SamirCanada - 8-4-2013 at 02:23 PM
Hi guys here is my progress on my next oud.
The bowl will be African Mahogany (Khaya).
This oud will be available for sale after completion if anyone is interested let me know early to have some input in the construction.
I am planning to use a maple spacer strip between the ribs. This will be next step in making this oud.
some pics....
[file]27335[/file] [file]27337[/file]
doroq - 8-6-2013 at 12:48 PM
nice>> i love working with mahogany. bends nicely! buona fortuna!
SamirCanada - 8-6-2013 at 01:37 PM
I hear South american Mahogany bends like a dream, this stuff was harder to bend than venge and curly maple. Probably the last time I use it for a
oud.
eldad - 8-7-2013 at 03:42 AM
You're right, its hard to bend and difficult to sand
SamirCanada - 8-24-2013 at 12:22 PM
Here is some progress I made during my vacation.
Starting to look like an oud.
[file]27710[/file]
Jason - 8-24-2013 at 09:22 PM
That looks like a great start. Have you thought about doing a satin/flat finish on the bowl? I love how the bowls of really old instruments look
after they lose their shine.
SamirCanada - 8-25-2013 at 05:28 PM
Hi Jason,
thanks for the encouragement.
I could experience with different finishes. I think a wax based finish would provide that kind of muted lustre you are talking about.
For this oud I was planning to try the truoil finish that Jameel uses on his ouds. it can be left with a satin finish also. I have played one of his
ouds before and it has a really nice feel to it.
SamirCanada - 11-13-2013 at 09:52 AM
The bowl is completed. still need to be scraped though.
The last 2 ribs are wenge and I will keep this theme up the neck and end cap of the bowl.
again, I plan to offer this oud for sale once completed so if you would like to have any input in the construction from now email or U2U me.
I still have to determine what scale length, floating or standard bridge, round or oval soundholes etc...
[file]29342[/file] [file]29344[/file] [file]29346[/file]
Alfaraby - 11-13-2013 at 01:44 PM
615 mm scale, extended inlay fingerboard , fixed bridge, one round sound-hole, Arabian style sound.
Rosette design: on me 
Waiting to see it happens
I've read somewhere that Mahogany is not the kind of wood for ouds, but I'm not sure about this kind of African. Is it different from the American or
the Asian ?
Good luck
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
SamirCanada - 11-14-2013 at 06:13 AM
Hi my dear friend,
What a chalenge! I will take you up to it. As for the sound I can only aim for it, we will see how it turns out
Also thanks for your offer to help on the rosette. I am actually still cuting by hand the first rosette you designed for me as I havent found anyone
who can cut it by laser yet.
Any recomendation for the fingerboard inlay? Nahat style with birds etc... or mozaique of different woods? Sadaf maybe?
I am planning to invest in a scroll saw to do fine work anyways, it has the advantage of being able to cut on an angle and eliminate the gaps when you
glue the peices inside eachother. Also, I have been looking at how Ahmad from Kuwait does his work all with a hand saw... its really impressive.
Regarding Mahogany, this species (khaya) is different than the South Amercian kind in that it doesnt bend as well due to a difference in the cell
structure.
You can read more about it here http://www.afttimbers.com/MAHOGANIESAComparison.htm
Many makers use mahogany but I am not experienced enough to tell you if its a good wood for oud or not, it is my first time using it and so we will
see based on this experience if I will use it again. I chose it because this oud because I had it on hand and it has a beautifull figure.
Alfaraby - 11-14-2013 at 11:28 AM
Hey Samir
What about this ?
Yours indeed
Alfaraby
abusin - 11-14-2013 at 12:51 PM
looking good 
way to go my friend
bulerias1981 - 11-15-2013 at 07:06 PM
Well congrats on the milestone of another bowl.. can't wait to see the outcome when its all done.
Mahogany is very open pore wood... even more than walnut. How are you finishing it? I'd do a pore filler. Check out z poxy resin filler.. I like it
because its transparent.. however applying it to the oud bowl is a pain compared to the guitar which surfaces are flat. Applying it could be messy.
It's good to make a special application tool, could be a piece of wood with a radius close to the bowl radius. Just a thought.
SamirCanada - 11-16-2013 at 04:44 AM
thanks for the heads up brother.
SamirCanada - 11-28-2013 at 12:11 PM
Hi everyone, I made some progress on my latest oud.
No disrespect to AlFaraby but I have decided to leave the experimentation with inlaying the fingerboard etc for the next oud.
It just didnt feel right for this oud. I will make the next oud out of walnut and it will aim to replicate a classic syrian style oud.
I decided to go with the classy oval holes and rosewood ring such as the typical classical iraqi concert ouds.
anyhow here are the updates.
SamirCanada - 12-19-2013 at 06:48 AM
So here are some more pictures of the progress.
I still need to, install the pegs on the other side, shape the inside of the rosewood circles, scrape the top smooth, make the nut, make and install
the bridge, install the binding and apply the true oil finish.
how about any ideas for the bridge?
Almost there kind of...
[file]29805[/file] [file]29807[/file] [file]29809[/file]
muhssin - 2-5-2014 at 01:38 AM
@SamirCanada,
just a silly question: do you bend the ribs before shapeing them?
oudalally - 2-5-2014 at 04:31 AM
@SamirCanada - That is looking rather beautiful! I do love the grain in the mahogany!
SamirCanada - 2-5-2014 at 05:21 AM
Thank you,
here was the final product.
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/viewthread.php?tid=14533
Muhssin, yes the ribs are bent before shaping. Some people start by shaping them and then bend but this is risky as it makes it impossible to adjust
to the previous rib much.
muhssin - 2-5-2014 at 09:57 AM
@SamirCanada,
forgive me but: how do you cut or saw the bent ribs? what machine do you use?
Thanks
SamirCanada - 2-5-2014 at 10:01 AM
I use a template for each rib and draw from the inside of the rib a line which shows the aproximate final dimensions. I use a bandsaw to cut almost to
the line and then I use a large number 7 hand plane that is held upside down to get to the line. Sometimes I do some final tweaking of the curve with
a block plane. After that the rib needs to be re-bent to fit the profile of the mould and the previous rib.