Calculating fret distances

My python 3 fret calculator You'll need some basic Python-fu to use my version but I've also included a link to another you can use, there are others online as well you can search for.

About 3 years ago I wrote this fret calculator for some fun while studying python programming.
There are a lot of these calculators online and Stewmac have one on their website.

If you are going to try and print my as yet untested Skeleton Ukulele then you'll need to get a fretboard and they come a little longer at the nut end for you to trim back to suit a tenor ukulele length. You will need to trim it back and have some way of knowing how much to trim. If the scale length is say 431 mm 17 inches the distance from nut to the bridge then the 12th fret will sit at the halfway point of  215.5 mm and the distance of the centre of the first fret from the nut will be 24.190 mm

I've allowed for 18 frets in this example but you only use the amount you want obviously.

Taken from the Stewmac website

431.000mm or 17inch fret scale
fret		from nut		fret to fret
1		24.190mm		24.190mm (nut-1)
2		47.023mm		22.832mm (1-2)
3		68.574mm		21.551mm (2-3)
4		88.915mm		20.341mm (3-4)
5		108.115mm		19.200mm (4-5)
6		126.237mm		18.122mm (5-6)
7		143.342mm		17.105mm (6-7)
8		159.487mm		16.145mm (7-8)
9		174.726mm		15.239mm (8-9)
10		189.109mm		14.384mm (9-10)
11		202.686mm		13.576mm (10-11)
12*		215.500mm		12.814mm (11-12)
13		227.595mm		12.095mm (12-13)
14		239.011mm		11.416mm (13-14)
15		249.787mm		10.775mm (14-15)
16		259.958mm		10.171mm (15-16)
17		269.557mm		9.600mm (16-17)
18		278.618mm		9.061mm (17-18)

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Bridge placement for 431.0 mm scale length


Ukulele (Non-compensated bridge)
Measurement is from the nut to the "break-point" of the string at the peak of the saddle.

433.543mm (± 0.5mm)

Please note that these measurements are based on a mathematical formula for compensation as well as an average of what "plays in tune" for a variety of instruments. Variables such as string height (action) and string gauge can affect the intonation of an instrument, so you may need to slightly adjust the locations given.

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When you have your fretboard you can check the true scale length from these results and if the measurements are not the same you may need to add or subtract mm until the measurements are the same.
I've checked the ones I bought and they are 17 inch scale length which is 431 mm

Ukulele Neck test print

I'm glad I did a test print before committing to printing the real one. The holes I made for the carbon rod didn't have enough extra room and the rods don't fit. The circular one probably wouldn't be a problem as I might have a long 6mm drill bit to widen the hole but the others are square so a re design is really the only way to go.

I tried the the fretboard on it and it will work nicely although I might add 101 or 102% to its overall size on the next test print. This might be enough to make the rods fit and the fretboard fit perfectly.

I just tried to see how the print would go laying flat face down on the print bed in Simplify3d and if this picture is any indication then an unplayable uncomfortable neck is what I'm probably going to get.

Click to enlarge

I have the layer height at 0.2 so I think the way I printed the first test print will be the way to go which is standing upright.

Ukulele Hanger "Strength Test"

Ok, so just how strong is the 3d printed plastic Ukulele Music Stand Hanger.

I tried everything in my little flat to weigh my Tenor Ukulele from kitchen scales that only go up to 500g or half a kilo / 1.10231 lb to my bathroom scales

I tried the bathroom scales and they required and expected a much heavier weight and wouldn't record a measurement.

I then weighed myself with and without holding the Tenor Ukulele and if my bathroom scales can be trusted the Tenor Uke came in at 800g / 1.7637 lb which seemed about right as my kitchen scales continued past 500g to about 800 but because it was now as far as it could go I couldn't be certain.

You didn't really expect to see my weight did you? Your gunna have to take my word for it.

Each weight in this picture is 1.25kg so are 2.5 kg when combined / 5.51156  lb 

Uke Hanger without anything on it.

This is a rare Glow in the dark Blue version

Now with 1.25kgs or  2.75578 lb

and now with 2.5kg or 5.51156  lb

Yes it's bending under the strain but considering your ukulele is about 800 grams or less the Ukulele hanger will have no trouble holding your uke. If it can take 2.5 kilograms then 800 grams won't be a problem. :-D

I have the forks which are adjustable in and out, stuck out as far as they can practically go. Their ability to take the force would improve and bend less with the forks pushed in.

So if your first question or statement is "But it's plastic" or will it hold my uke, then my first question which will probably be unspoken is "What is your uke made of?? lead, concrete, material from a neutron star?" lol

Yes, it will hold and I've seen ukes and guitars for that matter, falling after being lent on a chair, knocked of the case they were placed on and dropped on many occasions. I've never seen one commit suicide by leaping from a hanger of any manufacturer.

Just use it like you would as an ORCAS Ukulele clip hanger and make sure your music stands legs are fully deployed and don't put your uke as high as will go on your stand, keep it reasonably low on the stand.

If you are outside and have a music book on the music stand, then be aware it will act like a sail and can catch the wind and having a uke on your stand, can and will, upset its centre of gravity.

Since my Uke Hanger is made from biodegradable plastic it weighs less than a ORCAS clip (which are no longer being made!!) so it is less likely to add weight to enable it to unbalance.

Skeleton Ukulele update

Well I finally sorted out the loft modifier in 3ds Max and have nearly finished the neck.

The process was fiddly and exacting but some patience and a few hours got it sorted in the end.

The pieces fit on the print bed diagonally 

How I did it.

First I made a spline the length of the whole neck.

Then I made the cross section of the thickest part of the curved neck. This ended up looking like an oval cut in half. The curved spline had a lot of vertices along it something like 15 or so to describe the half oval. While probably not necessary I then took that half oval and moved the vertexes into a rectangle pattern to describe the heel of the neck along with the head stock.

I ended up with about 6 shapes based on one half oval so they were clones of one shape but were arranged and sized differently as well.

The reason for this was I wanted all the shapes to have the same vertex count as I had nothing but problems and strange results with using the normal 4 vertex rectangle shapes you can make in Max when I tried to loft them together with the odd vertex numbered half oval shapes.

You can loft using a number of techniques in the loft modifier. You can use a percentage along a path, or steps along a path (the one I ended up using) and one other method.

The method I chose was to take one long spline and where I wanted a particular shape to be applied along the spline I measured along it and placed a vertex. This way I could just jump to each vertex location and loft in the required shape.

Once I had the flat neck finished I then angled the head stock down 10 degrees and Booleaned out some machine head holes and added my logo again.

I'd somehow miscalculated the thickness of the neck heel that sits in the pocket of the body so I just fixed it on the fly, by dragging some vertices to the measured correct location.

All I have to do now is to slice the neck into sections for 3d printing. The neck is about 410mm in length as it is now and will need to think on the slicing method and the angle of the slice and the length of each piece, so people can fit it on their printers.

This neck will need a fret board like this Tenor ukulele fret board on ebay.

They are cheap and have a little extra timber near the nut for trimming to the correct length. 

You are going to need a nut as well so buy one while your at it. It will have 4 slots and be about 35mm x 6mm x 6mm.

...........and some machine heads 

Uke Hanger to suit 10mm post

Made the newest one for Derek in Sydney to suit a 10mm post on his music stand in black pla

 Both sizes side by side 10mm & 16mm