Old uke brought back to life...

Hey there,
I recently picked up an old uke in need of some TLC.
I stripped off the crappy varnish that someone had slopped on and then filled the two thin cracks in the body. I stained over the filler and it don't look too bad.
My question is... Should I give it a new coat of varnish or just keep it well oiled to prevent drying?
I don't play (although I'd like to learn to strum a few chords) so this little uke will mainly be for lookin pretty on the wall in The Aloha Room.
I'll post some pics soon.
Aloha,
:tiki:

[ Edited by: tiki royale on 2004-11-11 23:05 ]

Bueller... Bueller... Anyone? Bueller... ?
:tiki:

Not alot of Uke luthiers out there... Where's Tiki King when you need him?

You can start with Tiki King's website, then check out Hana Lima 'Ia for more Uke building tips.

The final decision is yours, especially since you're using it mostly for decor: you can go heavy-duty & use 3 coats of marine varnish to protect it from the weather, or you can go quick-n-dirty & cover it with Pledge, or you can use a hand-rubbed nitrocelulose laquer like a professional guitar maker.

Hey TC!
Just thought I'd post a few pics of my uke project...

Before:
Here's how it looked when I got it. A bit rough, a couple of cracks and a nasty, drippy coat of something...

Shield your eyes... Naked uke, all stripped down.

Here she is. After a little TLC, some sanding and some oil & varnish.

Not too bad for a first try, now all I need to do is learn to play!
Aloha,
:tiki:

[ Edited by: Tiki Royale on 2004-11-11 23:14 ]

TR,

Beautiful restoration! The Ukelele is quite an inspiring instrument. You'll double or triple your investment by simply playing it! As long as you play with a felt pick, there's not much chance of damage. Mel Bay makes a great pocket guide with tuning and chord charts; all you need to get started.

-FB

OOh that's nice! I think the wood is glowing almost.

That is a beautiful piece & a fantastic job of restoration! You've really brought out the beauty of the wood there.

Great job.
Really, really cool.

BTW - if you buy strings from these guys:

http://www.ukuleleworld.com/uw_string.html

they'll send you a mel bay chord book AND a felt pick (which I don't like but some do) for free.

And they're fast.
And inexpensive.
And have great selections.
And they like apple pie and puppies.