Mike's Oud Forums

new project. Oud from scratch

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Jameel - 10-22-2008 at 09:21 PM

You're on the home stretch now! That walnut is so dark and rich...maybe I should have kept it. ;)

Keep plugging Samir. Oh, one idea. You might want to trim back the pointy tips at the neck end. I have a habit of catching those on my shirtsleeves. You could also catch them on something if you're moving the mould around. Easy to split off a chunk, then loose it in a pile of junk on the floor. Not that your floor is messy. I just, ahem, know how these things happen...:D

jdowning - 10-23-2008 at 04:09 AM

Way to go Samir. Good progress - nothing can stop you now.
You will soon begin to hear the sound of the completed instrument in your head as work moves towards completion.

SamirCanada - 10-23-2008 at 09:31 AM

Thank you both soo much.
:bowdown:

mavrothis - 10-24-2008 at 08:57 AM

Bravo Samir, that is beautiful wood for sure, and great work!

m

Clayton - 11-7-2008 at 04:37 PM

Hi Samir,
It is looking great... :applause: I am looking forward to an update!
-Clayton

SamirCanada - 11-7-2008 at 11:35 PM

3 ribs to go my friends...
just having a hard time putting some time towards it but I should have at least 2 done tomorrow.

paulO - 11-8-2008 at 02:24 PM

Hi Samir,

Double ditto on the walnut back dude...lovely.

Regards..Paul

SamirCanada - 11-26-2008 at 12:29 PM

updates soon.
I am actualy finished the bowl.
I needs to be scrapped a little before I take some pics.

I have the neck shaped, Just trying to figure out.
which was is best to cut the dove tail in the neck block.
dont have a table saw or a router.

its going to have to be done by hand.
but before I do this I wanted to ask what the experts had to say.

I made this quick sketch on paint.

2 options...

#1 as presented in the sketch, cut the dovetail slot in the neck at an aproximately 95deg angle so to have a 5deg drop in the slot.
this would allow to make the dovetail on the neck and neck strait. and it would allow for a fingerbord to come on top of the neck and have good action.

#2 Make a stait dovetail slot, and then make the neck blank with a strait dovetail pin, But this would require me to plane a slope into the neck blank in order to allow proper action for playing.

what is the best of the 2 ways... or should I ask...
how do you guys do it?

Jameel - 11-26-2008 at 04:59 PM

#2.

Here's how I do it. Cut your joinery first. Make sure the neck blank is oversize in all dimensions, not by a huge amount, but enough that you can plane it to size.

With the neck still square, slip the joint together (it should be snug, with no play. You can wedge it from inside the bowl to achieve that if need be). Then clamp the neck in a vise so the top surface is proud of the vise jaws. Using a bench plane (it needs to be wider than the neck so you can take a full width shaving) start planing at the nut end, starting back 2-3cm. Take a shaving. Now repeat that only make your stroke a little longer. Repeat until you reach the neck blok and are taking full length shavings. This will establish a taper. You may need to adjust the length of your strokes in order to get that back angle where you want it. I usually shoot for 2-3mm at the nut end. 5 degrees will be too much I think. You might want to practice the technique on a scrap of wood the same size as the neck to get the feel for planing a taper.

Now, let's see the bowl! :applause:

SamirCanada - 11-26-2008 at 07:31 PM

Thanks Jameelo!
pictures soon I promise!

SamirCanada - 11-30-2008 at 08:41 PM

This is where I am at.

with my first bowl completed, I can now look back and think about the experience as a whole.

I know I am looking forward to the next one already! because as I went along I have learnt so much from actually doing it. And there are so many mistakes I would not do again.
As Jameel says, you learn more about oud making while actually doing it v.s. talking about it for 1 year.
Thank you Jameel for your encouragement and guidance. I will be forever thankful.

I made some key mistakes when starting out. My mould wasn't built to a high enough precision which led to many dimensional flaws in my bowl. Because of a misplaced center point on the back tail I had a really difficult time making all the tips meet.
I am also thankful for the very precious advice given to me by master Saad Al-Tayyar who has been silently following this thread. Thank you for your mentoring and enlightenment if you are reading this I send you my warmest regards.

I am on to shaping the neck now as you can see in the following pics.

I have been bitten by the oud making bug...
and I plan to set up a nice shop soon with a proper built bench and vises to hold the work.
which leads me to this funny story.
I am buying my first house soon, and you wouldn't believe the look the sales agent gave me when I said to her: an unfinished basement is an essential criteria i am looking for.
basically she said, are you NUTS? why would you want to trouble your life and have to finish the basement yourself.
That's terrible for resale of the house etc...
little did she know... hehehehe

SamirCanada - 11-30-2008 at 08:44 PM

this is the back,
I made this smaller on purpose so you cant see the defects,

it is not scraped to 100% yet. I have to fill in some gaps first.

