noticed a huge amount of difference with a tone plate, it's much more important is to have good resonance in your soundboard and bracing." Thanks for the photo, Perfessor Blue... nice concept.
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Oh, I forgot. The "discussion thread elsewhere on CBN that relates to box building" is titled "Testing a box for bridge placement".
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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on
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Here are some video tutorials on methods for making "box joints".
The first is a little fuzzy, and the narration a bit dry, but it gives a good outline on making precision basic box joints on a router table. It should give an idea as well on how a router joint template works, as well as how dovetail joints are routed. The second video is an animation outlining the same box joint method on a table saw with a dado blade.
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Thanks for the videos. Hope they are good ones. I won't be able to view them until next time I go to the States (or at least leave China - Youtube and all the other non-Chinese video hosting sites are blocked here in China).
-Rand.
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Hmm, I hadnt considered that challenge. Sorry to hear it.
If I set up to do something along these lines soon I will take some photos and post an outline of the process. Its really quite simple once you see it.
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Actually, I am quite satisfied with my hand made box joints using a razor saw, a chisel and hammer. I get really tight joints when I do two boards at a lime and after chiseling out the "holes", flip one of the boards over and fit them together. Beats doing them one board at a time and hoping for the best. I do appreciate knowing about other methods using alternate approaches and tools, including table saws and routers - for the benefit of our other readers. My workshop consists of half my computer desk. So, I'm literally a small time builder and using hand tools suit me just fine. Maybe, one day, I'll find a way to come up with a real workshop.
-Rand.
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Rand Moore said:Actually, I am quite satisfied with my hand made box joints using a razor saw, a chisel and hammer. I get really tight joints when I do two boards at a time and after chiseling out the "holes", flip one of the boards over and fit them together. Beats doing them one board at a time and hoping for the best. I do appreciate knowing about other methods using alternate approaches and tools, including table saws and routers - for the benefit of our other readers. My workshop consists of half my computer desk. So, I'm literally a small time builder and using hand tools suit me just fine. Maybe, one day, I'll find a way to come up with a real workshop.
-Rand.
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Hi Dan,
Well, let us know how it turns out. And if you have any questions, you know where to ask.
-Rand.
Thanks, very helpful. I'm a pretty basic workworker so I plan on a rectangular box with but joints and corner posts.
-Dan
Hi Dan,
The birch plywood should do pretty well. For the top, you should try to find something around 1/8" to 3/16" (about 2mm) thick. You will need to reinforce the area under the bridge, typically by gluing a somewhat larger sized board of the same thickness (or perhaps twice the thickness) to the underside of the soundboard where you will be putting your bridge. For the sides, 1/4" to 3/8" plywood should work pretty well. What shape sound box are you planning? A rectangular or square box (like cigar boxes) are the easiest to build. If you decide on butt joints for your corners, you should strengthen the corners using corner posts as I did on my first box. If you are already somewhat of a wood worker, you might try the box (finger) joints, like what they have on better built cigar boxes. They are plenty strong if the fingers fit well, and so won't need the corner posts.
With the sound board, you may not find a piece wide enough, so will have to glue two or three boards together side by side using a butt joint. First, you will want to sand the two sides that will join together to form the butt joint. I do this by using double sided tape to tape a length of medium grade sand paper to my work surface, and then take the two pieces and hold them together side by side so that the mating surfaces meet the sand paper and I sand them together in long strokes. You can hold the 2 pieces of wood togther and point it to a light source. You should see no light coming through the mating surfaces. If you do, sand it some more.
Next, use a straight edge ruler to a wooden work surface (that you don't mind hammering nails into), and mark out two parallel lines the length of your boards and twice the width. Space the nails maybe 1.5" apart. Between these two lines of nails place the two board with the mating surfaces just touching each other. They should look like a tent with the mating surfaces up high and the far surfaces touching the corresponding lines of nails. You can then add a bead of glue to the mating surfaces and spread it out even. Once the glue is ready, press down on this tent and the board should now fit tightly together. Now, I forgot to mention, glue will ooze out, so place a strip of plastic garbage bag (or wax paper) under the wood pieces, and then after gluing and pressing them into place, put another stip of plastic bag (or wax paper) on top. Then place a long board over the top of the joint and clamp it all down. It should look like this:
Any other building questions, just ask.
-Rand.
Hello,
I am starting a ukulele project that I want to make a sound box from scratch. Any advice on sourcing the wood? I am finding thin birch plywood laminate stock in craft and aircraft grades. What thickness is good for the top?
Thanks,
Dan