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One of the benefits of doing a whole lot of one thing at a time is that, about halfway through, you heavily ponder how you are going about it, to see if there are better or more efficient ways of doing that task. You tend to find improvements that you wouldn’t find with mere occasional exposure. Brad Combs emphasizes this silver lining when I complain to him about having to trudge through a bunch of X or Y to prepare parts for a “no experience necessary” uke building class I will lead for retirees later this month.

Anyhoo, as part of bracing a lot of backs and tops, I noticed something about how I place go bars. Over the years, I have developed the habit of placing the lower end of the rod first. But I now think that was not ideal. I am now experimenting with placing the upper end of the rod first, and I like it better. I get less skating, and if the rod is going to twist on me, I can feel it before I put it on the brace, and adjust for that.

I realize this is like studying how you go about putting on your socks and shoes, but I offer it as a useful thing to think about. I note that, from looking at videos of people who I greatly respect, I see folks doing it both ways. So, I figure both are fine, if you get the results you want. But if you are doing the bottom end first and get a bit frustrated with skating or rod twisting, you might want to join me in my experiments with placing the top end first.

I’m a bottom first kinda guy…

Because my braces are pre-profiled, I use bridging sticks that span from an already glued brace to the brace being glued. This helps to eliminate skating. I picked this up from Somogyi.

As for cleanup, I brace with HHG in a squeeze bottle. I apply glue to the brace then pinch my thumb and forefinger together and run them up the glue line on the brace. This leaves the perfect amount of glue on the brace prior to placement. I place the brace on the line, tipping it towards where the bridging sticks will block access to easy clean up. I then tip the brace into place forcing any squeeze out towards the accessible side. Makes for nice clean work.

M

I've always just naturally gone bottom first cause I can hold it where I want it while bending the rod and placing the top end which doesn't require too much accuracy.

But I'm going to give the reverse a try too.

I like the "cane" tips for the work end, softer rubber and spreads the load and less likely to slide. AND blunts the tip of the arrow.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

Love the cane tips, where did those come from?

I put the go-bar in the top first with the current vinyl capped rods I’ve used the last few years. When I was using the driveway markers they only had a tip on one end. The tipped end went first onto the brace and then slide the other end along the top of the deck to where I wanted it.

Brad


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I'll look Brad, and post back. I'm guessing Amazon, McMaster Carr or even local hardware.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

99% sure these are the ones Brad.

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/rubber-end-caps/protective-feet~/?s=rubber-end-caps

Part # 2517T31

And easily affordable.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

Awesome, thanks! They will be here tomorrow.


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Skating comes from not having the top and bottom of the rod aligned vertically, so it's pushing sideways. The line of force is from the top point of contact to the bottom point; the direction the rod points as it contacts the brace is more or less immaterial so long as thge end is rounded off. I put on the bottom first, since that's a fixed position, and then move the top of the rod to get the alignment. Since that's also the shortest distance, and thus the most deflection on the rod, it also give the greatest force. Since I'm holding the bottom between two fingers when I do it, I can feel if the rod wants to twist, which is not uncommon with the wood dowels I use.

Another option is Plasti Dip for $11 from Home Depot. It will coat the tips of hundreds of go-bars.

To help keep my poplar 5/16" dowels stable, I band saw an arch from one side of the dowel, starting 3" from the top of the dowel and about 8" long, cutting in about 1/3 way at the deepest point. This makes the dowel bend near the top, and in one direction only. I get 2 go-bars from each dowel, so they are very inexpensive.

Another thing I have started, is making the bars from a 1/2" thick FLAT SAWN pine project board from Lowes. When I rip the board into 3/16" thick strips, I end up with 1/2" X 3/16"X18" quarter sawn go bars. The rectangle shape makes them bend in 1 direction only. You can experiment with the thickness, to adjust for your needs, based on the length that you prefer. If I want the base to be a little less than 1/2", I just taper the bottom 1" down to 1/4". These are also very inexpensive. They work great and I will probably abandon the dowels, when I eventually break them all:>) I've never broken any of the rectangle bars.

Oh, I go with the bottom end of the go bar first. Sock, sock, shoe, shoe.

Bottom end first. I mostly use driveway markers with Ace Hardware rubber thread protectors on the ends. 1/4" Kite rods for the top and back with thread protectors.

IMG_7551 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

IMG_7631 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.