SamirCanada - 11-30-2008 at 08:46 PM

this is a last picture showing more of the detail of my work on the neck blank.

SamirCanada - 12-9-2008 at 01:02 PM

updates.
I have the neck in and the bowl scraped and lined with brown paper.

Jameel - 12-9-2008 at 03:32 PM

:xtreme:

The bottle of Perrier really adds a touch of class to your workbench. :cool:

SamirCanada - 12-10-2008 at 12:11 PM

thanks Jameel! :cool:

almost there!

revaldo29 - 12-10-2008 at 10:23 PM

Ohh man, Samir, your building ouds now? It looks incredible! Well done man. Can't way to see this to the end.

updates from the Christmas break

SamirCanada - 12-28-2008 at 12:58 PM

here are some new pics.

hey Adnan thanks for the nice words my friend.
I wouldnt say I build ouds though... it is my first one from "scratch'

SamirCanada - 12-28-2008 at 01:01 PM

pegbox close up.

SamirCanada - 12-28-2008 at 01:03 PM

the face is Bearclaw pattern spruce.

I wanted to try it on a oud to see what it would look like.
it is pretty unique no doubt about it.

Boral - 12-29-2008 at 04:21 AM

Congratulations Samir,

You are almost finished.
It is going to be a beautiful oud

abusin - 12-29-2008 at 06:00 AM

Nice one Samir,

you rock my friend, beautiful workmanship and attention to details :xtreme:
can't wait for the sound file:airguitar:

all the best seasonal wishes to you and family

Jameel - 12-29-2008 at 06:15 AM

Nice work Samir. You'll never forget this one...:applause:

Jonathan - 12-29-2008 at 06:57 AM

That's got to feel good, Samir. Congratulations! Almost there.

SamirCanada - 12-29-2008 at 03:55 PM

Thanks guys for your continued support!!
Its on the home stretch now but really there is plenty left to do.
at this point I am taking this more as a learning experience as my work I find has been dragging further away from perfection.
makes me appreciate how talented some makers are! very humbling.

face inlays,
edge tiles or binding (didnt decide yet what I will do)
making the bridge
making a nut
fine tune the fitting of the pegs.
final sanding/scraping of the body
and then finishing of the instrument which is freaking long!!

and last but not least put some strings on this thing.

its going to be a nice sounding instrument I believe.
I made the face very thin and the bracing is also very thin.
I am hopping it will ring out nicely.
I have been taping it and singing in it and it has great potential already.

Melbourne - 1-21-2009 at 07:23 PM

Wow - has this come a far way!

That is looking very neat....Congratulations! :bounce:

francis - 2-1-2009 at 04:06 PM

Mille bravos Samir....
Sûr que muni de ses sept choeurs ce premier bijou t'apportera beaucoup de plaisir.
Et merci de nous avoir offert cette aventure en continu...
En attendant avec impatience les finitions....

SamirCanada - 3-16-2009 at 08:08 PM

Finaly a little update.

I have the fingerboard on but not quite level yet.
I am almost done the binding.

the oud is taking forever to complete.

I am looking forward to the next one already. I have made a few to many mistakes that I will surely not repeat in the future. However, it sure made a dent in my motivation and that is partly why I have been dragging this...

Ok now I have to look forward to making a rosette.
does anyone have any resources for that?
how about some images of typical Nahat rosettes? the simple kind of course :P

jdowning - 3-17-2009 at 04:27 AM

Nice progress Samir - target completion date June?

francis - 3-20-2009 at 02:49 PM

This one ? Probably from Jameel's website....

WFBustard - 3-21-2009 at 07:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SamirCanada
Finaly a little update.

I have the fingerboard on but not quite level yet.
I am almost done the binding.

the oud is taking forever to complete.

I am looking forward to the next one already. I have made a few to many mistakes that I will surely not repeat in the future. However, it sure made a dent in my motivation and that is partly why I have been dragging this...

Ok now I have to look forward to making a rosette.
does anyone have any resources for that?
how about some images of typical Nahat rosettes? the simple kind of course :P



Forever? Nah! I wish I had your patience.


I had a question.
Is there a ratio in regards to string length used to determine neck to body joint?

SamirCanada - 3-22-2009 at 09:05 AM

the string lenght is 59 cm long.

the finger board is 19.6 cm (1/3 of lenght)

the bridge to neck joint 39.3 cm ( 2/3 of lenght)


This is the ratio to be observed for the appropriate note distribution on the finger board.

WFBustard - 3-22-2009 at 03:38 PM

Thanks so much, Im slowly understanding these wonderful instruments...
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