Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm putting together a ukulele building class for a local arts center. Many of my jigs and fixtures have to multiplied to 4 to 8 or so to accomodate the students.

I'm putting the budget together and am trying to keep costs down.

It looks like I'll be making 80+ instrument clamps. yipee!

I studied with Mike Chock in Honolulu who teaches a class this way and it works well (www.hanalima.com). I'm just swamped with the idea of spending a good part of the summer buidling jigs.

Suggestions?

Mr. Davis,
I can give you deal on some radius dishes and brace maker jigs if you plan to use radius dishes in your class. Send me a PM or email to tracy AT luthiersuppliers.com. This should be a fun class, good luck!
Tracy

Geoff,

When does the class start and how long will it go? It's possible you could have the students build clamps or jigs as part of the course. What about charging a little extra in the course fee so you can buy the jigs? If it's a course you'll teach multiple times, eventually the course fee could cover the jig costs.

When is the course? I'm over in Lafayette and build classicals, but have always wanted to build a uke.

Cheers!

John

The class will be at the Indianapolis Art Center in Broadripple in the fall. I'm limited to seven weeks so there is no time for jig building. Perhaps it can become another course at a later date.

I suspect the students will, over the course of several classes, pay for the jigs. I want to make sure that i've thought through everything when I present a budget to the art center.

I'm willing toeat some of this as I would like to use the materials in other settings. Another argument to keep costs down.

I play a lot around Lafayette with the Hot Club of Colfax and the Third Satchel Novelty Jazz Orchestra. I'm a regular at the Indiana Fiddlers Gathering in Battle Ground. I hope our paths cross sometime.

Geoff,

Have you thought about bedspring clamps? It's what many local luthiers use here. If they start to weaken you just bend them closer together and they're go to go. One full time luthier told me he's been using his for over ten years now. If you can find the the old beds I would imagine you can put together your 80 springs in a couple of days.

Here's a link to an explaination of box spring clamps. It's near the bottom of the page.

Bedspring clamps

seven week and no time to build jigs? How many hours a week? I can
build a fully bound soprano ready for finish in about 12-14 hours. Then
again I can see where it would be challenging as just when your getting
going good class ends....

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

The class will meet 3 hours each week.

I've been in one form of education or another for 20+ years. By the time each technique is explained and folks have time for questions and to be coaxed into trying things...we'll be very pressed for time.

In my experience with this I've learned that there are two kinds of students....ones that want to build their own ukes and ones that want to learn to build ukes. The former won;t give a heck about building jigs the former will figure it out....or I can hook them to teach one-on-one in my shop.