Musicmakers CIGAR-BOX UKULELE KIT User manual

CIGAR-BOX UKULELE KIT
MUSICMAKERS
PO Box 2117
Stillwater, MN 55082
651-439-9120
www.harpkit.com
PARTS LIST:
Cigar Box
Pre-cut String Board
Set of 4 Strings
4 Geared Tuners
16 Tiny screws for gears
Plastic Nut
Plastic Bridge
20 Flat Toothpicks
Flatpick
2 Wood Screws, 3/4”
2 Cup Washers
Assembly Instructions
TOOLS & SUPPLIES
YOU WILL NEED:
Elmer’s Wood Glue
Damp Rag
Pencil
Sanding Block (100 grit)
Wire Cutter
Screwdriver
Drill

6. GENTLY sand the frets
flush with the edge of the
stick. This is best done
with a flat sanding block
or stick. Be sure to work the sandpaper downward only.
You don’t want to lift the frets off.
Use the same downward strokes to bevel the ends of the frets
a little, as shown, by holding the sanding block at an angle. Test the feel of the string board by slid-
ing your hand along the edges. Everything should feel nice and smooth.
THE STRING BOARD
Time required for assembling the string board (steps 1-8):
approximately 30 minutes
1. Use the Pattern Sheet at left to determine the location of
each fret. Fold the pattern sheet as shown, and tape one
end to the string board, lining it up with the slot for the nut
(near the angled peg head).
2. Use a pencil to mark the wood for each fret position.
Just make short accurate marks on each side of the pat-
tern sheet. Your frets will be glued across the width of the
board, connecting these marks.
Ukulele Fret
Chart cut paper pattern
Tape
both
ends
to keep
pattern
from
moving.
Mark
wood
carefully
on both
sides of
pattern.
P
A
T
T
E
R
N
S
H
E
E
T
nut
bridge
3. Use small amounts of Elmer’s Wood Glue to fasten the
toothpick frets on the top surface of the string board con-
necting each pair of marks.
We like to squirt a small pud-
dle of glue onto a scrap of
paper or cardboard and use
one toothpick as an applicator
for spreading glue evenly onto
each toothpick fret.
Spread the glue onto the widest
surface of the toothpick. Be sure
to avoid any “dry” spots. You
will glue the flat surface of the
toothpick to the string board. Let
the thin end hang over the edge
of the board, as shown.
4. When all the toothpick frets are in place (or if you take
a break part-way through the process), turn the string
board over on a flat table and put a heavy weight on it to
press the toothpicks evenly against the board. Allow at
least 15 minutes for the toothpicks to dry.
5. When dry, hold your thumb on top of a fret and
break off the excess length of the toothpick by pushing
down, not lifting up. Do this for each fret.
downward
motion
NUT
1st Fret
12th Fret

9. Install the geared tuners by screwing the 8 tiny screws through the holes in the gear
plate on the underside of the peghead. Be careful to orient the gears according to the
photo.
You can drill pilot holes for the screws with a 1/16” drill bit if you like, or just press
an awl into the wood to form starting holes for the screws.
You will need a #1 size Phillips screwdriver bit for these tiny screws.
7. Dressing the frets: It is important to have all the frets level across the tops. Use your
sanding block to GENTLY sand the tops of the frets, just enough to make sure they all
get touched by the sandpaper. Take care not to break any frets off, or sand them down
to nothing!
sand gently
string board
8. Once the frets are level, we like to sand the edges of each fret to remove the sharp-
ness. This makes the guitar more comfortable to play. Just a light sanding at an angle
will do the job nicely.
sanding
block
10. Install the plastic nut and bridge into the slots provided in the string board. No glue required unless they fall out easily.
These plastic parts are identical, but they must be oriented correctly.
Notice that the string grooves are cut in the plastic at a slope. These grooves should slope down toward each end of the
string board. That way, the strings will make final contact with the plastic at the point facing the playing area.
STRINGING AND TUNING
11. Now you can begin stringing. Check the tuning chart and
string package for the proper order of strings.
NOTE: If you wish to string the instrument for left-
handed playing, you will simply reverse the string order.
Tie one end of each string to the tail end of the string board as
shown. This is a very simple process of threading the end of the
string around the loop two or three times so that the string does not
slip when pulled.
If the string slips under tension, you could add a simple overhand
knot at the end to prevent the end from pulling around the loop.
#1
#2
#3
#4

Ukulele
Tuning
A4
E4
C4
G4
12. Thread the other end of the string through
the correct tuning pin, leaving some slack in
the wire so it wraps around the post as you turn
the button. We like to have the strings wrap
over the inside of the posts, as shown below, so
they don’t get in the way of each other.
13. We like to attach the string board to the cigar box
lid using two screws and cup washers from the inside
of the box. The question often arises about where to
attach to a cigar box lid. We like to avoid covering
nice artwork (as shown on a couple samples on the
cover photo), but sometimes the instrument just looks
better with the neck centered on the box. So this is a
judgment call on your part. The benefit of attaching
the neck with screws is that you can always move it
to a different position or another box in the future.
When you decide where to mount the neck, use some double-side tape to hold the wood in place as you open the lid and
drive the screws into the wood. You should drill small pilot holes (3/32” drill) for the screws to avoid splitting the wood.
OPEN BOXES CLOSED BOXES
Add a strap if you like!
Mounting screws with cup washers
OPTIONS: Each cigar box is different. Some have clasps to hold the lid shut, others don’t. You can just hold the box
shut with a rubber band, or you can look for some sort of hasp or latch at the hardware store. Gluing a ribbon from the box
to the lid is a nice touch -- we used superglue to hold each end of the ribbon to the wood. A 48” piece of nylon webbing
or sturdy ribbon makes a perfect strap. Use superglue or a short screw to to fasten the strap to the box.
wind the strings
downward on the post
If you need tuning assistance, check our free on-line
keyboard sounds at www.harpkit.com/freetuner. You
can click on each note of the keyboard to hear the
pitch (C4 is Middle C).
heaviest
string
wind strings to the
inside of the posts
#1
#2
#4
#3