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OR...get rid of all that steel altogether and simply use a 1/8th inch thick spline. Use multiply birch plywood (from a model airplane store).
Rout a 1/2'" deep slot in the neck block and a matching one in the head block.
Simply glue the neck on. The spline ensures alignment and gluing the fingerboard extension as well adds more than enough strength.
No problems..easy to build and plenty strong.

I use 2 8-32 threaded steel inserts and maching bolts, you can get small tranfer pins, which I use in the threaded insert in the neck to transfer screw bolt hole on to neck .Unkabob. I finally built 2 tenor pineapple ukes using the falcate bracing pattern you posted last year.Thanks

Ernie:
I finished a pineapple falcate with double puka this spring but it had a buzz on the A-string at the first fret. I tried several approaches but I just received tall-pyramidal fret-wire to replace the zero-fret. This should work. The sound is pretty good but different from a regular shape and single sound-hole made with the same materials.

Carry-on strumming.

Bob

I/m still working on the 3 pineapple ukes, they all have WRC tops and tamarind b/s the falcate bracing is H mahog, the tops are down to .080, backs are .065-70 the tamarind is the same density as EIR. I find the binding /purf on pineapple a real pita. A standard tenor with y. cedar top and sycamore b/s sounds wonderful luv it.I ran into a problem with the 2ndfret on 3rd string, when checked with a machinests 60/30 deg angle. I found the 2nd fret was high by abt.010 , which was causing the fret buzz.Am using vy thin mando fretwire.

How is alignment insured? Do you use jigs to cut the slots?

If I was using a spline . Would mark center lines on body, and neck heel endgrain. A small ryobi or sears router could cut the slots they use 1 in biscuits or you could use 2 biscuits for insurance , A jig with 1/4in plastic could be used to align the centerlines. I would glue the neck to the body on a vy flat reference point ,and use a slower setting glue to do alignment to get clamps on properly.

1. cut the spline slot in the heel of the neck blank before you shape it. If you keep the heel of the neck blank square you can easily set the neck angle by using a stationary disk sander with the table set at the appropriate angle to align the top of the neck with the top of the uke.
2. pre-cut the matching slot in the neck block before you glue it to the sides (or rout the slot with a jig after side assembly before gluing the top/back on.)

the slots will be perpendicular to the plane of the neck and the plane of the top....hence, the slots in the neck block and the heel of the neck will align.
It is very, very simple.

The glued joint is plenty strong.

I did a single barrel bolt on my first tenor, it was dropped and broke, so I got to enjoy the ease of repair of a bolt on, but the heel broke right at the bolt. This is my second uke for a long scale tenor. 1/4 20 insert in 1/2 ply set with epoxy. It is a softwood neck and I am happy to have the reinforcement. The CF laminate neck stiffener cantilevers onto the heel block, it is mortised into the body. I will use this method again, unless whoever buys this slips on ice and breaks it like the last one revealing a weakness.

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