Hi,

I've spent the last few weeks researching CB Ukulele's looking at various sites, tutorials, videos, this forum etc... so have most of my first build questions answered.

I've just acquired my first cigar box (La Invicta, red cedar with plywood base) and would like to remove the base and use red cedar as a sound board (partly for the acoustic properties, partly for colour matching with rest of box!).

I didn't know where to get a cheap, small piece of red cedar from but thought a roof shingle might work! One shingle is wide enough and more than long enough, I know they taper down to about 2mm (1/8th inch) so i figured I could just sand/plane the rest of the shingle down to this thickness.

Has anyone used a roof shingle as a soundboard before?!


If anyones got any input on why it might be a good or bad idea to use one please let me know! But if for some reason it sounds like a terrible idea don't be too harsh with your comments! :)

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I`ve used them for that very same purpose and it worked out great

I have one I found with using it for a soundboard in mind but have not tried it yet, mostly because it seems like it will be a pain thinning it down. I would bet a small amount that it would sound great!

Should work. Be careful when you're thinning, as they have a tendency to split along the grain with excess pressure. I'd sand it rather than hand plane it. If you have a belt sander, you can take it down pretty quickly, in small stages. Also, make sure it isn't warped, but is perfectly flat, as applying pressure to even a minor warp could split it.

Should give you a nice warm tone. Look forward to hearing it.
Thanks for the replies!

Glad to hear that it's been done and works! I'm glad you said about them splitting under pressure cos I probably would have tried a plane, I'll stick with belt sanding I think.

I emailed a supplier of high quality red cedar shingles here in the UK, told them why I want them and the minimum size they need to be and they are sending me out a few for nothing in return for a picture or 2 when it's finished! :D

Here is a site for exotic woods, if you ever want to find pre-cut ready too use.

http://ocoochhardwoods.com/scroll_saw_lumber.php

Thats a good site and very cheap! I'll have to see how much shipping is to the UK though and see if its worthwhile or find a similar UK supplier, when I looked on UK sites I only found luthier suppliers and they charge 3-4 times that amount for similar size pieces!

No, don't do it, run away!

See they get you with the reasonable list prices.

You think the price is cheap but when you start shopping you'll want some of the walnut...then that mahogany would be nice....Ash boxes have great tone I'll get a bit of that too...the lacewood would look super as a fretboard and matching headstock veneer....bet the bloodwood would make good bridges...maybe a couple of pieces of that...look at the shopping cart and suddenly you realize you've got the car payment in there.

I have over 500 cigar box and three string instruments in the past ten years. I use a Wagner safety plane to get one side flat then run it through my planner. I alternate back and forth front and back then sand to. Final thickness.  Here in washi.Eton state we come across folks who are retooling and old growth stuff is still good.

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