PS7 - 'Ukelele
I had a VERY hard time deciding what I wanted to do for PS7. After bouncing around ideas that didn't really enthuse me - an urban planter, some collapsible stairs for my dog (she slips on the hardwood and can't jump to the bed that well), etc. - I decided that what would make me happiest is to make something that reminded me of my recent vacation to Hawai'i.
My husband and I stayed in Maui earlier this year for our honeymoon, and it is easily my favorite place in the entire world. From beautiful beaches to amazing mountains, the entire island is breathtaking. During our short stay, we were able to watch the sun rise over the basin of Maui's volcanic mountain Haleakala, travel the Road to Hana and stop at black sand beaches and the Seven Sacred Pools, snorkel at Molokini crater and Black Rock beach, and watch a mother and baby humpback whale breach during a dinner cruise. New life goal set: move to Maui.
Because I also have a passion for music (I played the piano, clarinet, and bassoon growing up!), I decided to make Hawai'i's most famous instrument - the ukelele. This would also be an opportunity to practice a fabrication skill that I have not had a lot of experience with up to this point: good old fashioned woodworking with hand-tools.
Most of the design came from soprano ukelele specifications with some tweaks of my own when something wasn't required - for example, deciding the body shape, the tilt of the neck, and the key for neck attachment. For the aestetic design, I chose to recreate an aerial map of Maui using laser-cut acrylic.
Because I did not attend CMU as an undergrad (H2P!), many of the machine shop tools -- CNC machines, mills, lathes, belt sanders -- were not available for me to use on my own. Because I wanted to make the ukelele myself for this final assignment, I chose to instead 'slum it' in a garage with hand tools:
- table saw
- koping saw
- miter saw and miter block
- sandpaper
- jigsaw
- handheld electric drill
The most challenging aspect of the fabrication by far was laying out the design on the wood and deciding the order of cuts to make. It was especially nerveracking to make cuts once 3 - 4 hours had been sunk into a piece like the neck; that's something I definitely didn't want to re-do.
Taking about 30 hours to complete, the final product is not professional quality but has a rustic look that I think goes well with the Maui aesthetic. I'm very happy with the final result and the opportunity to practice a variety of woodworking tools. A great note to end the semester on.
Unfortunately, between the acrylic, wood, and ukelele supplies like fret wire, nut bone, and nylon strings, this project ended up costing more than many professionally made ukeleles, giving me new respect for their quality.
